Richey Bail Hearing Scheduled For Today

There will be no handcuffs or shackles, for a change, and for the first time since his incarceration in 1986, he will appear in the dock wearing civilian clothes, rather than prison overalls.

But whether they are merely tastes of liberty he can expect, or whether he will be granted his full freedom until the new trial, remained uncertain last night.

Prosecutors are expected to oppose bail and, if permitted, to push for it to be set at up to $1 million (£500,000), meaning Richey 43, would have to find $100,000 in cash in order to get out.

"I can hope, but I hate to get my hopes up only to have them cut to pieces," he said.

"The retrial probably won't be until January or February and I don't want to be behind bars till then, but I don't have a penny for bail. I'll just be going into that courtroom with my fingers crossed."

His former wife, Wendy, an American with whom he has rekindled a romance by phone, and his son, Sean, 21, are set to attend the hearing, along with Richey's brother, Steven.

"I've never been able to touch my son since he was four months old, when I held him in my arms. I'd like to do that again," said Richey.

He will be appearing in the same courtroom in Ottawa, Ohio, where he was sentenced to death in 1987 for the murder the previous year of Cynthia Collins, two, who died in a fire that Richey was found guilty of having started.

A federal court has ruled that his conviction was unsound, allowing him to be moved off death row and into a county jail while prosecutors arrange a retrial.