Conrad Black will not be getting out of prison while he appeals his fraud conviction to the U.S. Supreme Court.
U.S. District Court Judge Amy St. Eve, who preceded over the original trial in Chicago, has turned down Black's motion for bail and has cancelled a related hearing that was scheduled for July 24.
The judge's decision was released on Tuesday, just over three weeks after Black filed an application for his release during his appeal.
In her four-page ruling the judge said Black has "failed to establish that a ruling in his favour on the issues before the Supreme Court is likely to result in reversal of his obstruction of justice conviction or a shorter sentence than the total of time defendant already has served in prison plus the anticipated time it will take the Supreme Court to resolve the merits of his case."
A hearing into the matter, scheduled for next week, has been cancelled.
The 64-year-old was convicted of three counts of fraud and one count of obstruction of justice in July 2007. The following December, he was sentenced to serve 78 months in a federal prison.
In May, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to review his case. However, it is not expected to return a decision until June 2010.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons website, Black is currently serving his time at the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex in Ocala, Florida.
With files from The Canadian Press
