Oscar Pistorius Update: Olympian's Legal Team To Challenge Judge's Appeal Ruling

Oscar Pistorius was convicted of culpable homicide five months ago for killing girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp , and the Olympian is looking to make sure he doesn’t face any more charges. His defense team is challenging a ruling by Judge Thokozile Masipa, which has given prosecutors the right to appeal the verdict.

A little more than a year after shooting Steenkamp on Valentine’s Day 2013, Pistorius went to trial, facing multiple murder charges. In September, Judge Masipa ruled that the double-amputee was not guilty of murder, convicting him of culpable homicide and subsequently sentencing him to five years in prison. In December, though, she determined the prosecution could appeal the ruling and pursue a murder conviction.

As it stands, Pistorius might only have to spend a short stint in jail. He was sentenced to five years in prison, but it’s possible that he could be released on house arrest after 10 months and finish the rest of his sentence out of the penitentiary. The judge accepted Pistorius’ contention that he didn’t mean to kill Steenkamp, claiming he thought he was shooting at an intruder who was on the other side of his bathroom door.

If convicted of murder, Pistorius faces a sentence of at least 15 years behind bars. His defense team will present their case for the appeal to be dismissed on March 13.

Even after being sent to prison, Pistorius has remained in the news. Not only is the prosecution looking to extend the athlete’s stay in prison, but it’s been reported that he hasn’t had a difficult time adapting to life in jail. According to one report, Pistorius has been “treated like royalty,” at Kgosi Mampuru II prison in Pretoria, South Africa. Recently, the 28-year-old had his privileges extended to improve his allowance and visits, among other things.

Pistorius has spent four months in prison, serving his conviction for culpable homicide. He was also convicted of a weapons charge in September.