The U.S. Supreme Court is forcing the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago to take another look at the case against former Illinois Gov. George Ryan in light of the high court’s opinion in a totally different case.

The opinion in that case, Wood v. Milyard, focuses on rather detailed and somewhat confusing procedural rules about what the appeals courts can consider. Ryan’s attorney, Albert Alschuler, said this decision is a long ways from a new trial for the former governor and he says there’s a lot more legal wrangling ahead.

Ryan was convicted of corruption in 2006 after a six-month trial and he’s continued to put up a sustained legal fight since then, going through several rounds of appeals. Ryan has already served four and half years of his six and a half year sentence.