Bevin had been serving a 60-day sentence at Louisville Metro Corrections after a Jefferson County family court judge found him in contempt.
The case involves an ongoing divorce and child support dispute.
The judge said Bevin repeatedly failed to turn over financial records and also failed to appear in court.
Bevin was arrested on September 3 while working as an extra on a Christmas movie being filmed in Bourbon County.
His attorney quickly appealed, arguing the jail sentence was an unlawful civil-contempt punishment.
The Kentucky Court of Appeals agreed to release Bevin while it considers his case.
Appeals Judge Allison E. Jones wrote that if Bevin is being held to force him to comply with the court’s orders, he must have a way to purge that contempt and get out of jail.
The judge said that, based on the limited information before the court, it was unclear whether Bevin had that option.
But the appeals court made clear that today’s ruling does not erase Bevin’s previous failures to comply, and it does not decide whether he will ultimately win his appeal.
Instead, the court said Bevin had shown that his continued incarceration could be unlawful—and that waiting until the case is finally decided could come too late because he would continue losing his freedom in the meantime.
Bevin is no longer listed in the jail’s online roster.
