Former Illinois Governor George Ryan could be heading back to court.  Law professor Ann Lousin [[ LOO-seen ]] says a U.S. Supreme Court ruling on the honest services clause could be just the break Ryan has been hoping for.

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Lousin says Ryan's appeal boils down to a technicality in the honest services law.

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Seventh District Court of Appeals Chief Judge Frank Easterbrook says Skilling's lawyers directly challenged the mail-fraud statute of the Honest Services Law, while Ryan's lawyers claimed errors in the jury instructions caused prejudice.  The judge says Ryan's case may have had a different outcome had his attorney's done what Skilling's lawyers did.   The former governor has about two years left on his sentence but the ruling could mean parts of his conviction get thrown out.  If that happens, Ryan would get out of prison on time served.