Stewart's Motion for Second Trial Denied

[PfcHammer]

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040505/ap_en_bu/martha_stewart_14

Stewart's Motion for Second Trial Denied

54 minutes ago

By ERIN McCLAM, Associated Press Writer

NEW YORK - A federal judge refused to grant Martha Stewart (news - web sites) a new trial Wednesday, dismissing claims that a juror lied to conceal a bias against the celebrity homemaker.

The decision by U.S. District Judge Miriam Goldman Cedarbaum clears the way for a hearing next month at which Stewart could be sentenced to more than a year in prison for lying about a stock sale.

Stewart claimed juror Chappell Hartridge lied repeatedly on his jury questionnaire, including failing to disclose he had been arrested in a domestic dispute and accused of stealing money from a Little League group.

Whether or not the charges are true, Cedarbaum wrote, they do not meet the legal standard of showing the juror would have been excused for bias during jury selection.

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[AspenRose]

1. Not a good thing

[hang a left]

2. Why didn't they go the appeal route?

Motion for a new trial goes before the same judge that heard the case.

I hope that they have a better legal argument than juror bias.