Public officials, heed Judge Caproni’s warning

Justice was served Thursday when Joseph Percoco was sentenced to six years in federal prison for taking more than $315,000 in bribes in exchange for advancing the interests of two companies doing business with New York state, including Syracuse property developer Cor Development.

The sentence was stiff — more than the five years federal prosecutors had sought, and far more than the two years Percoco’s lawyer sought — because it was intended to send a message.

“I hope this sentence will be heard in Albany,” U.S. District Court Judge Valerie Caproni said. “I hope it will serve as a warning to others in public service.”

Translation: Violate the public’s trust, and you will go to jail.

We’re not ready to declare an end to Albany’s culture of impunity. Yet the examples of bad guys getting caught and paying the price are beginning to pile up.

Former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver was convicted (twice) of taking more than $4 million in bribes in exchange for official acts; Caproni sentenced him to seven years behind bars. (His first conviction, overturned on appeal, resulted in a 12-year sentence. The judge reduced it due to Silver’s age and expression of remorse.) Former Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos also was convicted (twice) of bribery, extortion and conspiracy. He is due to be sentenced Oct. 24. They join a rogue’s gallery of dozens of lawmakers convicted of abusing their official positions for private gain.

Cuomo can no longer point the finger at the Legislature exclusively. The trials of Percoco and former nanotech czar Alain Kaloyeros exposed corruption in the Executive Chamber’s inner sanctum. Will voters make the governor answer for it? They didn’t in September, when primary voters decisively chose him over Cynthia Nixon. His remaining opponents have six weeks left to make corruption an issue in the campaign.

Judge Caproni took note of the public’s cynicism. “Frankly it’s not surprising that citizens of this state have absolutely lost faith in their government,” she said.

Perhaps not all government; while Albany has failed miserably to clean itself up, federal prosecutors are making their corruption cases stick, and this judge, at least, is making defendants pay a high price for their misdeeds.

Caproni addressed other public officials who might be tempted to abuse the public’s trust: “This court will show you no mercy.”

Don’t say you weren’t warned.