Reacting to a Supreme Court ruling, two former top New York State legislators convicted of public corruption crimes are urging judges to let them remain free pending appeal.
Former state Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and former Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos made the requests in Manhattan federal court on Monday.
Silver, a Democrat, was sentenced to 12 years in prison after he was convicted last year in a $5 million corruption case. Skelos, a Republican, and his son, Adam, were convicted last year of extortion and bribery. Skelos was sentenced to five years in prison while his son received a 6 ½-year sentence.
They maintained that their prospects on appeal improved considerably after the Supreme Court reversed the conviction of former Virginia Republican Gov. Robert McDonnell.