Former New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver leaves U.S. District Court, Thursday, Feb. 1, 2018 in New York. Silver attended a pretrial hearing in federal court to discuss his retrial. A federal appeals court in July, 2017 overturned Silver's 2015 corruption conviction. Silver had been convicted on charges that he had obtained nearly $4 million in illicit payments in return for taking a series of official actions that benefited others.
Former New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver leaves U.S. District Court, Thursday, Feb. 1, 2018 in New York. Silver attended a pretrial hearing in federal court to discuss his retrial. A federal appeals court in July, 2017 overturned Silver's 2015 corruption conviction. Silver had been convicted on charges that he had obtained nearly $4 million in illicit payments in return for taking a series of official actions that benefited others. Kathy Willens AP Photo
Former New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver leaves U.S. District Court, Thursday, Feb. 1, 2018 in New York. Silver attended a pretrial hearing in federal court to discuss his retrial. A federal appeals court in July, 2017 overturned Silver's 2015 corruption conviction. Silver had been convicted on charges that he had obtained nearly $4 million in illicit payments in return for taking a series of official actions that benefited others. Kathy Willens AP Photo

National Politics

Judge: Ex-NY Assembly speaker's trial firmly set for April

The Associated Press

February 01, 2018 03:59 PM

NEW YORK

The retrial of New York's former assembly speaker will proceed on schedule after his appeal to the Supreme Court failed.

U.S. District Court Judge Valerie Caproni refused Thursday to delay the April 16 retrial of Sheldon Silver.

Silver said outside Manhattan federal court that justice will prevail.

An appeals court last year reversed his 2015 conviction and his 12-year prison sentence, citing a Supreme Court case narrowing how public corruption law can be applied. The Supreme Court denied Silver further relief.

Court officers and a court employee gave the Democrat special treatment, ensuring he could ride his own elevator and prohibiting reporters from speaking to him in the courthouse.

The 73-year-old Silver remains free on bail.