A federal appeals court has approved the release of former Alabama governor, Don Siegelman, on bond while he appeals his bribery conviction.

The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Thursday that Siegelman has met the legal standard necessary to allow him to be free from prison while he seeks to show he was wrongly convicted.

The former Democratic governor is serving a sentence of more than seven years for six bribery-related counts and one obstruction count. He began serving the term last June.