Former Enron chief to appeal conviction

NEW ORLEANS, Feb. 26 (UPI) -- Lawyers for convicted former Enron Chief Executive Officer Jeff Skilling will have 30 minutes in a U.S. appeals court to argue that he should be set free.

Skillings' attorneys have filed papers with the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans that bases their arguments on a separate Enron case in which some convictions were overturned after prosecutors argued that the defendants harmed Enron, while defense attorneys argued they hadn't stolen anything from the company.

Prosecutors, who have also filed papers with the appeals court, are arguing the convictions should stand, because Skilling, as Enron's former chief executive officer, should be held to higher standards, the Houston Chronicle reported.

The hearing is set for April 2.

Skilling is serving a 24-year sentence following a conviction on multiple securities fraud and insider trading charges.