Now Officially Disbarred, Length of Prison Sentence Only Outstanding Question for Convicted Felon Silver

Long since deposed from his powerful position as speaker of the New York State Assembly, convicted felon Sheldon Silver was finally disbarred this week by a state appeals court.

According to The Wall Street Journal, “four months after the Democratic politician was found guilty of federal corruption charges . . . [h]is expulsion from the bar followed automatically,” as per state law.

In announcing its decision, the court rejected Silver’s request to make an exception while his motions for a judgment of acquittal and for a new trial are pending.

Meanwhile, convicted felon Silver is scheduled to be sentenced on Wednesday, April 13, and the schadenfreude is almost unbearable for those of us who had urged prosecutors for years to investigate the obvious corruption involving Silver and the politically connected asbestos law firm, Weitz & Luxenberg, for which he moonlighted as their man in Albany and was paid millions.

Weitz & Luxenberg’s domination of the New York City Asbestos Litigation Court and Silver’s earlier influence over its plaintiff-favoring judges have made NYCAL into a high-ranking Judicial Hellhole.

In any case, even if Silver’s appeals fail, he can seek to be readmitted to New York’s bar in 2022, provided he isn’t convicted of additional felonies between now and then.  But since the thoroughly disgraced 72-year-old faces upto 130 years behind bars, he should probably focus less on getting his law license back and more on getting his affairs in order.  He might also want to follow Will Ferrell’s lead and Get Hard with a lesson or two about surviving a shank attack in the yard.  Gen-pop can be unforgiving.