Jury selection set in obstruction trial

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Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2004 | 9:15 a.m.

NEW YORK -- Martha Stewart and her lawyers arrived at Manhattan federal court this morning to begin picking jurors who will decide whether she lied about why she sold 3,928 shares of ImClone Systems Inc. more than two years ago.

With the temperature below freezing, dozens of reporters were on hand to watch as Stewart, founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc., stepped out of a black town car, waived to onlookers and strode up the steps of the courthouse without making a statement. Those on the sidewalk included Stewart supporters, who staged a small protest over her indictment.

"We think there's a double standard for women," said John Small, a marketing consultant who was dressed in a cooking apron and chef's hat. "If Martha Stewart is accused for selling stock on her broker's recommendation, we'll have millions of investors in jail." Small said he started a Web site on Stewart's behalf.

Stewart is on trial for conspiring with Peter Bacanovic, her former Merrill Lynch & Co. broker, to obstruct a government investigation into her sale of ImClone stock on Dec. 27, 2001.