Posted on 07/20/2004 8:07:00 AM PDT by Mike Bates
So it appears Martha Stewart will, one of these years, go to prison for five months. Im starting to wish there were a way to send her up the river for life.
Not that her crimes warrant such a sentence. I used to be ambivalent about her case, wondering if what she did justified such tough, resolute prosecution.
She was sentenced for lying about a stock sale.
I can understand her astonishment at being nailed for that. Not many years ago, we had a president who was giving Burger King stiff competition for turning out the most whoppers.
Lying under oath didnt damage his reputation. Then again, theres little that could have.
Its ironic that Clinton was a beneficiary of Marthas rather limited largess. He and several other Democrats received political contributions from her.
Im surprised she didnt cop a plea for leniency based on that. Where are Roger Clinton and the Brothers Rodham when you really need them?
According to court documents posted on the Smoking Gun web site, Martha listed several reasons why she deserved an extra measure of mercy. Some of them will bring a lump to your throat.
She helped her sister out with money after the sisters husband died. She donated household goods to an orphanage. Martha gave a "small honorarium" to the Bryant Park Restoration Corporation.
Nor were these her only acts of selfless generosity. She greeted new neighbors with freshly baked bread. And, get the hankies out, this altruistic woman even served cocoa to the parents of kids appearing on her TV show.
No, I am not making this up. She really thought deeds such as these should be taken into consideration in her sentencing.
You may have noticed that Mrs. Stewart is not a sympathetic figure. Her arrogance is legendary and, even after all shes been through, she apparently still doesnt get it.
In a letter to the judge written days before sentencing, Martha patiently explained: ". . .the way we looked at our business is that we were teachers and what we taught had to be based in fact, truth and highest standards of perfection, a phrase I adopted from the American Poultry Associations handbook, The Standard of Perfection."
Yet the unwashed masses simply never understood the fact and truth to be learned in whipping up a really good Pineapple Upside-Down Cake.
What finally convinced me that Martha Stewart is a clear and present danger that needs to be kept out of society for keeps was how shes acted since her sentencing.
She sashayed out of court and stepped to the microphones and cameras awaiting her. Martha must have studied the Clinton playbook. Like Bill, she said she had been punished for a "small personal matter." She claimed shes been "choked and almost suffocated to death during that time. . ." This sounds like Hillarys laughable claim that when her husband finally fessed up, she was so stunned she could hardly breathe and had to gulp for air.
But then Martha really got down to business. She urged her supporters to continue standing by their gal:
"Perhaps all of you out there can continue to show your support by subscribing to our magazine, by buying our products, by encouraging our advertisers to come back in full-force to our magazines. Our magazines are great."
Then she said she wasnt exploiting the occasion for a sales-pitch. Right. Share the love. Send cash.
The following day she spoke of the many, many good people who have gone to prison and cited Nelson Mandela. Im no fan of his, but I do believe his imprisonment was due to a principled belief. By contrast, Marthas headaches stared when she tried to save a (relatively) few bucks.
On Monday evening, Mrs. Stewart found yet another silver lining. She told Larry King on his program that she intends to write a book about her experience. Whats the use of going through the criminal justice system without making a buck on it?
Yes, a very dangerous woman, one who every day provides additional evidence that she should be locked up permanently. And thats a good thing.
I knew that one was going to make you wonder. I was trying to post on another thread and hit the back button and the wrong window came up. LOL Sorry.
For goodness' sake, don't be sorry. :)
"She certainly can. There are consequences of doing so in a civil case that are not present in a criminal case, but she does not lose her Fifth Amendment rights when she walks through the civil courtroom doors.
Ask OJ Simpson....sorry, she can't plead the Fifth in a Civil Court Trial. She can cause the court to find her "In Contempt"....but that doesn't change the fact she can't plead the Fifth.
Perhaps NYC has laws on this topic the rest of the nation isn't aware of.......
"She can invoke the Fifth Amendment. No question about it."
Sorry, she can refuse to testify and be found in contempt of the court. But she cannot claim Fifth Amendment protection in a Civil Trial.
Which is why the insider trading charges are being pursued in Civil Court, btw.
Insider trading is also a crime that she can be indicted for.
Are you a lawyer?
Do a google seach with "invoke fifth amendment civil trial" and you will find countless instances where people have invoked their Fifth Amendment rights in civil trials. Catholic clergy have recently done it. This is not controversial.
Sorry, we disagree completely. No big deal, when the trial comes it will all be laid out in this forum, among others. About 18 months from now.
"Remember the Enron guys invoking the Priviledge during Congress' civil investigation of that debacle? You can invoke in civil proceedings."
I think you are confusing laws here, and what you can do while testifying before congress.
You keep mixing criminal law with civil law.
Sorry, I don't agree, and your own posts demonstrate why. And btw, I never do anything without my corporate attorney's signing off on it. I've also been in civil trials, both as plantiff and defendent.
Anyway, thanks for the effort. Now, before you decend into another round of disparaging remarks...chill.
We disagree, its allowed.
Maybe Hitlery will pick her to run as her Vice-Presidential Candidate in 2008 or appoint her to a Federal Department as Commissioner of Good Works.
That ticket would certainly be a double-bagger.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.