I was starting to think Bonds had gotten away with it, but...
Baseball player Barry Bonds indicted on perjury, obstruction charges
SAN FRANCISCO - The home run king wasn't home free after all.
Barry Bonds was indicted for perjury and obstruction of justice Thursday and could go to prison instead of the Hall of Fame for telling a federal grand jury he did not knowingly use performance-enhancing drugs.
It seems to have surprised everyone:
Then came the indictment - four counts of perjury, one of obstruction of justice; a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison - and Bonds' lawyers seemed caught off guard.
..."I'm surprised," said one of his lawyers, John Burris, "but there's been an effort to get Barry for a long time. I'm curious what evidence they have now they didn't have before."
AP put the
full indictment online. (PDF)
CNN brought their legal expert on to talk about it. (No doubt pulling him off the OJ case.) He seemed to think there was a very good chance Bonds would be convicted. And if he is, he
has to do 2-3 years jail time, due to federal sentencing guidelines.
According to the indictment, Bonds has tested positive for "anabolic steroids and other performance enhancing substances." The only question is whether he knew what he was taking. He said he didn't; most people find that ludicrous. But still, the government has to prove it. The fact that it's gotten this far suggests they think they can. The CNN talking head speculated that it might mean Bonds' trainer/supplier has finally flipped, and will give testimony against him.
The trainer, Greg Anderson, has been in prison for almost a year for refusing to testify. He was released today. Not sure if it's because he finally caved, or if they released him because they no longer need his testimony.
Labels: steroids
