The Albany Times Union by ROBERT GAVIN - December 21, 2009
ALBANY, NY -- Former state Supreme Court Justice Thomas J. Spargo was sentenced today to more than 2 years in federal prison for trying to shake down attorneys and solicit a $10,000 bribe to pay mounting legal bills. U.S. District Court Judge Gary Sharpe imposed the 27-month sentence on the 66-year-old Republican, a one-time pre-eminent Republican election law attorney, during a 1 p.m. court appearance. He will report to prison on Feb. 9. Sharpe did not impose a fine. Spargo was found guilty in August of attempted extortion and attempted bribery. He faced a maximum of 20 years on the attempted extortion count, 10 years for attempted bribery but federal sentencing guidelines call for a range of 33 to 41 months in prison. Spargo also faced a fine as high as $75,000 and supervised release after serving time in prison. Sharpe agreed to depart from the sentencing guidelines to impose the reduced amount of prison time. The judge said Spargo's crimes fell into a lesser category. The U.S. Justice Department, which brought the case using a prosecutor from a Washington, D.C.-based public integrity unit, called for a sentence of 41 months and $75,000 fine. Spargo's attorney, E. Stewart Jones, asked for a sentence below federal guidelines and, if possible, no fine. Spargo won a 14-year term to state Supreme Court in 2001 after being cross-endorsed. Spargo's chambers were in Albany, but he presided over cases in Ulster County, which is within the state's Third Judicial District. In 2002, Spargo faced accusations of ethical violations from the state Commission on Judicial Conduct that were unrelated to his future bench removal and criminal case. He was indicted a year ago on charges he attempted to extort attorneys to offset his legal costs. Spargo, convicted on Aug. 27, was recently disbarred because of the conviction. The Times Union reported Saturday that several Capital Region lawyers and others wrote character letters on Spargo's behalf to Sharpe. Reach Robert Gavin at 434-2403 or rgavin@timesunion.com.
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Former Judge Sentenced to 27 Months for Attempted Extortion
The New York Law Journal by Joel Stashenko - December 22, 2009
ALBANY, NY - Former state Supreme Court Justice Thomas J. Spargo was sentenced today to 27 months in federal prison for attempting to extort donations from lawyers doing business in the upstate court where he sat. Northern District Judge Gary Sharpe said that, whether through "venality" or "misplaced exuberance," Mr. Spargo was responsible for attempting to secure contributions of up to $10,000 from local lawyers for a fund to pay Mr. Spargo's legal defenses during the ex-judge's bitter dispute over campaign activities with the Commission on Judicial Conduct "This is extortion," Judge Sharpe told Mr. Spargo. "This is threatening people who appeared before you with harm." Judge Sharpe continued, "For a judge, there is nothing more reprehensible." Mr. Spargo, 66, of East Berne, Albany County, faced a maximum prison sentence of between 33 months and 41 months for his federal conviction in August of attempted bribery and soliciting a bribe (NYLJ, Aug. 28). Judge Sharpe said he was departing somewhat from federal sentencing guidelines because Mr. Spargo did not appear to have engaged in any "systematic" or "concerted" criminal enterprise. Mr. Spargo was a Supreme Court justice from 2002 until his removal in 2006 on the recommendation of the conduct commission. Mr. Spargo's attorney, E. Stewart Jones of Troy, said the former judge would serve, at most, 85 percent of his 27-month sentence and that he would recommend that Mr. Spargo spend his time at a minimum-security federal penitentiary closest to the Albany area. Mr. Jones said that Mr. Spargo would not appeal his conviction.
The New York Law Journal by Joel Stashenko - December 22, 2009
ALBANY, NY - Former state Supreme Court Justice Thomas J. Spargo was sentenced today to 27 months in federal prison for attempting to extort donations from lawyers doing business in the upstate court where he sat. Northern District Judge Gary Sharpe said that, whether through "venality" or "misplaced exuberance," Mr. Spargo was responsible for attempting to secure contributions of up to $10,000 from local lawyers for a fund to pay Mr. Spargo's legal defenses during the ex-judge's bitter dispute over campaign activities with the Commission on Judicial Conduct "This is extortion," Judge Sharpe told Mr. Spargo. "This is threatening people who appeared before you with harm." Judge Sharpe continued, "For a judge, there is nothing more reprehensible." Mr. Spargo, 66, of East Berne, Albany County, faced a maximum prison sentence of between 33 months and 41 months for his federal conviction in August of attempted bribery and soliciting a bribe (NYLJ, Aug. 28). Judge Sharpe said he was departing somewhat from federal sentencing guidelines because Mr. Spargo did not appear to have engaged in any "systematic" or "concerted" criminal enterprise. Mr. Spargo was a Supreme Court justice from 2002 until his removal in 2006 on the recommendation of the conduct commission. Mr. Spargo's attorney, E. Stewart Jones of Troy, said the former judge would serve, at most, 85 percent of his 27-month sentence and that he would recommend that Mr. Spargo spend his time at a minimum-security federal penitentiary closest to the Albany area. Mr. Jones said that Mr. Spargo would not appeal his conviction.
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15 comments:
New York needs to build more prisons FOR THE JUDGES! Or, make room for the corrupt court people by letting the innocent out. Justice in my lifetime? In this sorry, corrupt state? Wow, maybe.
Sadly, most judges in New York have become Shake Down artists. They are forced to collect money and favors by the "in" powerful people and the large greedy law firms.
Did Republican Spargo fail to buy indulgences from Democrat Saint Andrew, Patron Saint of Crooked Lawyers and Judges? Luckily, Judge Sharpe showed the compassion in his heart for a crooked judge. Saint Andrew asks, do you have compassion in your heart for a crooked judge or lawyer; have you walked in their shoes?
LOL, the judges are bigger crooks than the defendants.
I can't wait for the shake down to begin in Orange County. From fraud to fraud.
Only 2 years? Make an example of this dirtbag. That way the other Judges would get a message. Add a zero - make it 20 years.
WE have plenty of CROOKED judges and Lawyers in Rockland County.
Christopher,Berliner,Ugell,Kelly etc,etc.......
I will like to know why Bernadette E. Lupinetti, Esq. from Goshen, New York in Orange County is allowed to fix child custody cases and why the authorities refused to investigate this criminal. This individual with a license to legally committ fraud has destroy families and has endangered the welfare of minors. This individual belongs behind bars with the rest of the terrorist and scums of the earth. Bernadette E. Lupinetti belongs either in a max security psychiatry ward or together with the terrorist from Guantanamo Bay.
we all agree, make examples of these judges give them 20 and then throw in a few lawyers and Senators...I may be able to help!
walk in their shoes, it is their fault the New York State Court System is full of evil
we want wars St Andrew, personal vendettas and paybacks, we don't want law!!!!!!!
those shoes smell as bad as those robes!
air purifiers for Christmas for New York State Court System!
air purifiers for Christmas for New York State Court System!
Dear Senator Maziarz,
Senator Sampson was in town and rumor has it he would like you to be head of the Energy Committee, does that include those windmills,
I couldn't think of a more fitting title, the wind you emit is priceless.
Interesting...a federal judge punishes a state judge for threatening people with harm that appear before him...extortion and reprehensible...worthy of incarceration....esp for a judge!
So...if the above stated conduct is the "MO' OF THAT JUDGE'S EMPLOYER..OCA... where he was trained and influenced...then explain to me how the entire bunch of chief and administrative and district judges of the NY STATE COURT SYSTEM are not present for punishment with incarceration?
The facts and documents exist to bring forth said members....but.....the "courts' will not acknowledge or process their filings openly and add to the public case filings.
Instead...the process that is being continued is.... extensive stalling, judicial chamber lying and behind the scenes manipulation.
If the limited discovery submitted by OCA, relative to the above accusations explodes with the entire state's supply of" black carbon paper" redactions ( the amount OCA chooses to redact could not be performed with flow pens), then you must realize that all court systems are stalling and redacting..... to prevent criminal complicity by the OCA judiciary, from being revealed to this state's citizenry!
If the material(cannot be called discovery because OCA has never asked for any)that is presented in it's unredacted and purist form from the accuser in a higher court and that material is resting in some AG'S desk drawer...then you must charge hindering of prosecution and added abuse of power, by the justice system and the attorney general....as these documents state criminal activity and the laws in which it violates.
Judge Spargo must not have had the connections that keep the rest of OCA from being exposed and criminally charged. He should have paid more attention to ALL the little people that work in the courthouses....they have the weight to strenghten his BARBELLS!
A Holiday message to Saint Andrew and his charges. Instead of sugar plums dancing in your heads think about your Nuremburg Judges (Justice) Trial to be held in NY. Your indictment will include 1. Participating in a common plan or conspiracy to commit crimes against humanity and the people of NY;
2. Crimes through the abuse of the judicial and penal process, resulting in multiple deaths and suicides, false imprisonment, plunder of private property.
3. Crimes against humanity on the same grounds, including unjust imprisionment, slave labor in certain domestic disputes.
4. Membership in a criminal organizations of lawyers, corrupt law firms, judges which were scourges on the people of HY.
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