Former media tycoon Conrad Black says he isn't taking for granted that he'll be released on parole while he appeals his fraud conviction to the U.S. Supreme Court.

In an email sent to CBC News on Monday, Black, who has been in a Florida prison since last March serving a 6½-year sentence for fraud and obstruction of justice, says he "will not presume on the Supreme Court" and remains hopeful that "justice will prevail."

The U.S. top court agreed last week to review the 2007 fraud conviction against Black, which has been upheld by the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago.

The Montreal-born Black, who once ran the fourth-largest newspaper chain in the world, was convicted in July 2007 of a $6.1-million fraud and obstruction of justice related to his eight years as head of Hollinger International Inc. In addition to being sentenced to prison time, Black was fined $125,000 US.

Black's lawyer, Miguel Estrada said he expects the appeal to be heard in November or December, and that a ruling will be issued by June 2010.

A jury ruled that Black and two other former executives at the media company had committed fraud when they diverted millions of dollars in non-compete payments from the sale of Hollinger newspapers. Black had also been found guilty of one count of obstruction of justice for removing boxes of documents from his Toronto office.

Black's lawyers argue the men did not commit fraud because they did no harm to the company. The lawyers also allege that the prosecutor defined the word "fraud" in a way that is very different from the criminal definition of fraud.

Black was acquitted of nine other charges including racketeering.

With files from The Associated Press