News from our Neighbors

Former NYS Assemblyman Silver Sentenced

Sheldon Silver, one of the most feared politicians for decades in New York State, was found guilty on Monday of federal corruption charges, ending a trial that was the capstone of the government’s efforts to expose the seamy culture of influence-peddling in Albany.

The verdict was a quick and unceremonious end for Mr. Silver, who, during his more than two decades as the State Assembly speaker, displayed a Teflon-like quality in deflecting questions about his outside income.

Mr. Silver, 71, a Manhattan Democrat, was convicted on all seven counts against him. The charges of honest services fraud, extortion and money laundering stemmed from schemes by which he obtained nearly $4 million in exchange for using his position to help benefit a cancer researcher and two real estate developers. He could face up to 20 years in prison on each of six of the seven counts.

Chicago Police Chief Resigns

Chicago Police Chief McCarthy was confronted with a spate of violent crimes early on, with his first full year on the job ending with more than 500 homicides, more than any city in the nation.

Chicago Mayor Emanuel asked for Mcarthy’s resignation yesterday. But McCarthy isn’t the only person to have been singled out - last Thursday, the Chicago Teachers Union also called for Cook County’s chief prosecutor, Anita Alvarez, to be replaced because it took her over a year to file charges against Van Dyke, the police officer who shot Laquan McDonald 16 times.

Recorded by a camera mounted in a police vehicle, the grainy, nighttime video - which authorities had blocked from public viewing until a judge ordered its release - shows McDonald moving past Van Dyke and other officers. The 37-year-old white cop was released from jail Monday after posting bond on a $1.5 million bail.