Attorneys for former Alabama Governor Don Siegelman filed a response to Chief U.S. District Court Judge Mark E. Fuller's ruling denying Siegelman release pending appeal today, saying the Montgomery judge failed to follow the order of the Eleventh U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta to explain his ruling.

“The court’s summary denial without explanation is a clear indication that the ruling denying release pending appeal is unsupportable," according to Hiram C. Eastland, a new appeals attorney brought onboard from Mississippi. "By ignoring (the appeals court's) instructions to 'explain the reasons for the court’s ruling,' the district court has in effect admitted that any real discussion of the issues would compel the release of Governor Siegelman.”

Download the response as a PDF file here

Federal prosecutors could not be reached for comment today due to the national holiday, Columbus Day.