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CNN Live At Daybreak

Opening Statements Begin in Few Hours in Martha Stewart Trial

Aired January 27, 2004 - 05:22   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: The day has finally arrived. Opening statements begin in just a few hours in the Martha Stewart trial.
CNN's Allan Chernoff takes a look at the trial and the people who have been chosen to hear the case.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The jury that will sit in judgment of Martha Stewart includes a minister, a translator, a computer technician and a pharmacist who immigrated from Uganda. Martha Stewart's attorney, Robert Morvillo, initially tried to exclude the pharmacist from the jury pool, claiming she doesn't speak proper English. Judge Miriam Cedarbaum pointed out "the woman merely has an accent."

Jury consultants have argued women are likely to judge Martha Stewart favorably, though some attorneys wonder.

HOWARD WILSON, ATTORNEY: The women will say it's only because she's a successful woman that they're chasing her, and as a result they will have the kind of, it'll be helpful to her. But in my view that just doesn't, doesn't work.

CHERNOFF: Judge Cedarbaum is placing limits on Martha Stewart's defense. She ruled the defense cannot argue the government had improper motives in investigating Martha Stewart, nor can the defense claim Stewart is being prosecuted for asserting her innocence.

The government's first witness is an official from ImClone, the company whose stock Martha Stewart sold. An officer from Merrill Lynch is set to testify second and star witness Douglas Faneuil, assistant to Stewart's broker and co-defendant, Peter Bacanovic, is third.

(on camera): The judge has promised coffee and muffins for the jurors at 9:30 Eastern time. Opening arguments are scheduled to begin at 10.

Allan Chernoff, CNN Financial News, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And we'll have much more on the Martha Stewart trial. Coming up in the second hour of DAYBREAK, legal analyst Kendall Coffey joins me to talk about what we can expect from the opening day. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com




Trial>


Aired January 27, 2004 - 05:22   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: The day has finally arrived. Opening statements begin in just a few hours in the Martha Stewart trial.
CNN's Allan Chernoff takes a look at the trial and the people who have been chosen to hear the case.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The jury that will sit in judgment of Martha Stewart includes a minister, a translator, a computer technician and a pharmacist who immigrated from Uganda. Martha Stewart's attorney, Robert Morvillo, initially tried to exclude the pharmacist from the jury pool, claiming she doesn't speak proper English. Judge Miriam Cedarbaum pointed out "the woman merely has an accent."

Jury consultants have argued women are likely to judge Martha Stewart favorably, though some attorneys wonder.

HOWARD WILSON, ATTORNEY: The women will say it's only because she's a successful woman that they're chasing her, and as a result they will have the kind of, it'll be helpful to her. But in my view that just doesn't, doesn't work.

CHERNOFF: Judge Cedarbaum is placing limits on Martha Stewart's defense. She ruled the defense cannot argue the government had improper motives in investigating Martha Stewart, nor can the defense claim Stewart is being prosecuted for asserting her innocence.

The government's first witness is an official from ImClone, the company whose stock Martha Stewart sold. An officer from Merrill Lynch is set to testify second and star witness Douglas Faneuil, assistant to Stewart's broker and co-defendant, Peter Bacanovic, is third.

(on camera): The judge has promised coffee and muffins for the jurors at 9:30 Eastern time. Opening arguments are scheduled to begin at 10.

Allan Chernoff, CNN Financial News, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And we'll have much more on the Martha Stewart trial. Coming up in the second hour of DAYBREAK, legal analyst Kendall Coffey joins me to talk about what we can expect from the opening day. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com




Trial>