Martha Found Guilty

I haven't been following the case in detail, though. Didn't the judge throw out the most serious charge?

I don't have a strong attachment to this case, but I felt like Martha was being made an example of in a bad sense. I think she was persecuted as a successful woman -- I really do. All the corporate crap going on -- even pre-Enron -- and Martha is prosecuted for dumping a stock that was going down. What did she save? Something like $40,000? Even $400,000 wouldn't be worth the risk for her.

People love to hate her, but I think she played a big role in making people appreciate the domestic arts. The trickle-down effect of her influence is huge. (Not that that makes her innocent, of course.)

Ah well.

I'm stunned, actually. Even the talking heads on Fox News were saying that the gov't had nothing on this one.
She wasn't charged for the insider trading, but for "lying" and "conspiracy" to cover up the insider trading (for which there was not sufficient evidence to lay charges).
This is like a bad Kafka flick.
Rose

I can't believe the verdict. She is appealing though.

you can go to her web site marthatalks.com

also savemartha.com

I am very upset that she is found guilty yet the execs for many companies that stole money from their employes are free.

read her lawyers closing statement...the goverment did not have a leg to stand on. Sounds like the jury had it out for her even before the trial.

its a very sad day for me

Kind of sad, isn't it?

Especially when you know that many people involved in a certain energy industry who did far worse as far as 'insider trading' and things like that go not only won't do jail time--but will probably earn nice paychecks as governmental advisers.

-Kitty, mama to Fiona, Thomas, and Dylan.

I think Martha is getting caught up in a backlash that was none of her doing. People are so angry at insider trading, Enron, and the other financial scandals and they're taking it out on the high profile case.

What shocks me is "the government may press to have her removed from the board of her company". And that "Marketing experts have said that the company is so closely tied to her name and face that the effect could be devastating." She could loose everything.

I hope her lawyers get her off on an appeal. What she did was not bad enough to warrant her loosing everything she's worked for for the past two or three decades. She didn't do any insider trading. The sad thing is, she only saved around $51,000 dollars from the sale of her stock, a loss she should have easily absorbed, being worth millions. I think she's caught up in a nightmare.

______

May The Hair On Your Toes Never Fall Out

--Traditional Hobbit Blessing

I've haven't been following this closely, but it seemed to me that the whole thing is bull. I can't believe that OJ Simpson can walk, but Martha Stuart gets a guilty sentence. I agree that they are taking the whole enron scandle out on her.