Martha Stewart Receives Sentence
By ERIN McCLAM, AP

Update: Martha Stewart sentenced to five months in prison for stock scandal. Details to come.




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Martha Stewart

NEW YORK (July 16) - Martha Stewart arrived at a federal courthouse Friday to learn whether the stock-trading scandal that tarnished her empire of gracious living would land her in prison.

Stewart, dressed simply in a black pantsuit, showed no emotion as she strode briskly through a media horde. Supporters applauded and one shouted, ''Hold your head high, Martha!''

Legal experts predicted U.S. District Judge Miriam Goldman Cedarbaum would sentence Stewart to 10 to 16 months in prison for lying about a stock sale.

In the event of a prison sentence, lawyers for Stewart, 62, were expected to ask Cedarbaum to allow her to remain free while she appeals her conviction. The judge also could allow Stewart to spend half her sentence at a halfway house or confined to her home.

In the final weeks before Stewart's sentencing, hundreds of well-wishers sent letters to the judge asking for mercy.


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''I am alone now with my pets,'' a woman named Ruth Ritter wrote to the judge in careful script. ''Just seeing Martha doing her crafts, cooking, gardening, was a great comfort to me.''

From Springfield, Ohio, four middle-school cooks and a custodian wrote: ''Martha Stewart has been an inspiration for women across the nation. ... A hardworking, delightful character that shares her creative ideas with everyday people like us.''

Former Merrill Lynch & Co. stockbroker Peter Bacanovic, who was convicted along with Stewart of lying about the 2001 stock sale, was scheduled to be sentenced later Friday.

It was Dec. 27, 2001, when Stewart, in a brief phone call from a Texas tarmac on her way to a Mexican vacation, sold 3,928 shares of ImClone Systems Inc., a company run by her longtime friend Sam Waksal.


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Prosecutors alleged that Bacanovic, 42, ordered his assistant to tip Stewart that Waksal was trying to sell his shares. ImClone announced negative news the next day that sent the stock plunging. Stewart saved $51,000.

Stewart and Bacanovic always maintained she sold because of a preset plan to unload the stock when it fell to $60. ImClone now trades around $80.

The star witness against Stewart was Douglas Faneuil, a young former brokerage assistant who vividly described Bacanovic's order when he learned Waksal was trying to sell: ''Oh my God. Get Martha on the phone.''

Ann Armstrong, a veteran Stewart assistant, also testified Stewart had altered a computer log of a message Bacanovic left earlier that day about ImClone.

But the verdict on March 5 - guilty on four counts apiece for Stewart and Bacanovic - set off a string of events as dramatic as the trial itself.

In April, lawyers for both defendants accused one juror of lying about an arrest record in order to get on the trial. Cedarbaum denied a request for a new trial, saying there was no proof the juror lied or was biased.


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And in May, federal prosecutors accused Larry F. Stewart, a Secret Service ink expert, of lying repeatedly in his testimony at the trial - mostly about the role he played in ink-analysis testing of a stock worksheet. The Stewarts are not related.

Just last week, Cedarbaum again denied new trials for Stewart and Bacanovic, this time saying there was ''overwhelming independent evidence'' to support the guilty verdicts.

Both the juror issue and the Larry Stewart perjury charges are expected to form the basis of the appeal.

Stewart resigned as CEO of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc., once a $1 billion media empire, when she was indicted in 2003. She gave up her seat on the board after she was convicted, but remains founding editorial director.

In late 2003, just weeks before her trial was to begin, Stewart told ABC News that ''what I did was not against the rules.'' She also said she was afraid of prison.

She added: ''But I don't think I will be going to prison, though.''

Ha Ha, this is hysterical! :lol:

Originally posted by CoolCounty


Update: Martha Stewart sentenced to five months in prison for stock scandal.



Five months... five months. Disgusting what being a celebrity can get you out of. :rolleyes:

If you can't do the time, don't do the crime.

Originally posted by Kaffeine Kay
Five months... five months. Disgusting what being a celebrity can get you out of. :rolleyes: The crime wasn't that bad. people just targeted Martha because she built an empire from scratch. they should just leave her alone.

Yeah, I agree I think she is being made an example. One thing I didn't like was her speech, she didn't sound the slightest bit sorry and even came across arrogant...hard to sympathize with her.

She should have gotten more time. I was thinking around a year.

She's going to be in a MINIMUM SECURITY JAIL! :rolleyes:

I hate how celebrities get off so dang easy.

Here's what all she got:

5 months in jail
1 1/2 years of supervised probation
5 months house arrest
$30,000 fine

Originally posted by Brent88
5 months in jail
1 1/2 years of supervised probation
5 months house arrest
$30,000 fine

Is that all she got? She should have got 20 years in a maximum security prison! And a $1,000,000 fine! That evil homemaker! :mad:

Originally posted by Brent88
She should have gotten more time. I was thinking around a year.

She's going to be in a MINIMUM SECURITY JAIL! :rolleyes:

I hate how celebrities get off so dang easy.



:nod: She should have gotten it longer.

Originally posted by *Bela Lugosi*
Is that all she got? She should have got 20 years in a maximum security prison! And a $1,000,000 fine! That evil homemaker! :mad:

That's a bit of a stretch. The most she could have gotten for what she was convicted was 12-16 months in prison.

Originally posted by CoolCounty
The crime wasn't that bad. people just targeted Martha because she built an empire from scratch. they should just leave her alone.

Hardly I doubt that's the case at all. If it were any of us, we'd have gotten the maxiumum sentence allowed :rolleyes:

Originally posted by Topanga
Hardly I doubt that's the case at all. If it were any of us, we'd have gotten the maxiumum sentence allowed :rolleyes:

Oh of course... :mad:

It's not like she killed anyone. 5 months is still a long time to be in prison, and it's probably not going to help her career any.

Originally posted by Topanga
Hardly I doubt that's the case at all. If it were any of us, we'd have gotten the maxiumum sentence allowed :rolleyes:

Yeah, celerbertys get some kind of privlage :rolleyes:

Originally posted by *Marilyn Monroe*
It's not like she killed anyone. 5 months is still a long time to be in prison, and it's probably not going to help her career any.

Yes, but she still did a crime, if it were any of us, we would have gotten more than 5 months.

Originally posted by *Marilyn Monroe*
It's not like she killed anyone. 5 months is still a long time to be in prison, and it's probably not going to help her career any.

So? What she did was still a crime, and 5 months is getting off pretty easy, she could have gotten a year or more :rolleyes:

Poor, poor Martha. :rolleyes:

Here's something to think about...

if she goes to jail today the latest she will get out is December 16th!

:rolleyes: :mad:

Originally posted by Brent88
Here's something to think about...

if she goes to jail today the latest she will get out is December 16th!

:rolleyes: :mad:

Thats NOT a long time at all. Thats ridicoulus! :mad: :rolleyes:

Originally posted by little insomniac
Poor, poor Martha. :rolleyes:

:lol:

Is there any way we can make her sentence longer? :)

Originally posted by little insomniac
Poor, poor Martha. :rolleyes:

:clap :lol:

Originally posted by *Bela Lugosi*
Is there any way we can make her sentence longer? :)

I wish ;) :lol:

Originally posted by *Marilyn Monroe*
It's not like she killed anyone. 5 months is still a long time to be in prison, and it's probably not going to help her career any.

Yeah, but if any of us did that we'd be up to our necks in federal charges, with 5 years in prison...

Originally posted by little insomniac
Poor, poor Martha. :rolleyes:

:rotflmao:

Yeah I feel so sorry for her I almost shed a tear this morning. ;) :crazy:

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-5/190510/Marthainjail.jpg

Originally posted by Sterling Holobyte
If you can't do the time, don't do the crime.

You said it.

what she did was none of anyone's business and it didn't hurt anybody. everyone against Martha is just angry because she has money and power and built a empire from scratch. Why should anyone care what she did. she shouldn't be in jail and she should have never been tried. the Enron execs are under less fire the Martha Stewart. I hope her appeal works. she even offered to do community service to teach low-income people to start their own business. Why is everyone so against Martha? it's terrible to hate someone because they have success. I am a big fan of business moguls who build their business from nothing. I've never watched her show or bought her products, but I know she shouldn't be punished

Originally posted by CoolCounty
Why is everyone so against Martha?

because she's a mean-spirited ::bleep:: who spat on and hurt many people close to her (including her husband and children!!!) in order to get where she got. The Cybill Shepard movie showed exactly the type of person Martha really is. The sweet motherly homemaker you see on television is all a facade.

Let's face it, if she wasn't a celebrity, and you found out she cheated like she did, would you be defending her?

Originally posted by BuffySlayer79
because she's a mean-spirited ::bleep:: who spat on and hurt many people close to her (including her husband and children!!!) in order to get where she got. The Cybill Shepard movie showed exactly the type of person Martha really is. The sweet motherly homemaker you see on television is all a facade.

Let's face it, if she wasn't a celebrity, and you found out she cheated like she did, would you be defending her?

:yeahthat

Originally posted by BuffySlayer79
because she's a mean-spirited ::bleep:: who spat on and hurt many people close to her (including her husband and children!!!) in order to get where she got. The Cybill Shepard movie showed exactly the type of person Martha really is. The sweet motherly homemaker you see on television is all a facade.

Let's face it, if she wasn't a celebrity, and you found out she cheated like she did, would you be defending her? Yes I would defend her if she were not a celebrity. just because she is mean spirited is no reason to throw her in jail. when you want a business to be successful you have to step on some people. and I have never actually heard anyone say Martha was mean. people being against her is not about her being mean, it is because she is multi-million dollar mogul. she actually was surprised so many people hated her.

Originally posted by CoolCounty
The crime wasn't that bad. people just targeted Martha because she built an empire from scratch. they should just leave her alone.

Agreed.
I do think they targeted her a lot harder than the thousands of people who do the same thing. Yes, what she did was wrong, but frankly, it's been given far too much attention. She was made an example, plain and simple.

Any word on what the guy who tipped her off got?

Originally posted by CoolCounty
everyone against Martha is just angry because she has money and power and built a empire from scratch.

Are you calling us jealous?! That's the funniest thing I've heard all day!

Originally posted by CoolCounty
Yes I would defend her if she were not a celebrity. just because she is mean spirited is no reason to throw her in jail. when you want a business to be successful you have to step on some people. and I have never actually heard anyone say Martha was mean. people being against her is not about her being mean, it is because she is multi-million dollar mogul. she actually was surprised so many people hated her.


Oh geesh :rolleyes: You're missing the point, she commited a crime, that's why we're saying she should be in jail.

So she can do anything and be allowed to get away with it because we're "jealous becaus she's a multi-million dollar mogul"? PUHLEEZE :rolleyes:

Originally posted by Topanga


So she can do anything and be allowed to get away with it because we're "jealous becaus she's a multi-million dollar mogul"? PUHLEEZE :rolleyes:

and a rude one, at that :rolleyes:

Originally posted by Kaffeine Kay
and a rude one, at that :rolleyes:

:lol:

I've never liked her, she's always seemed "artificial" to me :lol: I cannot stand people who act like she does :rolleyes:

Originally posted by Topanga
:lol:

I've never liked her, she's always seemed "artificial" to me :lol: I cannot stand people who act like she does :rolleyes:

:rotflmao:

Neither have I. My mom hates her too. :crazy:

The stupid yahoo takes two hours to make a sandwhich, and two minutes to eat it. Please...

Originally posted by Kaffeine Kay
The stupid yahoo takes two hours to make a sandwhich, and two minutes to eat it. Please...

:rofl: I wonder if her cooking is as good as everyone makes it out to be? :D

Originally posted by Topanga
Oh geesh :rolleyes: You're missing the point, she commited a crime, that's why we're saying she should be in jail.

So she can do anything and be allowed to get away with it because we're "jealous becaus she's a multi-million dollar mogul"? PUHLEEZE :rolleyes:

exactly, if that's the case, then Jim Bakker shouldn't have gone to jail, nor should've John DeLorean.

She might get off early with "good cooking" rather than "good behavior."

Originally posted by Dutabi84
She might get off early with "good cooking" rather than "good behavior."

:rofl:

Originally posted by Dutabi84
She might get off early with "good cooking" rather than "good behavior."

:rofl:

**** THAT. Martha stewart is innocent and they're just being evil conformists and punishing her because it's trendy to hate her. Lars would agree. well probably not

Originally posted by Brent88
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-5/190510/Marthainjail.jpg
:rofl:

Once I got an email about Martha decorating jail, but I think I deleted it. But it was hilarous :lol:

Originally posted by Topanga
Oh geesh :rolleyes: You're missing the point, she commited a crime, that's why we're saying she should be in jail.

So she can do anything and be allowed to get away with it because we're "jealous becaus she's a multi-million dollar mogul"? PUHLEEZE :rolleyes:

Excatly. Just because shes rich and famous DOESNT mean that she could get away with commiting a crime.

Im not the LEAST bit jealous of her, because from what I hear she's slime.

Originally posted by CoolCounty
Yes I would defend her if she were not a celebrity. just because she is mean spirited is no reason to throw her in jail.
Thats not the reason she's in jail :rolleyes:

All this publicity in the media for a lousy 5 months.:rolleyes:

Originally posted by CoolCounty
what she did was none of anyone's business and it didn't hurt anybody. everyone against Martha is just angry because she has money and power and built a empire from scratch. Why should anyone care what she did. she shouldn't be in jail and she should have never been tried. the Enron execs are under less fire the Martha Stewart. I hope her appeal works. she even offered to do community service to teach low-income people to start their own business. Why is everyone so against Martha? it's terrible to hate someone because they have success. I am a big fan of business moguls who build their business from nothing. I've never watched her show or bought her products, but I know she shouldn't be punished

She commited a crime. Just because she famous doesnt mean she could get off easy. "Oh, Marthas a rich famous snot, of coures we cant throw her in jail!". Thats not how it works. :rolleyes:

Wow.. I'm surprised she got any kind of sentence. Usually celebrities get off so easy... and without a sentence.

Originally posted by CoolCounty
what she did was none of anyone's business and it didn't hurt anybody. everyone against Martha is just angry because she has money and power and built a empire from scratch. Why should anyone care what she did. she shouldn't be in jail and she should have never been tried. the Enron execs are under less fire the Martha Stewart. I hope her appeal works. she even offered to do community service to teach low-income people to start their own business. Why is everyone so against Martha? it's terrible to hate someone because they have success. I am a big fan of business moguls who build their business from nothing. I've never watched her show or bought her products, but I know she shouldn't be punished

I'm not angry at her for building an empire.

We should care what she did because she broke the law. Why should she get off easy? :rolleyes:
We're against her because
a) she's slime
b) shes a law-breaking criminal

We dont HATE her because she has sucsess, we hate her cause shes a cold-hearted woman and, to top that off, shes a criminal.

She should have gotten life in prison

Originally posted by Lucylover22
Wow.. I'm surprised she got any kind of sentence. Usually celebrities get off so easy... and without a sentence.

Yeah, she should get a longer one. At leasts hes getting sentenced.

Originally posted by STEPH_McMAHON_FAN
She should hasve gotten life in prison Life in prison would be taking it too far, but at least a year.

edited

Originally posted by CoolCounty
I doubt you understand the charge. she didn't hurt anybody! the charge is too petty to merit jail time and should have only been punished by a fine. Insider Trading isn't legal, but it is not a terrible crime.

So, that means its a crime, so she should get at least a year. She did a crime which means she should serve jailtime.

This thread will be closed...

Originally posted by Rurry007
So, that means its a crime, so she should get at least a year. She did a crime which means she should serve jailtime.

This thread will be closed... But, because it was her own money and it didn't effect other people she should have been only fined.

It was her first offense, and the judge showed leniency. Her crime was lying to the Feds. She wasn't charged with insider trader, but lying about it and trying to cover it up. She profited $50,000 from the sale of the stock, but lost tens of millions of dollars from her empire as a result of the negative publicity.

Jayson Williams tried to cover up killing a man, and he walked. Martha didn't kill anyone. I think her punishment fits the crime.

Originally posted by Janice
It was her first offense, and the judge showed leniency. Her crime was lying to the Feds. She wasn't charged with insider trader, but lying about it and trying to cover it up. She profited $50,000 from the sale of the stock, but lost tens of millions of dollars from her empire as a result of the negative publicity.

Jayson Williams tried to cover up killing a man, and he walked. Martha didn't kill anyone. I think her punishment fits the crime. Thanks for explaining the charges. I believe she should have been punished some kind of way, but there was just too much anger and hatred toward her during the trial, even she said so. She was very confident in press conference.

Originally posted by CoolCounty
Thanks for explaining the charges. I believe she should have been punished some kind of way, but there was just too much anger and hatred toward her during the trial, even she said so. She was very confident in press conference.

seems like everytime there's a criminal trial involving a famous person, media is "let's put this smug celebrity behind bars".

Remember all the hell Winona Ryder got from the media over the shoplifting incident? Yes, she was guilty, yes she should've paid for it... but the media treated her shoplifting spree at Sak's Fifth Avenue (in which totalled like $600) as if she murdered somebody.

One more thong that makes is her Stock went up alot +3.17(36.69%)

I don't think she will even get jail time,on yahoo news said that she will get five months house arrest and now she'll apeal and this will go on for months. If it was you or me we would have gotton jail time and pay tons of money.Stars do get the vip treat ment.

Originally posted by Topanga
I wish ;) :lol:

:lol:

Originally posted by Brent88
:rotflmao:

Yeah I feel so sorry for her I almost shed a tear this morning. ;) :crazy:

:lol: I know, it was pretty rough on me too.

Originally posted by little insomniac
:lol: I know, it was pretty rough on me too.

:lol:

:crysoup: This is what I wanted to say to her earlier, she was being such a whiner :rolleyes: :lol:

Originally posted by Topanga
:lol:

:crysoup: This is what I wanted to say to her earlier, she was being such a whiner :rolleyes: :lol:

Exactly! B o o H o o - Cry us a river. :lol:

:eek: What's she gonna do now?! Five whole months.. it's almost tragic. Sonny did bring up a good point about all of this media attention and how it's only five months.

Originally posted by little insomniac
Exactly! B o o H o o - Cry us a river. :lol:

:eek: What's she gonna do now?! Five whole months.. it's almost tragic. Sonny did bring up a good point about all of this media attention and how it's only five months.

:eek: Don't ya know, she was pissed because she got sentenced :lol:

She acts like what she did wasn't wrong, that she did nothing wrong. :rolleyes:


:schmack: I wanted to smack her :lol:

Originally posted by Topanga
:eek: Don't ya know, she was pissed because she got sentenced :lol:

She acts like what she did wasn't wrong, that she did nothing wrong. :rolleyes:


:schmack: I wanted to smack her :lol:

Damn you, legal system! Damn you!! *shakes fist* As a few other people have already pointed out: You do the crime, better be ready to pay the time. These next few months won't kill her. :lol:

It's really annoying when celebrites piss and moan, while the rest of us would recieve much harsher sentences. That's what makes me want to smack a few of them. ohno:

Originally posted by CoolCounty
everyone against Martha is just angry because she has money and power and built a empire from scratch.
what else do you see in your magical crystal ball?

Originally posted by Rurry007
She did a crime which means she should serve jailtime.
not all crimes lead to jail time..

Originally posted by little insomniac
Damn you, legal system! Damn you!! *shakes fist* As a few other people have already pointed out: You do the crime, better be ready to pay the time. These next few months won't kill her. :lol:

It's really annoying when celebrites piss and moan, while the rest of us would recieve much harsher sentences. That's what makes me want to smack a few of them. ohno:

:rofl:

:nonono: Bad Legal System do your job for once :cuss: :lol: ;)

I know it makes me mad as well. For once it's a relief to see someone famous who thinks they are above the law actually get punished :D

Originally posted by Topanga
:rofl:

:nonono: Bad Legal System do your job for once :cuss: :lol: ;)

I know it makes me mad as well. For once it's a relief to see someone famous who thinks they are above the law actually get punished :D

That's right.. for shame, for shame. ohno: :lol: :lol:

I agree! :D Even if the person was my favorite actor.. you screw up, don't expect to have your ass kissed just because you make a lot of money. I don't give a damn that Martha Stewart is loaded, or that she's built an empire. They hand out a sentence, deal with it and move on.

Originally posted by *Bela Lugosi*
Is that all she got? She should have got 20 years in a maximum security prison! And a $1,000,000 fine! That evil homemaker! :mad: Uh, why? Because you don't like her? Sounds really logical.

I really don't get why people still think this is so funny, I think it's sad. But at least it's only 5 months.

Ok all you Martha bashers---now hear this---she was not found guilty of Insider Trading!!! She was found guilty of lying when questioned about insider trading. The government could not put a case together to charge her with insider trading---no evidence.
I think the only crime she has commited is being successful and perceived as a bitch by people who never even met the women.
One of witnessness who stated in court that Martha tried to alter a phone messag, now is not so sure she did hear Martha admit that. Another witness against her--a handwriting expert---now admits he lied on the stand, and nobody is sending him to jail for 5 months.
So hold down the cheers for a second, stop rubbing your hands with glee---they might get chapped---Martha may not spend one day in prison.

Originally posted by cablejockey
Ok all you Martha bashers---now hear this---she was not found guilty of Insider Trading!!! She was found guilty of lying when questioned about insider trading. The government could not put a case together to charge her with insider trading---no evidence.
I think the only crime she has commited is being successful and perceived as a bitch by people who never even met the women.
One of witnessness who stated in court that Martha tried to alter a phone messag, now is not so sure she did hear Martha admit that. Another witness against her--a handwriting expert---now admits he lied on the stand, and nobody is sending him to jail for 5 months.
So hold down the cheers for a second, stop rubbing your hands with glee---they might get chapped---Martha may not spend one day in prison.

Martha is a b****! She acted like it was no big deal! Well, it WAS a big deal! And I hope she gets rosted in the deepest pits of hell!

Originally posted by *Bela Lugosi*
Martha is a b****! She acted like it was no big deal! Well, it WAS a big deal! And I hope she gets rosted in the deepest pits of hell!

:nod:

Well a Bela, last time I looked it isn't against the law to be a bitch, just as it isn't against the law to jugemental and smug.

Originally posted by *Bela Lugosi*
Martha is a b****! She acted like it was no big deal! Well, it WAS a big deal! And I hope she gets rosted in the deepest pits of hell!

:rofl:

:nod: :D

Originally posted by *Bela Lugosi*
Martha is a b****! She acted like it was no big deal! Well, it WAS a big deal! And I hope she gets rosted in the deepest pits of hell! freak.

Originally posted by Kristina
freak. :p

I don’t have any problem about how long Martha is being put in jail. IMO, the media really overexploited the entire situation, which wasn’t that bad... I can totally understand her going to jail and all, but in this case I don’t really think the law favored her because she’s a celebrity…this is a first offense, after all.

I don’t agree with how some people think (not singling anyone out, and I’m just speaking in general) that just because she’s perceived as bitchy, she deserves to go to jail for a long time. I know there was a movie making her look like one, but hell, I could make a movie making Winston Churchill look like a drunken slob who had a thing for kinky handcuffs…but that wouldn’t mean it was true. We don’t know her personally, so how do we know she’s a ‘bitch’ or not? (This doesn’t go out to everyone…I know some think she should just serve more jail time for their own very good reasons.)