The perjury case against former Giants star Barry Bonds is built on documents seized in a federal raid on a Burlingame steroids lab and positive drug test results indicating that baseball’s all-time home run king used steroids, court records show.
Bonds, perhaps the greatest hitter of his generation, was indicted Thursday on four counts of perjury and one count of obstruction of justice. He is accused of lying under oath in December 2003 when he told the grand jury that investigated the BALCO steroid ring that he had never used banned drugs.
The 43-year-old free-agent outfielder faces arraignment Dec. 7 in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, months of legal proceedings – and a federal prison term of about 30 months if he is convicted at trial, legal experts said.
In the indictment, federal prosecutors said Bonds lied when he denied using a long list of banned drugs, including steroids, testosterone, human growth hormone and “the clear,” the undetectable designer steroid marketed by BALCO.
Bonds also lied when he testified that his longtime personal trainer, Greg Anderson, had never injected him with drugs, the government contended. The trainer, who was imprisoned for contempt of court after he refused to testify against Bonds, was freed Thursday night, hours after Bonds’ indictment was unsealed.
Perjury is a serious matter: “I swear by Almighty God that….”
Didn’t Bill Clinton legalize perjury?
I have a Barry Bonds autographed baseball from the last All-Star Game played at Camden Yards. Boy, can I pick ’em or what!
Bonds actually signed on autograph? Was he ill?
No, Archer, he wasn’t ill. I actually paid good money for it and the certificate of authenticity. I’m sure he used the proceeds to support his steroid use. Boy, is my face red!
No. 5 – No – He may very well have used the money to support his considerable charitable activities in the SF Bay Area that you obviously don’t know anything about.
No. 6. I have no doubt that Bonds supports many good and worthy causes in the Bay Area. He did the same when he played here in Pittsburgh. If I did not believe him to be one of the greatest baseball players of all time I would never have sought his memorabilia in the first place. I regret that he allegedly lied to a grand jury and that there is apparently enough evidence to convict him of the use of illegal substances. I sincerely believe he would have still been a superstar if he had chosen not to do what baseball specifically prohibits. A man who should have been a role-model for our kids has tarnished his own reputation as unfortunately others have done in times past and even today. The “Black Sox” and Pete Rose and others come to mind.
No. 7 = Please note that I was only responding to no. 5. However, let’s vent more spleen for the so-called heroes Mark Maguire and Sammy
Sosa who are still worshipped for “saving” baseball after the strike.