LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - A federal court has denied convicted evangelist Tony Alamo's request for the full 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals consider his appeal.

The court rejected Alamo's request Monday.

Alamo appealed after a jury found that he ordered two young men to be beaten when they were boys growing up in his ministry. The appeal contended a three-judge panel of the court wrongly found no error in jury instructions.

Alamo's attorneys wanted an instruction that corporal punishment was reasonable in certain circumstances

The jury awarded the two men $30 million each in punitive damages. The court reduced the damages to $12 million each - but upheld a $3 million award in actual damages to each man.

Alamo is serving a 175-year prison sentence for taking young girls across state lines for sex.

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