New York
Prosecutors this week opened their case against Martha Stewart, the style guru accused of lying to cover up her panicked sale of a plunging stock. A jury of four men and eight women was selected to decide whether Stewart would emerge from her trial as a convicted felon or as the vindicated victim of a celebrity witch hunt. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Patton Seymour said in her opening arguments that Stewart sold her stock in ImClone Systems based on inside information from her broker, and then lied to investigators and filed false documents. “She tried to mislead investors…to lift that dark cloud hanging over her reputation,” Seymour said. Stewart’s lawyer, Robert Morvillo, said prosecutors were basing their case on “speculation, surmise, and guesswork,” and were targeting Stewart only because she was famous.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
‘A legacy news brand brings a visibility of its own’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
8 of the best ‘cozy crime’ series of all timeThe Week Recommends Murder mysteries don’t necessarily have to make us miserable, and these shows have perfected a feel-good crime formula
-
Youth revolts rattle Morocco as calls against corruption grow louderTHE EXPLAINER Snowballing controversy over World Cup construction and civic services has become a serious threat to Morocco’s political stability
