On Friday, the U.S. Attorney filed a request to retry former Lower East Side Assemblyman Sheldon Silver on federal corruption charges in the spring of 2018.
Just a day earlier, a federal appeals court announced that Silver’s retrial would be delayed to give the onetime speaker of the New York State Assembly time to take his case to the U.S. Supreme Court. The original guilty verdict was thrown out last month.
“Given the logistical challenges associated with scheduling a month-long trial,” prosecutors wrote, “the Government requests that the Court set a tentative re-trial date in March, April or early May 2018 to permit the parties and the re-try this case in a reasonable time period should the Supreme Court deny the defendant’s petition.” Acting U.S. Attorney Joon Kim accuses Silver’s legal team of using delay tactics that could jeopardize the government’s case. The prosecution’s star witness, cancer doctor Robert Taub, is 81.
Silver was convicted in connection with a $4 million bribery scheme and sentenced to 12 years in prison. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals vacated the conviction due to improper jury instructions.
