Nov 1, 2007 10:46 pm US/Central
Glimmer Of Hope In Former Gov. Ryan's Bail Request
Justice Stevens Wants Federal Government To Give Answer By Monday On Ryan's Appeal To Stay Free
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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Exclusive video shows former Gov. George Ryan and his wife Lura Lynn leaving the courthouse after he was sentenced to 6 1/2 years in prison. (File)
CBS
Former Gov. George Ryan's hopes of staying out of prison got a boost Thursday when a U.S. Supreme Court justice asked prosecutors to say why Ryan should not remain free on bond while he challenges his corruption conviction.
U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens seems to be dangling a glimmer of hope that Ryan might stay out of prison a little longer.
Court officials announced Thursday afternoon that Justice John Paul Stevens had asked the government to reply in writing to a petition for bail filed with him by Ryan's lawyers the day before.
Stevens set a deadline of 2 p.m. EDT Monday for the government's brief.
It wasn't clear how much hope Ryan should take from the development, but Stevens' interest in hearing more about the request was at least more encouraging than complete silence, or outright rejection.
"He's doing what he's supposed to be doing, he's looking to see if an injustice occurred," said CBS 2 legal analyst Irv Miller.
Stevens is asking the federal government, which prosecuted Ryan, to tell him why he should not order Ryan to be free on bond, while his appeal goes to the nation's highest court.
"I suspect that the defense team is very delighted to hear that the government has to justify their position in keeping George Ryan locked up pending his appeal," Miller said.
Ryan's attorney, another former GOP governor – Jim Thompson – is calling the move "encouraging."
"Everybody's saying that it's a slam dunk that he's going to the penitentiary," Miller said. "Now, I don't think it's a slam dunk."
U.S. Supreme Court justices are routinely asked to intervene in hundreds of bail cases.Usually, they're denied out of hand. It is rare that a justice will ask for a government filing like this one. If nothing else, this is a sign that Stevens is studying this case carefully.
Ryan, 73, is due to report to prison to start serving his 6 1/2-year sentence next Wednesday if the Supreme Court doesn't given him a new bond.
Randall Samborn, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office in Chicago, which prosecuted Ryan and co-defendant Larry Warner, declined to comment.
Ryan and Warner have been free on bond since their April 2006 convictions. But the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday effectively canceled their bonds and told them to pack up and head for prison next week.
Thompson immediately filed the petition for bail with Stevens, the justice who handles such matters originating in the Chicago-based 7th Circuit.
Ryan was convicted of steering big-money state contracts to Warner and other friends, using state resources to run his campaigns and killing an investigation of bribes paid in exchange for truck drivers licenses.
CBS 2's Mike Parker and the Associated Press contributed to this report.cbs2chicago.com's Most Popular Pages
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Former Gov. George Ryan's hopes of staying out of prison got a boost Thursday when a U.S. Supreme Court justice asked prosecutors to say why Ryan should not remain free on bond while he challenges his corruption conviction.
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