Posted on 07/05/2005 10:23:45 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
She didn't lie on a witness stand. Are you familiar at all with the case?
Absolutely that was their intention. Not to mention you can make a name for yourself as a politically ambitious prosecutor (and face it what prosoector's aren't politically ambitious?)
Instant name recognition when he decide's to run. "Oh! he's the guy who took Martha Stewart down"
She could have taken the fifth amendment or simply told the truth but she chose to lie.
She would love people to think it was about selling stock.
While you should always obey the law it has become time to re-examine "insider trading laws" and laws in general to see how the government is attempting to micromanage our lives, like with the "Bank Secrecy Act" where you cannot loan a friend in need anything over $10,000 without the bank reporting your "suspicious" action to the feds.
O.J. Simpson and Robert Blake never went to prison whereas Martha Stewart did. I think her prosecution was a big waste of time.
In her mind Martha is a victim, a martyr, why disillusion her with facts. Her kind never liked facts.
Is that anything like, "Think hard before you make ridiculous remarks"?
Martha never lied on the witness stand.
She merely lied in an interview(s), not under oath, not in a courtroom.
So the feds, knowing they couldn't make a case against her for insider trading, decided to charge her with lying to them.
BUZZZZ... times up Martha.. you're irrelevant.. and arrogant..
As much in the past as I have had disdain for Martha Stewart, I don't see where she did anything all that wrong.
She never lied on the witness stand. (Like Clinton did.) That would have been perjury. She was never charged with perjury. She was charged with lying to a Federal Official. Not under oath or in a deposition or such. All you have to do to be charged with a Federal Felony is say something to a Fed that isn't true. Look up 18 USC 1001.
Bzzzzzzzzzzt! Wrong answer but thanks for playing Martha!
You have learned nothing from all of this. It is all about when the LEO's (Law Enforcement Officers) come you say nothing and lawyer up. Had you done that, the worst that could have happened was that you might have had to disgorge (pay the government) the money you made on the transaction.
Not only that but you're double stupid as, having been an officer of a company that went public, I know that this was explained to you in detail by the underwriters lawyers when you went public.
The absolutely ridiculous thing about that law is that the Feds can lie to you when they ask the questions. They allegedly did this to Martha. At least the playing field should be leveled and lying should be allowed if the Feds do it first.
She did not lie under oath. She was convicted of lieing to some federal investigators about an act which was not itself a crime (she was not an "insider" so could not be guilty of insider trading).
This was a travesty and Stewart is exactly right that it is all about putting fear in the hearts of the subjects.
Never, ever talk to investigators especially federal. They are not your friends. No matter whether you are innocent or guilty. At one time it could be considered a civil duty to cooperate with the authorities. No more.
Dear garyhope,
"She seems to have forgotten about arrogance, hubris and insider trading."
As others have pointed out, she wasn't prosecuted for insider trading.
Arrogance and hubris, although not to be cultivated, are not federal crimes.
sitetest
She was convicted of lying to investigators about a crime for which she couldn't be prosecuted.
Martha is the modern Leona Helmsley. She got caught up in her own little web of funny monies, stock trading on the QT from a "family friend", etc. Is it my fault that the dummy got caught trying to cover her ample a$$ with little "stretches of imagination" a.k.a. LIES, and had to spend time in the slammer and then in her really quaint cottage? I say, you slept with the dogs Martha, and you got the fleas from it. Deal with it and STFU! She definitely ain't the brightest bulb in that candelabra, is she?
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