NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) — Opening statements began Monday in the corruption retrial of former New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver . His first trial in 2015 ended with a guilty verdict and 12-year prison sentence . That conviction, however, was reversed last July, giving Silver a second chance to avoid possibly spending the rest of his life in prison. The retrial is likely to largely be a repeat of the last, tailored slightly to conform to a June 2016 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that narrowed the definition of a corrupt act. The high-court decision reversing the bribery conviction of former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell affected public corruption prosecutions across the country and resulted in the reversal of the convictions of Silver and former New York Senate leader Dean Skelos , a Republican, at separate trials. A retrial of Skelos is scheduled for June. Former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, who spearheaded the Silver case, tweeted his disappointment last year, writing: “The evidence was strong. The Supreme Court changed the law. I expect Sheldon Silver to be retried and re-convicted.” The evidence was strong. The Supreme Court changed the law. I expect Sheldon Silver to be retried and re-convicted. — Preet Bharara (@PreetBharara) July 13, 2017 Silver has insisted he is not guilty. A jury was chosen earlier this month to hear the retrial at a federal court in Manhattan. Prosecutors say Silver, who led the Assembly for more than two decades, traded favors, earning $4 million before investing the proceeds to earn another $1 million. Silver was first elected to the Assembly in 1976. The former speaker was once known as one of the “three men in a room” who controlled state government for decades. Silver was allowed to remain free pending his appeal. The trial is expected to last about six weeks. (© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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Opening Statements Begin In Ex-NY Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver’s Retrial
