According the a USA Today and AP report, film star Wesley Snipes is appealing his conviction on federal tax evasion charges. Snipes was convicted and sentenced in April of 2008 after a high-profile trial in which he was accused of refusing to pay nearly $3-million in owed taxes.

Since the conviction, Snipes has been out of custody on bail, as his appeal is pending.

The issues raised on appeal by his attorneys include an allegation that the judge's refusal to change venue compromised the case and that the three year sentence was too harsh given the facts of the case. Many people feel that Snipes is being used as an example to deter other would-be tax evaders.

Any person convicted of a crime enjoys the right to appeal. It is up to the lawyers at the trial level to make a record that will be used in an eventual appeal. In a high profile case like this, an appeal is almost a certainty following a conviction. One notable exception was the conviction of Martha Stewart. Ms. Stewart decided to get her prison sentence out of the way so she could move on with her life.

In lower profile cases, many defendants who are wrongfully convicted or unjustly sentenced choose not to appeal because of the long-term stress and financial hardship it would cause.

Here's an older video from the case: