Martha May Start Sentence Early

Ever the go-getter, Martha Stewart may be heading off for an early start on her time in the big house.

Though the domestic diva won a stay of sentence that could keep her out of a federal lockup for up to a year while she pursues an appeal, her lawyer says she's considering entering jail ahead of time for the good of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia.

Stewart was sentenced on July 16 to five months behind bars, followed by five months of house arrest. She was convicted in March on charges that she lied to the feds during an investigation of a 2001 stock sale.

Stewart is "willing to think about this because of the company," her attorney, Walter Dellinger, said on ABC's Good Morning America.

The company's stock price jumped 37 percent following the news of Stewart's light sentence. Should Stewart choose to do the time and move forward from the case, it's likely that her brand name could see an ever greater rebound.

Stewart expressed her despair over the hardships suffered by her employees as a result of the case on her Website, MarthaTalks.com.

"As a business leader, I am heartsick to know that employees of the wonderful company I founded, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, have lost their jobs, and that the dedicated and talented individuals who remain face enormously challenging times ahead," Stewart wrote.

In the meantime, Stewart is apparently preparing herself for her own upcoming challenges. During the stressful trial, she reportedly gorged herself on comfort foods and packed on an estimated 15 to 25 pounds. Now she's working on getting back in shape by rollerblading and biking, according to People magazine.

Stewart has also revealed her plans for passing the time behind bars. According to People, the guru of good things told friends she plans to study Italian, read books and write. In an interview with CNN's Larry King, she said that she would be interested in writing a "How To" guide on prison survival for the white collar set.

"Not that, you know, it's going to be a big bestseller," she said. "But for anybody who has to go through this process, there should be some guidelines."

Like how to whip up a five-course meal from ingredients available at the prison commissary, perhaps. Or how to coordinate prison uniforms with cell interiors. Or how to convince a posse of fellow prisoners that they shouldn't beat the living daylights out of you just because you're rich--wait, that one might come in handy.

Following her jail sentence, Stewart is set to spend five months detained at her 153-acre farm in Bedford, New York. She will be permitted to leave the property for only 48 hours a week, but according to her friend, Charlotte Beers, time spent at home will be a positive experience for Stewart.

"Being confined to home is like a blessing for her," Beers told People. "Her home has always been her laboratory."

The homemaking maven denounced her sentence as "horrendous," but proclaimed that she "is not afraid of what the future holds."

"I will get through what the court requires and return to my work just as soon as I can," she promised on her Website.

Stewart's former broker, Peter Bacanovic, also received a five-month jail sentence for his role in the stock scandal.

Meanwhile, Douglas Faneuil, the government's star witness against Stewart and Bacanovic, was in court last Friday to learn his own fate for his involvement in the case.

The former broker's assistant, who tipped Stewart to the impending ImClone crash on Bacanovic's orders, got the legal equivalent of a wrist-slap: He was fined $2,000 and escaped with no jail time or probation as part of his plea bargain.

"You are in many ways a very lucky young man," Judge Miriam Goldman Cedarbaum said. "I am giving you enormous credit for your assistance and I am accepting your representation that this was truly aberrational."

"This ordeal has been a tragic disappointment for too many people, myself included," Faneuil said in court. "If I were given the opportunity to prevent it from happening again, I would choose to do so every single time."

We're sure Martha would say the same.