Martha Stewart

[plywoody]

As much as I don't particularly like this woman, I have to feel a bit of sympathy for her.<br />The justice department is going after her like a pit bull, but can't make a case for insider trading, so they are going for obstruction. How can you obstruct justice, when no chargable crime has been committed?<br /><br />Anyway, I'd sure like to see the justice department go after the real criminals, like Kenny Boy and Skilling, or many other corporate criminals that actually caused immense damage to lots of people, rather than focus on such a relatively minor offense as Martha allegedly did, simply because of her fame.<br /><br />She is said to have allegedly profited about $50k. Fine her $100k and send her on her way, and go after the real criminals.<br /><br />I don't think this country particularly likes strong females somehow.

 

[oddjob]

Re: Martha Stewart

 

[jimchere]

Re: Martha Stewart

I gotta agree with you on this one Ply. Seems an awful lot like a witch hunt to me. A crime is a crime, but DOJ has a lot bigger dogs to chase down than this one, which may not have actually been a crime to begin with. Someone don't like her, and are trying to make an example of her.

 

[POINTER94]

Re: Martha Stewart

Plywoody,<br /><br />You are right on... They have real market manipulators and white collar theives to corral. Martha is just a poster child for them.

 

[salty87]

Re: Martha Stewart

i'll bite on this one...<br /><br />martha did screw investors in her company over pretty hard, not to mention employees of her company that owned stock. by avoiding her little $50k loss, the value of her company dropped by about 50%. her $50k in avoided losses cost her many millions in the end. and, it cost many other people alot of money too.<br /><br />as someone who was once a licensed stock broker herself, she forgot about her responsibility to the shareholders of her company. she put herself before them as did the enron boys, worldcom, and the like. she didn't steal from them per se, but she cost them alot in an effort to protect her own interests.<br /><br />i will agree that this is a witch hunt, but regulators can't win. if they go after her its unfair; if they don't prosecute then they are condoning the activity and a pissed off public would be looking for answers.<br /><br />i think she should be prosecuted. it sends a big message to other ceo's and executives that these companies aren't theirs, that they will be held responsible for their actions.

 

[boatingfool]

Re: Martha Stewart

Be afraid .... Be very very afraid!!<br /><br />This is the first time I have actualy agreed with plywoody on anything!!<br /><br />Does this mean plywoody is crossing over or am I ?? <br /><br />Threre is a silver lining here though.<br />I dont completely agree. <br /><br />I dont think this country has anything against powerful woman.<br /><br />Individuals might but our country as a whole does not.

 

[Ralph 123]

Re: Martha Stewart

Now we all have to reexamine the world as we know it, because I too agree completely! This is selective, malicious prosecution!

 

[gaugeguy]

Re: Martha Stewart

I agree that it is a witch hunt, but she does need to be prosecuted for securities fraud. She broke the law. She won't see jail time. Even if she only gets a fine, she still has to get something out of it. She is just getting a lot of press cause she is Martha.<br /> <br />Those other Enron boys will be getting theirs also, they will see bars, no doubt. Didn't one of them just pop a 10 year stay in the greystone?

 

[Ralph 123]

Re: Martha Stewart

Fastow and his wife plead guilty and turned state's evidence against Kenny boy. Fastow got 10 years.

 

[plywoody]

Re: Martha Stewart

A person can really see how this could happen. She gets a call from a friend that tells her that a stock is going to crater, she calls her broker to sell--<br /><br />And the hardest thing in the world to do is to just come clean to investigators and say she was wrong. Everyone tends to rationalize things in their own mind, even when intellectually they know they are wrong. It's human nature.<br /><br />It sure doesn't appear that it was any calculated scheme in any way..<br /><br />Unlike Enron, and WorldCom, and Healthsouth, and Tyco, and I am sure a host of others, that were clearly a calculated attempt to defraud investors.<br /><br />Give her a fine. Does anyone thing she wouldn't spring for $100k to make it go away? or $250k? That would send an equal message in my book.

 

[POINTER94]

Re: Martha Stewart

Plywoody,<br /><br />I knew it couldn't last. <br /><br />It is not Human Nature to Steal, and Lie to cover it up. That is a learned reaction. <br /><br />At best you could say it is a common reaction. Remember one Bill Clinton, and Hillary Clinton. <br /><br />Dam, and thing's were looking so promising...

 

[Ralph 123]

Re: Martha Stewart

I think you've got this one 100% correct PW. She was afraid she would not be believed and she made a mistake... She knew they were going to draw a bullseye on her and she tried to side step the shot.<br /><br />The government did more harm than she did. When they went after her is such a public way the value of the equity in her company tanked (because she is the franchise) and hurt a lot of people.<br /><br />Now they are prosecuting her because she "lied" and because, get this, she said she was innocent in public which was securities fraud because it deceived the investors in her company. How's that for muddy thinking?

 

[Toad2001]

Re: Martha Stewart

Just imagine how dazzlingly decorated that cell could be. The smell of fresh basil and clove would be overwhelming.<br /><br />

 

[mellowyellow]

Re: Martha Stewart

if we could only put her in jail because she is<br />extremely annoying...<br />also agree with PW, et. al. on this one.

 

[NOSLEEP]

Re: Martha Stewart

Ya , put her in jail with Barney!

 

[boatingfool]

Re: Martha Stewart

What was she suppose to do??<br /><br />She got a phone call telling her that the stock she owns is about to tank.<br /><br />She is suppose to call and turn in the person who gave her the phone call and hold on to the stock and watch it drop because she shouldnt have gotten the call??<br /><br />That is just completely insane!!<br /><br />The person who made the phone call should be held responsible.<br /><br />If you could see the future (which is basicaly what she got to do) and saw something bad was going to happen to you wouldnt you try and stop it??<br /><br />There isnt a person on the face of the planet who wouldnt have sold that stock if they got the phone call she got.<br /><br />It just baffles me.<br /><br />Her phone rang , she answered it. End of story.<br /><br />Trying to cover up what happened is where she went wrong.

 

[NOSLEEP]

Re: Martha Stewart

There's more to the story than just that BF.

 

[boatingfool]

Re: Martha Stewart

I'm sure there is.<br /><br />There are two sides to every story and somewhere in the middle lies the truth.

 

[WoodRust]

Re: Martha Stewart

This prosecution is a waste of tax payer $$$ as I see. The Gov. could have worked out a non-criminal plea-bargin with her (S.E.C. Violation) fined her 250K or what-ever and ended it. <br /><br />But no, instead both sides are going pppeee away hundreds of thousands of $$$ for what? A conviction mabye and a fine.

 

[Elmer Fudge]

Re: Martha Stewart

After looking at the charges filed against Martha Stewart, one cannot seriously think that this is not a witch hunt as previously mentioned.<br />I am in agreement with Plywoody and Ralph.<br />To say that it is criminal and fraudulent to publicly proclaim one's innocence is indeed troubling, in my opinion it has the smell of a somewhat totalitarian virtue .