Wesley Snipes 'asks for bail for appeal'

Wesley Snipes has requested that he be allowed to remain on bail while he launches a second appeal against his forthcoming jail sentence.

The actor, who was rumoured to be in custody after a judge ruled that he must serve a three-year sentence for tax evasion, asked that he be allowed to mount a second challenge to his convictions.

US District Judge William Terrell Hodges has now given prosecutors to respond to the request by Tuesday, November 30.

Snipes's lawyer said: "Mr Snipes has honoured the court's trust before, during trial, as well as pending sentencing and appeal.

"There is no reason to change the court's judgement now. His ongoing and successful projects in the movie industry further ensure he would not consider fleeing."

The Blade actor was sentenced to a three-year prison sentence in 2008 for failing to file tax returns. However, the actor is strenuously challenging the judgement and sentence, despite a first appeal being rejected last week when a judge ruled that Snipes had "a fair trial [and] a full, fair and thorough review".