After years of complex legal wrangling, attorneys for imprisoned former Illinois Gov. George Ryan's attorneys geared up Friday for what could be a last longshot chance at a new trial.

The stakes, however, are not as high as they could be. The arguments scheduled before the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals come as the former Republican governor nears the end of his 6 1/2-year federal prison sentence on several corruption charges. He's due to be released next year.

"We're getting close to the end of the court fight," Ryan's attorney, former Illinois Gov. Jim Thompson, told The Associated Press before the court proceeding.

He said he spoke to Ryan last week and he was "anxious" about the proceedings.

Earlier this year, the U.S. Supreme Court ordered the appeals court to again look at Ryan's bid to overturn his corruption convictions. Last year, the lower court rejected arguments that the convictions should be tossed.

The high court, which upheld Ryan's convictions, took issue with how the appeals court reached its decision to reject his appeal. The court concluded that defense attorneys didn't make a timely objection to jury instructions about so-called "honest services" laws.

Defense attorneys have long scrutinized honest services laws as too vague and a last resort of prosecutors in corruption cases that lack the evidence to prove money is changing hands.