ROME - An Italian court on Monday sentenced Silvio Berlusconi to seven years in jail and also banned the former prime minister from holding public office for life in a trial where he was accused of paying for sex with an underage prostitute and abuse of office.
Former Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi.
The verdict came after seven hours of deliberation. The sentence will be suspended until the appeals process has been exhausted, which in Italy's justice system could take years.