New York – Former New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver on Friday begged for mercy at his sentencing next week on corruption charges, telling a judge that he is filled with shame and prays he will not die in prison.
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The 74-year-old Democrat submitted a letter in Manhattan federal court, saying he and his wife “are both crumbling” after he was convicted in May at a retrial on corruption charges. He said he hardly sleeps and thinks of nothing except his criminal case.
“I pray I will not die in prison,” he told U.S. District Judge Valerie E. Caproni. He called himself “broken-hearted” that he damaged the trust people have in government.
Prosecutors, in their own submission Friday, sought a sentence of well over 10 years in prison, saying they had proven that Silver “repeatedly corrupted the great power of his office for personal profit and caused incalculable damage to the public trust.”
Silver’s lawyers urged Caproni to impose less than a decade in prison with significant community service to follow. They said Silver does not admit that his conduct was criminal, though he is remorseful.
Silver faces sentencing July 27 after a jury concluded he was guilty of earning nearly $4 million illegally by collecting fees from a cancer researcher and real estate developers. Prosecutors said Silver earned another $1 million by investing the money.
Silver was sentenced to 12 years in prison after a 2015 conviction at trial. That conviction was overturned by a federal appeals court following a Supreme Court decision that redefined what constituted corruption.
First elected in 1976, Silver served as speaker for 21 years, resigning after his 2015 arrest.
“The work that has been the focus of most of my life has become dirty and shameful,” Silver said in his letter. “Everything I ever accomplished has become a joke and a spectacle. … I beg for your mercy so that I can somehow go out into the world again to atone to everyone I have hurt.”
America has a cruel justice system . Rapists and murderers get less than white collar criminals. It’s a travesty of justice that we have such mass incarceration. And it cost the tax money Payer a fortune .
As Jews we should be appolied by our system . At most the man stole. In our Torah the din is stealers pay Back what they stole . And if it’s from the public they are required to do community service. Nowhere is there a cruel concept of jail . To lock someone up for 12 years for this is unjust .
We are a country of low morals . Preet and his unscrupulous prosecutors toy with yenims life to Advance their own career . A bunch of KGB thugs . Shame on them . Shame on the USA
12 year’s? Not even mass killer’s get that. What a stupid justice system we have!
To#1- Hey Archy, I don’t entirely agree with your statement, as stealing, whether by the use of white collar means, or by strong armed robbery is illegal, and deserve punishment in prison. Incidentally, I was shocked that the other day, you used the “F” word in its entirety on this site. I was dismayed that the editor of this site let the use of that foul word stand, without deleting it. What sort of standards are on this site, if foul language (not only the “F” word, but the “S” word, and other foul words), are permitted on this site, completely unedited. This site, which was once tame, has now turned into a site, which is tantamount to a truck driver’s site!
Mass killers don’t get 12 years? Do any of you check the silliness you write? Murderers in NY get up to 25-life. They cannot get less than 15 – life. This means the first time they see the parole board is at the minimum. I never heard to anyone getting paroled at the first board. I personally prosecuted a contract murderer in the Bronx who, according to NY State prison locator, will first see the parole board 80 years after conviction.
“They said Silver does not admit that his conduct was criminal, though he is remorseful.” what a bunch of double talk, lets him sell his summer house and give back the 4 mil, he is remorseful that he is convicted not that he took the 4 mil
To #4 , #5 , and #19 - I deeply regret using the term “truck driver site”. There are many hard working truck drivers, and I didn’t mean to malign them, as our economy would be unable to function, without the fine services which they perform around the clock, in every state, and at all times of the day and night, in all kinds of inclement weather. However, regarding my objection to the “F” word, and the “S” word, the latter foul phraseology has no business being used on this site. Otherwise, this site will degrade itself into the gutter. In answer to Archy’s question, if I had noticed similar foul language being used in other postings by other commentators, I certainly would have objected. As someone once stated “Can’t we all just get along”?