[medi]

Ok, this is definitely non-nursing related so it's in the right forum. Now that the verdict is in on Martha Stewart what do you guys think? Should the federal prosecutor have even brought this to trial at all? Do you think it's fair? Excessive? Just interested in hearing what everybody else thinks.

[CCHADWI]

What was the final verdict? Last I heard she was facing like 20 years, but would probably only do like 1 or 2. I haven't kept up with it.

[Aaron C.]

Well, she only made like fifty grand knowing ahead of time. To me and you, yeah, that's a lot. To her, at that time, it wouldn't have been worth bending over to pick up on the sidewalk.

I think she is being made an example of. Compared to enron, worldcom, etc., she's an Angel.

Don't get me wrong, I don't really care for the lady personally. Then again, I don't know her, but from what I know of this, I don't think it's all that bad.

[mercynurse]

I have ambiguous feelings about it....Don't think she should get away with profitting when so many lost....but I agree that she's being made an example of....sorry, wishy washy on this one!!

[cassioo]

I think there's lots more insider trading going on then that and she's the one they are using. I don't know that if someone didn't say to me hey you know you can make this big amount of money if you'll just sell some of this stock you have I would probably do it if it was from a good lead. My husband watches the stocks all the time and moves money around in our investment funds. But then I guess watching the stocks go isn't like having someone tell you. Wasn't that what Eddie Murphy was doing in Trading Places with orange juice?

[CCHADWI]

what a good movie, Trading Places. Good old Billy Ray Valentine, and Louis Winthorp, really put it to Randolph and Mortimor Duke, didn't they. I loved that move.

I'd take a tip that someone gave me to sell before something was made public. Who wouldn't. Even the people that were prosecuting would.

It's all about who you know.

[Aaron C.]

Hey, don't forget the long legs in that movie. Man, she's still hot as ever too!

[medi]

I guess it just really makes me feel it's sort of scary the way the whole thing was handled by the fed prosecutor- then I was blown away by the verdict in her case.

I mean look at the charges--
She was'nt charged with insider trading at all.
A lot of people seem to think that's what she's been found guilty of but that was never a charge even!

What she got charged with was "lying to the feds" when they asked her if she had inside information before she sold her Imclone stock. I suppose she was trying to protect her broker when she said "no".

I mean- come on, that's comparable to charging off $150 in clothes donated to the Goodwill on your income tax that you didn't really donate or something-- or that were worth only $100. Lying to the feds- same thing. Sheesh.

Is there anybody living who hasn't fudged even a little on their tax return?? That's lying to the feds!

Ok, so they charged her with that- then because she AND the broker both said she actually had a limit order in place on the stock & that's what triggered the sell at $60 a share the feds called it a "conspiracy".

The press keeps comparing what she did to Enron or Worldcom but there's nothing at all similar. What she did had nothing to do with her corporation. Her corporate management & books are squeeky clean.

What she did was a personal stock transaction - a sale of shares she owned in another company. Like if you or I owned Sears & sold some. What the executives at Worldcom & Enron did was steal millions (billions) from their own stockholders, cook the books, and embezle. Nothing at all like what Stewart did.

So, basically, she got charged and convicted of telling the feds she was innocent -- of something she was never charged with in the first place.


It's nuts in my opinion- and really scary- the implications to all of us as citizens. If our government can do this -- what protects the rest of us??

Now-- because that prosecutor wanted to make a name for himself, and because the jury thought they were "making a starement for the little people everywhere" MS may go to prison-- has already lost millions of dollars in net worth, and her company may go down the drain entirely which will cost stockhoilders millions of dollars and cost about 500 american workers she employs directly to lose their jobs-- not even counting all the manufacturing companies that produce Martha Stewart products that would then have to cut production, lose money, and lay off or reduce their workforce as well. And- it may throw KMart back into bankruptcy.

Wild eh? Scary as hell IMHO.

[Aaron C.]

[ QUOTE ]
I mean- come on, that's comparable to charging off $150 in clothes donated to the Goodwill on your income tax that you didn't really donate or something-- or that were worth only $100.

[/ QUOTE ]

Sara, that's awful specific. Anything you need to fess up to? Don't worry, your secret is safe with us...

[medi]

*LOL I love the icons Aaron how do we make those??