Chicago ? A federal appeals court upheld former Gov. George Ryan’s racketeering and fraud conviction Tuesday, but he will be allowed to remain free on bond while his lawyers make a fresh appeal.

The 73-year-old former governor, once the state’s most powerful Republican, had been under a court order to report to prison within 72 hours of the failure of his appeal.

But the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals relented and allowed him to remain free while his lawyers press their case for a rehearing before all 11 actively serving appeals judges.

Earlier Tuesday, a panel of the appeals court brushed aside claims by defense attorneys that jury deliberations at Ryan’s trial had been fatally flawed and that the guilty verdict should be overturned.