A federal jury convicted a former New York state judge Thursday of attempted extortion and attempted soliciting of a bribe for pressuring a lawyer to give $10,000 to his defense fund.
Federal prosecutors said Thomas Spargo pressured the lawyer, who had cases pending before Spargo when he was a state Supreme Court justice in 2003, to help the judge cover legal bills from an ongoing battle with the state's judicial discipline committee.
"The jury system works whether you like it or not," said Spargo, who had a long career as a Republican expert on New York elections law before becoming a judge. In 2000, he was part of GOP team that went to Florida to help battle for George W. Bush during the presidential election recount.
Spargo, who was elected to the state's trial level court in 2001, could face up to 30 years in federal prison when he is sentenced Dec. 21.
He was removed from the bench in 2006 on the recommendation of the state Commission on Judicial Conduct, which cited the pressure he put on lawyers and which criticized some of his earlier actions as a town justice in suburban Albany.
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Jury Finds Former NY Judge Guilty in Bribery Case
We must wonder why judges would blatantly violate the law when they do?
ReplyDeleteCan we "follow the money"?
This is very bad news to society. Other judges must be very distressed seeing this in the news. But, it's the only way to get the work out and weed out the problems even if its one by one.
ReplyDeleteEvery time I see a lawyer or judge held to some measure of accountability, I celebrate.
ReplyDelete30 years is about right!
ReplyDeleteIf he was pressuring the lawyers to give to his defense fund, then he was enticing them as well with favors.
ReplyDeleteAnd who is the victim of this arrangement?
The unwary client who believes he/she has a good lawyer and that the judge is fair.
He's not the first judge to go away for soliciting bribes, and each time I learn of another one nailed, I am pleased.
ReplyDeleteToo many 'bad judges' in our courts. Nice to see one get Justice
ReplyDelete