Martha Stewart Guilty!

Avatar for catwoman1977
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-28-2003
Martha Stewart Guilty!
83
Fri, 03-05-2004 - 3:11pm

WOW!  I guess I'm surprised Martha Stewart was found guilty on all four counts.  I figured she'd get a slap on the wrist, at most.   Anyone think she'll do jail time?   Is this a *good thing* ?  


Cat    :)


Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

  
 <

Pages

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-07-2004
Sun, 03-07-2004 - 5:42pm
I agree with you. It all comes down to greed. If she had kept the stock and taken the loss, it wouldn't have been such a big loss to her money wise. But instead, she chose to sell, to save herself some money. It's sad when someone in her position resorts to greed and power when they already have so much. Shame on you Martha!
iVillage Member
Registered: 11-27-2003
Sun, 03-07-2004 - 6:21pm
I feel sorry for her too. I think the jury was trying to send a message. Now everyone is comparing her situation to the Enron scandal. They stole millions-Martha made $50K. I don't think she would risk everything for that amount of money.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-07-2004
Sun, 03-07-2004 - 8:00pm
I would have never made it on the jury for this one! Although I am an interior designer and admire the creativity "she" possessed, I couldn't stomach the sheer perfectionism and "I'm better than you attitude" she had. I'm also the mother of two young children and started to roll my eyes when I flipped through the channels and saw her making a cornicopia of marsipan. Who in the hell has the time to do that?? I really don't feel sorry for her. Maybe jail will make her a more humble person. (P.S. I'd like to see what kind of fabulous things she can do with her jail cell!!)
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-23-2003
Sun, 03-07-2004 - 8:48pm

I know what you mean about some of the 'projects' she's had on her show in the past...however, I still love making the paper mache Halloween lanterns!


iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Mon, 03-08-2004 - 2:48am
That post made absolutely no sense. You cite Worldcom and Enron execs may walk free because the laws are very complicated and the average person may not understand them… And THAT is the support you give to explain your claimed sexism in our legal system of why these men may walk and MS got convicted??? And THAT is an example of how we slap down powerful women??

Just to protect myself; I’m not criticizing your post because I think you are a woman; I’m doing it because it makes no sense. MS is paying the same price everyone else should for doing the same thing.

BTW one of the problems with Worldcom is that much of what they did was immoral, unethical, and wrong, but not illegal. They took advantage of loopholes in our justice system and our accounting practices. Those loopholes are being closed. They are the modern day Rockefeller. He was not a nice person either and he served no jail time. One of his grandson’s phrased it well when he said: “My grandfather was a law-abiding man. He never broke the law, but we have a lot of laws today because of him.”

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Mon, 03-08-2004 - 3:41am
I find MS and her broker’s arrogance unbelievable. They sat there and continued to lie to the bitter end knowing Faneuil was going to testify against them. I’m actually more fired up about the way MS and her broker responded to him than the actual charges. Instead of fessing up, they tried to destroy this man. On the charges alone, I could sit back and say, “Yea, maybe there is room for some leniency.” But after showing they will rundown anyone that gets in their way, I have no sympathy for them. I also find it interesting that if MS and her broker would have fessed at anytime before going to trial, she most likely would have gotten a slap (required to pay back the gains and maybe a small fine) would have been standard and her broker would have been fined and perhaps banned from securities dealing for a time, but nothing close to what they are going to get now. I hope she does get jail time. If she doesn’t, we might as well start wiping the perjury laws off our books. I've read that some believe they will get about 1 year. Too light IMO. Perhaps a more fitting sentence would be to add up all the labor hours spent investigating and prosecuting the charges and sentencing her to that amount of time.

I also can’t believe some of the other stuff I’m reading here. People claiming that MS is being punished for being a powerful woman!? Baloney. It ranks right up there with: “Is MS being singled out because she is famous?” theory. You know, her broker happened to be a guy and a nobody. No one has posted anything about him. It is very likely he is going to be punished more severely than her.

I’ve had dealings with the SEC before. I am thoroughly impressed at how fast and how well they are able to track and do follow-up research into illegal trading activities. I’ve seen them nail people trading 100 shares of Microsoft within days of the trade. They investigate thousands of people annually. How they are able to track such small infractions and investigate them quickly I have no idea, but they are good at what they do.

On a lighter note, I’m going to have to start watching SNL. They HAVE to be getting ready to do a skit on MS beatifying her cell.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-18-2000
Mon, 03-08-2004 - 8:10am

Sterling post. Couldn't have said it better myself!


Thanks.

cl-Libraone~

 


Photobucket&nbs

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Mon, 03-08-2004 - 11:45am
I am glad MS was found guilty, I was not surprised by the verdict at all. How much time should she do not sure. I watched 20/20 last night I think it was it had the jurers and a few of them made a point. She would be better serving the community than sitting in a jail cell. At the same time she was found guilty and I think she should be punished. I found her cockiness to be annoying, especially her saying she didn't think she would go to jail. I am not too familiar with how stock transactions take place, but you would think there would have been a legal document stating that an agreement was made between MS and her broker to sell the shares if it hit below $60. I get a simple letter from a bank or any institution when I open and account, view accounts on line, close accounts etc. So why wouldn't she have a formal document stating her wishes concerning shares.

I have to say I have watched some interviews with MS, the tv movie about her, she is a very controlling individual. In my personal opinion I think she dictated to her lawyers what she wanted. I can't see her sitting back and letting the lawyers make the critical decisions of her not taking the stand to tell her side of the story, or the fact that it went to trial at all. I am sure she listened to council but ultimately she made all the decisions.

Glad she was found guilty.

Karyn

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-08-2004
Mon, 03-08-2004 - 11:50am
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Mon, 03-08-2004 - 12:26pm
"I'd love to see how prior and subsequent sentences/fines will compare with hers."

I read that Martha will have to serve at least 12 mos for her federal offenses. IMO, it will be cruel if she gets more than that.

I feel sorry for her, but imagine that the last thing Martha Stewart wants others to feel for her is pity. She'll rise to the top again, because I think she's a fighter. At the very same time, I believe that she was moved by greed. None of us are above it, and I think we (all) pay one way or another. Martha will probably pay for her share, and then some. It's the nature of the beast.

Pages