But legal experts say Judge Miriam Goldman Cedarbaum isn’t likely to be swayed by Martha’s write-in campaign. “Especially in high-profile cases like this, judges are more conscious of the need to maximize the goals of deterrence by giving a substantial sentence,” says John C. Coffee, a law professor at Columbia University. For Stewart this means 10 to 16 months, according to federal guidelines. But she’s lucky she committed her crimes in 2002: the sentencing guidelines for her offenses were boosted to 15 to 24 months in November 2003, and she would have been required to serve the whole sentence in prison. Instead, Martha could serve half her time in house arrest. And Turkey Hill sure beats the federal pen.
