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CNN Live At Daybreak
Jury Selection Begins in Martha Stewart Trial
Aired January 06, 2004 - 05:03 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.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Now let's talk about the Martha Stewart trial. Jury selection is set to begin today in a Manhattan courtroom.
CNN's Allan Chernoff looks at the questions facing potential jurors.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The questionnaire about Martha Stewart, in the words of one lawyer in the case, is relatively lengthy and attempts to ferret out people who would be biased. Disqualifying factors for potential jurors include those with a strong opinion about Martha Stewart, people who have been following the case closely in the media and investors in Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia.
ROBERT HEIM, MEYERS & HEIM LLP: I think that she has a strong defense. The case is really going to come down to credibility and who the jury believes.
COOPER: To convict, the jury will have to believe star witness Doug Faneuil, former assistant to Stewart's stockbroker. Faneuil is to testify that he told Stewart her friend Sam Waksal was trying to unload stock in ImClone Systems, which led her to sell her shares just before the Food and Drug Administration gave a thumbs down to ImClone's experimental cancer drug.
Stewart and her broker, Peter Bacanovic, claim they had a preset agreement to sell the stock once it fell below $60 a share.
MARTHA STEWART: Having done nothing wrong allows you to sleep, allows you...
LARRY KING, HOST: It does?
STEWART: ... allows you to continue your work, gives you, gives you the opportunity to, to think about other things.
CHERNOFF (on camera): Stewart is also charged with securities fraud for publicly claiming her innocence.
(on camera): Lawyers say it'll be tough for the government to prove securities fraud. But on the obstruction charge, prosecutors say they have evidence that Stewart was trying to cover her tracks by changing the computer log of a phone message from her stock broker. The interviewing of prospective jurors is to begin on January 20. Allan Chernoff, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: And we will have much more on the Martha Stewart trial in our next hour when we are joined by CNN legal analyst Kendall Coffey. So you stick around.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired January 6, 2004 - 05:03 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Now let's talk about the Martha Stewart trial. Jury selection is set to begin today in a Manhattan courtroom.
CNN's Allan Chernoff looks at the questions facing potential jurors.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The questionnaire about Martha Stewart, in the words of one lawyer in the case, is relatively lengthy and attempts to ferret out people who would be biased. Disqualifying factors for potential jurors include those with a strong opinion about Martha Stewart, people who have been following the case closely in the media and investors in Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia.
ROBERT HEIM, MEYERS & HEIM LLP: I think that she has a strong defense. The case is really going to come down to credibility and who the jury believes.
COOPER: To convict, the jury will have to believe star witness Doug Faneuil, former assistant to Stewart's stockbroker. Faneuil is to testify that he told Stewart her friend Sam Waksal was trying to unload stock in ImClone Systems, which led her to sell her shares just before the Food and Drug Administration gave a thumbs down to ImClone's experimental cancer drug.
Stewart and her broker, Peter Bacanovic, claim they had a preset agreement to sell the stock once it fell below $60 a share.
MARTHA STEWART: Having done nothing wrong allows you to sleep, allows you...
LARRY KING, HOST: It does?
STEWART: ... allows you to continue your work, gives you, gives you the opportunity to, to think about other things.
CHERNOFF (on camera): Stewart is also charged with securities fraud for publicly claiming her innocence.
(on camera): Lawyers say it'll be tough for the government to prove securities fraud. But on the obstruction charge, prosecutors say they have evidence that Stewart was trying to cover her tracks by changing the computer log of a phone message from her stock broker. The interviewing of prospective jurors is to begin on January 20. Allan Chernoff, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: And we will have much more on the Martha Stewart trial in our next hour when we are joined by CNN legal analyst Kendall Coffey. So you stick around.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
