Well, it looks like “that’s all she wrote” for style maven Martha Stewart, as a jury found her guilty on all charges in her obstruction of justice trial Friday. Stewart is expected to go to prison when she is sentenced on June 17.
The New York Times story on Stewart’s conviction reports that the charges against Ms. Stewart would carry a possible sentence of up to 20 years in prison, although federal guidelines could reduce that to about a year.
A personal observation: There is something terribly wrong with the American system of justice when O.J. Simpson can get away with murdering his estranged wife and her lover (based on findings in the American civil courts, on a preponderance of the evidence); when CEO of Enron and Bush pal, Kenneth Lay, has yet to be charged in the ongoing multi-billion dollar investigation of his company’s fraudulent practices; and when myriad other “evil-doers” — who’ve added nothing to the sum total of our existence on this Earth — play round after round of golf with their buddies, unmolested by the courts, while Martha Stewart awaits a lengthy term in prison.
This story will continue to be updated throughout the day as analysis becomes available. Listen to this early, and breathlessly emotional audio report from MSNBC, or have a look at any one, or all of, these TV reports from Canada’s CBC, Britain’s BBC, and / or, from the United States, CBS.
Meanwhile, the Smoking Gun has just posted the jury verdict online.
