Martha Stewart has been indicted. She appeared in court, was released on her own recognizance and pleaded not guilty.

The 41-page indictment unsealed on Wednesday charges Stewart with securities fraud, obstruction of justice, conspiracy and making false statements to prosecutors and the FBI. The charges stem " from her alleged involvement in the ImClone insider-trading scandal.....

Stewart, 61, accompanied by her lawyer, entered the courtroom of U.S. District Court Judge Miriam Goldman Cedarbaum of Manhattan just after 3 p.m. and took notes throughout the 10-minute proceeding. She wore a tan, light-weight wool pantsuit and large diamond stud earrings.

"How do you plead to the indictment?" Cedarbaum asked. Stewart, who appeared strained, answered crisply and emphatically, "not guilty."

We think this case is political. We're angry about it. In fact, even though we haven't been much of a Martha Stewart fan before, we reformed last night by buying our first copy of Martha Stewart Living at the grocery store. This investigation has caused her a fortune--it's been a guy thing and a power play since day 1. As her lawyer posited today in a written statement asserting her innocence,

"Is it for publicity purposes because Martha Stewart is a celebrity? Is it because she is a woman who has successfully competed in a man's business world by virtue of her talent, hard work and demanding standards?"

We believe the answer is a resounding "yes." Fight, Martha, fight.