The Government suffered yet another setback in the Wesley Snipes case today, as U.S. District Judge William Terrell Hodges agreed to bail pending the appeal of his conviction on three misdemeanor tax fraud counts. From the order:

Obviously, having denied the Defendants' motions asserting the issues he intends to raise on appeal, the Court is dubious as to the "substantiality" of those issues for purposes of appellate review. Nevertheless, the Court recognizes that the offenses of conviction are misdemeanor offenses, not felonies, and that the time required for the disposition of appeal may well equal -- or nearly equal -- the length of the term of commitment imposed. Additionally, the Court is not repared to say that the issues on appeal are patently frivolous or asserted merely for purposes of delay.