Prosecutors fight Martha's retrial bid

Prosecutors hope to quash Martha Stewart’s bid for a retrial by discrediting attempts by the domestic diva’s lawyers to dredge up damaging details about a juror’s past.

In papers filed in a New York court, prosecutors told Judge Miriam Goldman Cedarbaum that the allegations against juror Chappell Hartridge were not enough to require a court hearing, much less a new trial.

Stewart, who built a media empire based on her reputation as a gracious expert home decorator, was convicted last month of lying to investigators about her sale of shares just before they plunged on a negative government report.

Last week, Stewart’s lawyers asked for a new trial, saying Hartridge failed to disclose an arrest on assault charges, three lawsuits filed against him and an accusation that he stole money from a Little League baseball group.

Prosecutors said in their written response that the allegations raised by Stewart were unsupported by enough evidence for a “reasonable inference” that Hartridge had intentionally withheld any information about himself.

They said the arrest, for instance, was dismissed and was sealed in state court, making it possible that Hartridge did not believe he was supposed to disclose it. They noted Stewart did not try to exclude 15 prospective jurors who admitted past charges.