Former Ala. governor loses appeal

BIRMINGHAM, Ala., March 6 (UPI) -- A federal appeals court upheld most of the charges against former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman but ordered a new sentencing that could cut his prison time.

The U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals also upheld the conviction of Richard Scrushy, founder of HealthSouth, The Birmingham News reported. The court threw out two counts of honest services mail fraud against Siegelman.

Both men were convicted in 2006 of bribery, conspiracy and fraud after prosecutors charged that Scrushy bribed Siegelman for a seat on the state Certificate of Need Board. Siegelman, who was sentenced to more than seven years, was free pending the outcome of his appeal, while Scrushy is serving a six-year sentence.