
Lawless
All About Brad!
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Registered: Jun 2003
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Location: Freezing in Colorado
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Stewart, broker could each face up to 5 years on each count
Saturday, March 6, 2004 Posted: 3:31 PM EST (2031 GMT)
NEW YORK (CNN) -- Martha Stewart was ordered to report to a probation officer on Monday after being convicted of all four counts she faced in her obstruction of justice trial.
She will report to the new federal courthouse, as opposed to the old courthouse where she was on trial, in accordance with instructions given her Friday by Judge Miriam Cedarbaum.
U.S. marshals at the courthouse said Saturday that Stewart will receive her probation guidelines Monday, which will specify restrictions on her activity and when and where she is to report before her sentencing on June 17.
Stewart's probation officer will prepare a pre-sentencing report for the judge based on the federal sentencing guidelines. Cedarbaum has discretion in determining the actual punishment.
Stewart still faces a civil insider-trading suit, brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Justice Department prosecutors did not charge Stewart with criminal insider trading.
Stewart's ex-broker, Peter Bacanovic, was found guilty on four of the five charges he faced. Each could be sentenced to up to five years in prison and fined $250,000 for each count.
Neither defendant appeared to show any emotion when the verdict was read on Friday.
"The word is -- beware -- and don't engage in this type of conduct because it will not be tolerated," said David Kelley, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, outside the courthouse.
And one juror said, "This is a victory for the little guys. ... No one is above the law."
About an hour after the verdict was read, Stewart -- wearing a fur around her neck and a black overcoat, and carrying a brown leather bag -- strode poker-faced down the stairs of the courthouse, accompanied by her lawyers, and departed. She did not respond to questions shouted at her by reporters.
As she entered the view of a crowd in the street, some people began chanting, "We want Martha!"
Stewart said in the statement that she would appeal the verdict.
"I believe in the fairness of the judicial system and remain confident that I will ultimately prevail."
A lawyer for Bacanovic said he also will appeal.
In December, Stewart said on CNN's "Larry King Live" that she was not prepared for the trial, which started in January.
"No one is ever prepared for such a thing," she said. "And no one is ever strong enough for such a thing. No one is -- you know, you have no idea how much worry and sadness and grief it causes."
She added: "Having done nothing wrong allows you to sleep, allows you to continue your work, gives you the opportunity to think about other things. But there's always the worry."
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