Bonds case scheduled to go to trial March 2
SAN FRANCISCO
Home run king Barry Bonds pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges he lied to a grand jury investigating steroid use in sports.
It was Bonds’ third time pleading in the case. He originally was indicted in November 2007, but the government revised the charges twice to fix legal technicalities. The former San Francisco Giants slugger now faces 10 counts of making false statements to a grand jury, plus an obstruction of justice charge.
The case is scheduled to go to trial March 2. If convicted, Bonds faces a sentence between probation and two years in prison.
Bonds arrived for the hearing in a black SUV at the back of the courthouse under gray skies. Three bodyguards got out followed by Bonds, who was wearing a tan suit with a white shirt and a brown paisley tie.
He walked briskly down the sidewalk through the gathered reporters, greeting them with a polite “Good morning. How are you?” before entering the courthouse.
Later Thursday, lawyers for both sides will argue about what evidence should be included during Bonds’ trial.
U.S. District Judge Susan Illston unsealed on Wednesday hundreds of pages of documents at the heart of the government’s criminal case, including positive drug tests that prosecutors linked to Bonds.
The documents also include a transcript of a taped conversation between Bonds’ personal trainer and personal assistant discussing injecting the slugger, plus a list of current and former major leaguers, including Jason Giambi, who are scheduled to testify for the government.
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Story by Paul Elias, Associated Press Writer
