Bonds indicted

[Cheech Tremendous]

Story developing...

 

Courtesy of espn.com and the Associated Press.

 

SAN FRANCISCO -- Baseball superstar Barry Bonds was charged Thursday with perjury and obstruction of justice for allegedly lying when he said he did not use performance-enhancing drugs.

 

The indictment, unsealed Thursday by federal prosecutors in San Francisco, is the culmination of a four-year federal probe into whether he lied under oath to a grand jury investigating steroid use by elite athletes.

 

The indictment comes three months after the 43-year-old Bonds, one of the biggest names in professional sports, passed Hank Aaron to become baseball's career home run leader, his sport's most hallowed record. Bonds, who parted ways with the San Francisco Giants at the end of last season and has yet to sign with another team, also holds the game's single-season home run record of 73.

 

While Bonds was chasing Aaron amid the adulation of San Franciscans and the scorn of baseball fans almost everywhere else, due to his notoriously prickly personality and nagging steroid allegations, a grand jury quietly worked behind closed doors to put the finishing touches on the long-rumored indictment.

 

"I'm surprised," said John Burris, one of Bonds' attorneys, "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."

 

The indictment charges Bonds with lying when he said that he didn't knowingly take steroids given to him by his personal trainer Greg Anderson. He also denied taking steroids at anytime in 2001 when he was pursuing the single season home-run record.

 

"During the criminal investigation, evidence was obtained including positive tests for the presence of anabolic steroids and other performance enhancing substances for Bonds and other athletes," the indictment reads.

 

He is also charged with lying that Anderson never injected him with steroids.

 

"Greg wouldn't do that," Bonds testified in December 2003 when asked if Anderson ever gave him any drugs that needed to be injected. "He knows I'm against that stuff."

 

 

 

 

 

Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press

[BX]

Fine.

 

My thread was closed, so I'll just sit in here and pout.

[Cheech Tremendous]

A copy of the Bonds indictment, filed today in U.S. District Court in San Francisco

 

From the thesmokinggun.com

 

 

EDIT: Mods - thread title should read "obstruction of justice" not "onstruction"

[DerangedHermit]

Shit, meet fan. Fan, meet shit.

 

Bob Ley must be furiously pounding it right now.

[Cheech Tremendous]

From my quick reading of the indictment, it sounds like the government has evidence that Bonds has been using anabolic steroids, human growth hormone and other PEDs from about 2000 on. All the disputed testimony stems from statements on those subjects.

[Cheech Tremendous]

The indictment includes four counts of perjury and one charge for obstruction of justice. I'm no lawyer, but I think a guilty verdict on any of these counts would likely bring years in prison.

[Cheech Tremendous]

If Bonds had immunity for any statements made under oath, what incentive did he have to lie?

 

The only harm that could have come out of those proceedings from admitting usage was a possible suspension from MLB. Otherwise, I'm not sure why you'd deny everything and set yourself up for possible imprisonment when there's no punishment from telling the truth.

[Jaxxson Mayhem]

The indictment includes four counts of perjury and one charge for obstruction of justice. I'm no lawyer, but I think a guilty verdict on any of these counts would likely bring years in prison.

 

 

3 years.

[BX]

Greg Anderson was just released from prison.

[BX]

Goddamn, Stephen A. King Smith pisses me off.

 

He's on the phone on Sportscenter screaming into his phone talking about how unfair this is, playing the race card (bringing up Mark McGuire) ...

[Cheech Tremendous]

Goddamn, Stephen A. King pisses me off.

 

He's on the phone on Sportscenter screaming into his phone talking about how unfair this is, playing the race card (bringing up Mark McGuire) ...

 

 

Is he as bad as Stephen A. Smith?

[Cheech Tremendous]

Greg Anderson was just released from prison.

 

 

Plea deal?

 

EDIT: Nevermind. If an indictment is issued, the grand jury is over and you can't hold Anderson on contempt charges any longer.

[BX]

Yeah, Stephen A. Smith pisses me off too.

 

Sigh. Time to edit.

[Jaxxson Mayhem]

It's 30 years he can face, not 3.

 

 

And stephan a smith is a deuchbag. no way around it. my mute button is my friend when he speaks.

[EVIL~! alkeiper]

I do think this is unfair. When Bonds was on the stand, he had the choice of either perjury or admitting a crime. He should not have been given the question in the first place. I know the fifth amendment is an admission of guilt in the court of public opinion, but I don't know why players don't invoke it in front of these juries and committees.

[Cheech Tremendous]

I do think this is unfair. When Bonds was on the stand, he had the choice of either perjury or admitting a crime. He should not have been given the question in the first place. I know the fifth amendment is an admission of guilt in the court of public opinion, but I don't know why players don't invoke it in front of these juries and committees.

 

He was given full immunity for anything admitted during his testimony. The only charge he wasn't protected from was perjury. It's a moot point whether or not he actually admits to a crime because all information would have been (theoretically) sealed by the grand jury.

[UZI Suicide]

I have a hard time believing a San Francisco jury is going to find Bonds guilty.

[Ripper]

I'm just happy that tax dollars are being put to good use.

[kkktookmybabyaway]

Black man + drugs = It's the only natural thing for our legal system to do, Ripper.

[Cheech Tremendous]

I'm just happy that tax dollars are being put to good use.

 

Is this sarcasm? It's not just about Bonds and steroids. The man seriously inhibited a federal investigation into a company manufacturing and distributing illegal substances. Bonds himself has cost taxpayers millions by failing to be forthcoming with information.

[EVIL~! alkeiper]

I'm just happy that tax dollars are being put to good use.

 

Is this sarcasm? It's not just about Bonds and steroids. The man seriously inhibited a federal investigation into a company manufacturing and distributing illegal substances. Bonds himself has cost taxpayers millions by failing to be forthcoming with information.

Inhibited my ass. Like the investigation ever depended on whether or not Bonds used the chemicals Balco produced. If McDonalds injected hamburgers with deadly poisons, would they need to check to see if I ate one before nailing them for it?

[Ripper]

Last time I checked, the dude was already in prison. They just spent 4 years trying to get one guy. Yeah...perfectly good use of tax money.

[cd213]

So, does this mean we can put that * next to his record now?

[Cheech Tremendous]

So, does this mean we can put that * next to his record now?

 

No. Asterisks are stupid and pointless. Bonds was a cheater in an era of constant cheating and rampant steroid abuse. He'll be forever remembered as a great player who tarnished his legacy with his actions so there's no need for something as petty as an *.

 

And he'll probably never make the HOF.

[naiwf]

I just think it's amazing that baseball's all-time hits and HR leaders will probably never make it into the Hall of Fame. That just doesn't seem like it should be the case.

[Guest Smues]

As much as I would laugh if Bonds didn't make the HOF, I don't see that happening.

[USC Wuz Robbed!]

Yeah Bonds's definitely in the Hall. Only way he isn't if he was actually given the ban from MLB.

[mfn]

This is why we don't lie kids.

[Cheech Tremendous]

Yeah Bonds's definitely in the Hall. Only way he isn't if he was actually given the ban from MLB.

 

 

Are you sure about that? I guess we'll have to wait and see what impact the Mitchell Report has on the game, but I could definitely see Bonds as the fall guy for the entire steroids era. In the absence of catching everybody who cheated they'll project all blame onto those who were caught.

[USC Wuz Robbed!]

Let's be honest. Suppose Bonds caught the heat from the current voters and he is kept out. There will be voters who doesn't care about that stuff and keep him a candidate by voting him. Once the heat dies down, I don't see any chance that Bonds doesn't finally get in. He is not only the HR king but he also drew absurdly high amount of walks in his career, and I assume he had a good OBP. There's just too many "positive" statistics to keep Bonds out. If he was a fringe player like McGwire then I can see him being kept out for good, but Bonds is usually considered one of the best in history, and you just don't keep him out because he lied under oath or because he was one of the many to take steroids.

 

But to keep a frame of reference, I also think Pete Rose and Joe Jackson should go in the Hall, so my opinion could be considered as questionable at best.