Stewart’s bid for new trial rejected

NEW YORK — A federal judge refused on Thursday to grant Martha Stewart a new trial, paving the way for the celebrity homemaker to be sentenced next week for lying about a stock sale.

Judge Miriam Goldman Cedarbaum of Manhattan federal court brushed aside claims by Stewart and her former stockbroker that their convictions are tainted by charges that a Secret Service ink expert lied on the witness stand.

“Because there is no reasonable likelihood that this perjury could have affected the jury’s verdict, and because overwhelming independent evidence supports the verdict, the motions are denied,” Cedarbaum wrote.

The decision means a sentencing hearing for Stewart and broker Peter Bacanovic set for July 16 is all but certain to go forward.

Legal experts expect Stewart and Bacanovic to be sentenced to 10 to 16 months apiece in prison, although Cedarbaum could allow them to serve some of the time at halfway houses or in home confinement.

Stewart’s lawyer Robert Morvillo said he was “very disappointed” by the ruling.

Stewart and Bacanovic asked for new trials after Secret Service laboratory director Larry Stewart was charged with lying repeatedly during his testimony at the trial in February.