A former recent York state Assembly speaker who was convicted of fraud and extortion has lost his license to practice law.
Sheldon Silver was disbarred Tuesday by the Appellate Division of the state Supreme Court in Manhattan.
The 72-year-old Democrat was convicted in November in a $5 million corruption case. Prosecutors say he traded favors to enrich himself. He's scheduled to be sentenced in April.
Silver's attorneys argued the disbarment should be delayed until a federal judge decides on his motion for a recent trial.
But the appeals court denied the request. It says Silver's name should be "stricken from the roll of attorneys" in recent York.
Silver served as leader of the state Assembly from 1994 through early 2015.
Source: wnyc.org