I did not see this coming when the Supreme Court ruled on the ENRON case a few days ago.

As many remember, the conviction of Don Siegelman seemed deeply political. Siegelman, a popular Democratic governor, was convicted in 2006 of selling a seat on an Alabama hospital regulatory board for $500,000 to former HealthSouth CEO Richard Scrushy, by way of donations to a 1999 Siegelman sponsored state lottery campaign, for which Siegelman received no profit and no campaign financing.

Mr. Siegelman was tried and sentenced (despite faulty instructions to the jurors) to more than seven years in prison and has been free on appeal bond since June 2008.

In March 2009, the Eleventh Circuit upheld bribery, conspiracy and obstruction of justice charges against Siegelman and refused a request for a new trial.

Today's decision will return the case to the Eleventh Circuit.