Supreme Court justice mulling appeal of ex-Gov. George Ryan

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.

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.

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.

Randall Samborn, a spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office in Chicago, which prosecuted Ryan and co-defendant Larry Warner, declined to comment.

A message was left for Ryan's chief defense counsel, former Gov. James R. Thompson.

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.