NEW YORK – Martha Stewart (search) is thinking about voluntarily starting her five-month prison sentence while still appealing her conviction, her lawyer said Monday.
Stewart, who resigned as CEO of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (MSO) but still holds the title of founding editorial director, is "willing to think about this because of the company," attorney Walter Dellinger said on the ABC television network.
Stewart was convicted of lying to investigators about her sale of ImClone Systems Inc. (IMCL) stock in late 2001. She was sentenced in July 16 to five months in prison and five months of home detention, but won a stay of sentence while appealing her conviction.
Dellinger said her lawyers believe they have strong grounds to appeal and Stewart wants the appeal to "go ahead vigorously because she wants to clear her name."
But he said she would consider going ahead with her prison term "in the near future ... at the time that's best for the company."
Dellinger told The Associated Press last week, after the New York Daily News reported Stewart wanted to start her prison term, that "any thought she might give to voluntarily beginning her sentence is based upon her desire to devote her full time to her company as soon as possible."
He said he didn't know when she would make her decision on whether she would report to prison early.
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