The Armed Career Criminal Act provides that if a person is convicted of a crime involving the use of a firearm and the individual has three or more earlier convictions for a «serious drug offense» or a «violent felony,» the prison term is a minimum of 15 years and a maximum of life. (abajournal.com)
Two former powerful leaders in the state, ex — Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, a Democrat, and ex — Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos, a Republican, are scheduled to be retried on corruption charges this year after early convictions were thrown out. (crainsnewyork.com)
The key word in that paragraph is «likely,» and Cabranes and his colleagues said that they couldn't in their right mind conclude that Silver's earlier convictions for extortion, money laundering, and so - called «honest services» fraud were likely to stand. (nymag.com)