Stewart’s Sentence Seen Within Guidelines

Martha Stewart’s prison term is “completely reasonable” in light of a new Supreme Court opinion on federal sentencing guidelines, a top federal prosecutor said.

One of Stewart’s lawyers, David Chesnoff, told a New York newspaper that her legal team was studying whether the Supreme Court ruling could shorten the length of her confinement.

The high court ruled Wednesday that defendants’ rights were violated when judges impose sentences higher than basic guidelines established by Congress for their crimes.

From Associated Press

* Polaris Industries Inc. has agreed to pay nearly $1 million to settle allegations that it belatedly reported defects and hazards on some of its all-terrain vehicles, the first such penalty involving ATVs, the government announced. Polaris has denied any wrongdoing.