New York, September 21--A federal judge on Tuesday ordered homemaking icon Martha Stewart to report to prison in less than three weeks to begin serving her five-month jail sentence for lying about a suspicious stock sale.
Stewart said last week she wanted to put her "nightmare" behind her and begin serving her sentence as soon as possible to be able to go home in time to plant her spring garden.
Stewart had been allowed to remain free while pursuing her appeal but must now report to prison by Oct. 8. She would be released by early March under the judge's order.
Stewart turned a home catering business in her own kitchen into a media and merchandising powerhouse that boasts TV shows, magazines and a line of housewares sold at Kmart, emerging as America's best-known home decorating expert.
While her legal problems hit her company hard, its shares have shot up nearly 30 percent since she said she wanted to begin her sentence before her appeal was decided.
Even before the judge's order, shares of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia Inc. traded over 9 percent higher on Tuesday, in part due to speculation she could retool her TV show with "Survivor" creator Mark Burnett after her release.
A spokeswoman for Martha Stewart said the trendsetter was "pleased" the judge set an early date for her surrender, and that she hoped to serve her sentence near her home at a facility in Danbury, Connecticut.
In Tuesday's court papers, U.S. District Judge Miriam Goldman Cedarbaum said she would recommend prison camps in either Danbury, Connecticut or Coleman, Florida.
While both facilities are minimum security, they are still far cries from Stewart's usual lifestyle. At her news conference last week, Stewart said she would miss her dogs, cats, canaries, horses and chickens.
"I hope too that I will be able to begin serving my sentence in the very near future because I would like to be back as early in March as possible in order to plant the spring garden," she said at the time.
