New trial sought

Friday, June 11, 2004 | 10:38 a.m.

NEW YORK -- Martha Stewart is requesting a second trial, arguing that perjury charges against a government witness mean her conviction was built on a "corroded foundation."

The request is a bid by lawyers for the homemaking maven to stave off a prison sentence that could be handed down next month.

The new-trial motion, filed Thursday in Manhattan federal court, cites perjury charges brought in May against Larry Stewart, a Secret Service ink analyst who testified as a witness for the prosecution. The government charged him with lying repeatedly on the stand, falsely claiming he took part in ink testing of a worksheet used by Martha Stewart's stockbroker, Peter Bacanovic.

"Simply stated, a verdict that rests upon such a corroded foundation cannot stand," the filing said.

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