Martha Stewart may head to jail early

NEW YORK, July 27 (UPI) -- Martha Stewart, in appeals court limbo since her sentencing, reportedly has considered heading to prison early so her U.S. company can begin rebuilding.

Attorney Walter Dellinger said Stewart was "willing to think about this because of the company" even though she could avoid her time in federal prison for up to a year while she awaits the appeals process, E! Online said.

Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia's stock rose 37 percent after she was sentenced to five months in prison for lying to federal agents investigating a 2001 stock sale.

If Stewart completed her sentence, followed by five months of house arrest and moved on, the company, too, might begin rebounding, E! Online said.

Stewart said on her Web site that she's sad her employees have been affected by her legal woes.

"As a business leader, I am heartsick to know that employees of the wonderful company I founded, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, have lost their jobs, and that the dedicated and talented individuals who remain face enormously challenging times ahead," she wrote.