Siegelman to be released from prison

The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals today ordered that former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman be released from prison pending appeal of his conviction on federal bribery, mail fraud, and obstruction of justice charges.

I've expressed my reservations and outright objections to Siegelman's conviction and sentencing on several occasions since he was indicted in October of 2005. See here and here, for instance. Given the court's judgment that Siegelman had raised "substantial questions of fact and law" in challenging his conviction, it's only fair that he should be released.

I have no idea whether this case was politically motivated or whether Karl Rove or other Bush administration higher-ups encouraged it, as some have alleged. And frankly, I don't give a damn. The motivations of federal prosecutors are largely irrelevant to the overriding interest here, which is to ensure that justice has been served properly. As long as there are legitimate reasons to believe that it has not been, then Don Siegelman should be a free man.