Poll: Should Sheldon Silver and Dean Skelos be free on bail appeal?
Shelly Silver is a free man.
If those words look jarring to any New York political observers, it’s not what you think. No, the former Assembly speaker did not get his bribery conviction overturned, nor did he stage an El Chapo-esque escape through a network of tunnels underneath Empire State bedrock (New York Post wood notwithstanding).
But Silver can at least enjoy his freedom a bit longer, thanks in part to the United States Supreme Court. By overturning the conviction of former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell and narrowing the definition of official government acts that can be prosecuted, the Supreme Court may have created the basis of Silver’s conviction appeal (Silver was sentenced to 12 years in prison).
As a result of the McDonnell decision, a federal judge, Valerie Caproni, granted Silver’s request to remain free on bail during the appeal process. This follows a similar decision by different judge to allow former state Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos – convicted of bribery, extortion and conspiracy charges and sentenced to five years in prison – to remain free on bail while he appeals his conviction.
There are solid legal arguments for and against the two ex-political power brokers remaining free, but what say you, Slant readers? Should these two convicts be free to walk the streets?