A U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has thrown a legal lifeline to two former Fleishman-Hillard [3] executives, Doug Dowie [4] and John Stodder [5], who were sentenced to time in prison for their role in overbilling [6] the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power [7] for PR work. The court granted the two bail while their appeal is before the courts, on the grounds that they presented little risk of fleeing. In its decision, the court wrote that their "appeal raises a 'substantial question' of law or fact" that could result in the earlier court decision being overturned, a re-trial ordered or a non-custodial sentence imposed.