Habit of Command

Testimony this week in Martha Stewart's trial showed that getting her acquitted and making her more likable are not necessarily consistent goals:

The [prosecution] witnesses included an executive assistant to [ImClone CEO] Dr. [Samuel] Waksal, who took a phone call from Ms. Stewart the day that she sold her ImClone stock…

"I remember speaking with Martha," the first witness, Emily Perret, the assistant to Dr. Waksal, told the jury. "I answered the phone. She said, 'Where is Sam, get Sam.' "

Ms. Stewart wanted to know what was going on with ImClone, Ms. Perret testified.

Asked to describe Ms. Stewart's tone, Ms. Perret said she seemed "very hurried and harsh and direct." On cross-examination, however, Ms. Perret agreed that Ms. Stewart often treated her that way.