Intelligencer

Crime Log

The 100-person poll

Published May 21, 2005

From Michael Jackson to Bernie Ebbers to Martha Stewart, it’s a season of trials, tribulations, and tentative redemption. What do New Yorkers think of these cases? Which ones are they even following? We stopped 100 people in Union Square to ﬁnd out.

Martha

What’s your opinion of Martha Stewart?
Favorable. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Unfavorable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Don’t know/no opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Did her time in jail make you like her . . .
FAVORABLE
More . . . . . . . . . . . . .52%
Less . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 2%
No change . . . . . . . . 46%
UNFAVORABLE
Less . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29%
More . . . . . . . . . . . . 18%
No change . . . . . . . 53%

What’s the biggest PR mistake you think she’s made since prison?
“Going home on a private jet.”
“The speech she gave about lemons.”
“The poncho.”

By the end of the year, will her new popularity . . .
Increase . . . . . . . . . . 66% Decrease . . . . . . . . . . 9%
Stay same . . . . . . . . . 22% Don’t know . . . . . . . . 3%

Would you rather work for Martha or . . .
Donald Trump?
Martha . . 40
Trump . . . . . . . . . 53
(Remaining respondents in this and other matchups wouldn’t say—or couldn’t choose.)
Bloomberg?
Martha . . . . . 53
Bloomberg . . . . . 33
Freddy Ferrer?
Martha . . . 46
Ferrer . . . . . . . . . . 20
(34 respondents didn’t know who Ferrer was.)
Simon Cowell?
Martha . . . 42
Cowell . . . . . . . . . . 43

The Michael Jackson Case

Guilty? . . . 50
Not guilty? . . . 20
Don’t know . . . 30

Other Crimes

Have you been following these news stories?
Lil’ Kim’s trial
Yes . . . 33
No . . . 41
Never heard of it . . . 26

The Bernie Ebbers case
Yes . . . 39
No . . . 37
Never heard of it . . . 24

The Mafia-cop scandal
Yes . . . 47
No . . . 32
Never heard of it . . . 21

Your Criminal Past

Have you ever been the victim of a crime?
No . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56%
Yes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44%
“I was robbed and slashed in the face in ’91.”
“The MTA fare hike, right now!”
“My ex-boyfriend robbed my apartment.”
“I was held up at gunpoint in San Francisco.”
“My massage table was stolen from my girlfriend’s car.”

Finally, do you feel personally victimized by white-collar crimes?
Yes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27%
No . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73%