Martha Stewart turning the （米）棚上げする／（英）提議するs

By RICHARD THOMSON
Updated: 00:00 BST, 22 January 2004

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WHAT HAD appeared an open-and-shut 事例／患者 - the 裁判，公判 of lifestyle guru Martha Stewart, which got under way this week in Manhattan - is looking a lot いっそう少なく 確かな まっただ中に 憶測 that she stands a better chance of 無罪放免 than 推定する／予想するd.

Even as high-profile 財政上の 起訴s go, there is a lot at 火刑／賭ける. If Stewart loses, her career could be over and her multimillion dollar マスコミ empire at 危険.

If the 連邦の 検察官，検事s lose, their 信用性 in a slew of other 詐欺 and obstruction of 司法（官） 裁判，公判s over the next few months could go up in smoke. That could 本気で 始める，決める 支援する the 強襲，強姦 on white-collar and 法人組織の／企業の 罪，犯罪 in the US.

Even 塀で囲む Street has changed its mind about Stewart's chances. 株 in her company, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, have been creeping up, reaching their highest since last May, 反映するing a change in public perception.

She was reviled when 告訴，告発s surfaced last year that she sold 株 in ImClone Systems, the 製薬のs company 設立するd and run by her friend Sam Waksal, on inside （警察などへの）密告，告訴（状） he gave her.

But a skilful $1m (£498,000) PR （選挙などの）運動をする by Stewart - 含むing a website and 焦点（を合わせる） groups at which 見解／翻訳／版s of her defence were tried out - appears to have turned the （米）棚上げする／（英）提議するs. She says more than eight million people have visited the 場所／位置.

The public is いっそう少なく inclined to see her as a greedy, dishonest multimillionairess than as a 犠牲者 of 激しい 手渡すd regulators whose 活動／戦闘s are taking away her wealth and 評判 even before she gets to 裁判，公判.

She is not, in fact, on 裁判，公判 for insider 貿易（する）ing - 悪名高くも hard to 証明する - but for obstruction of 司法（官）.

検察官，検事s （人命などを）奪う，主張する she and her stockbroker, Peter Bacanovic, also on 裁判，公判, lied to them about ImClone 貿易（する）s and falsified 記録，記録的な／記録するs. Stewart herself has 辞退するd to 収容する／認める anything or consider a 嘆願-取引. 'I am 確信して I will be exonerated from these baseless 告発（する），告訴（する）／料金s,' she said.

Her uncompromising stand is echoed by a string of other (n)役員／(a)執行力のあるs 告発（する），告訴（する）／料金d of 悪事を働くこと but 決定するd to bet everything in the 宝くじ of a 陪審／陪審員団 裁判，公判.

Still to come are the 裁判，公判s of Scott Sullivan, former 長，指導者 財政上の officer of WorldCom, John Rigas, 創立者 of Adelphia Communications, Frank Quattrone, the former Silicon Valley 星／主役にする of Credit Suisse First Boston, Richard Scrushy, the former 長，率いる of HealthSouth, and a gaggle of Enron (n)役員／(a)執行力のあるs.

Their 乗り気 to go on 裁判，公判 is partly because tougher 宣告，判決ing 指導基準s for white-collar 罪，犯罪, 課すd by the 司法（官） Department after the Enron 崩壊（する）, make it unattractive for 被告s to settle.

But also, says John Coffee, a Columbia University 法律 professor: '検察官，検事s don't want to 危険 settling for a mere four or five years' 刑務所，拘置所 time. A lot of people out there lost a lot of money, and 罰 under 10 years will be 支配する to a lot of 批評.'

Besides, によれば Henry Hu, a 法律 professor at the University of Texas, they also have the reasonable hope that 検察官，検事s will shoot themselves in the foot. They have done this often enough in 類似の 裁判，公判s for it to look like a pattern.

A weak 起訴 業績／成果 in parts of the first 裁判，公判 of Frank Quattrone last year, certainly 与える／捧げるd to the mistrial result. Comments from 賠審員s afterwards showed they had いつかs 設立する the 起訴 事例／患者 hard to follow.

The 現在進行中の 裁判，公判 of Dennis Kozlowski, former 長，率いる of Tyco, who is （刑事）被告 of stealing hundreds of millions from the company, is also not going 井戸／弁護士席 for 検察官，検事s. After four months, they have only just finished 現在のing their 事例／患者, having 初めは 約束d the 陪審／陪審員団 the 裁判，公判 would be over by Christmas.

観察者／傍聴者s say their 証拠 has been meandering, 混乱させるing and often irrelevant. What looked like a '激突する-dunk' against Kozlowski now looks a more even contest.

検察官，検事s have spent far too much time dwelling on his 超過s of greed and too little 現実に 証明するing he did anything wrong, 関係者s in the 裁判，公判 say.

非常に／多数の 起訴 証言，証人／目撃するs - there have been more than 30 - seem to have 追加するd little. The entire 贈呈 appears unfocused and slow.

No wonder Stewart sounds so 確信して. With a strong defence team and an 辛勝する／優位 in the マスコミ war, she stands a reasonable chance of （疑いを）晴らすing herself.