Apr 07 2011
Barry Bonds Steroid Trial Ends as Defense Decided to Rest Case
Baseball fanatics following the steroid case of home run king Barry Bonds will be hearing the verdict soon. On Wednesday, the defense team decided to rest their case by not presenting witnesses. A legal expert said that it is an indication that the defense team is satisfied with how the trial proceeded. “Calling no witnesses suggests that the defense is relatively satisfied at this point in the trial and did not want to embrace the risk that is always inherent when you start presenting your own witnesses,” William Keane told the California Watch.
The steroid perjury trial which only lasted more than two weeks has been centered on witnesses of the prosecution. The defendant, Barry Bonds, did not submit himself for further questioning. At the start of the trial, the defense lawyers told the court that they will be presenting at least 6 witnesses including Bonds’ former lawyers Michael Rains and Laura Enos. Harvey Shields, Bonds’ former stretching trainer, is supposed to testify for the baseball slugger.
One More Charge Dropped
In the final stretch of the trial, the prosecution was forced to drop another charge against Bonds. Judge Susan Illston told them that they failed to present sufficient evidences related to the charge. The judge dismissed indictment number four where it states that Barry Bonds lied when he said Greg Anderson had never provided him with anything other than vitamins before the year 2003. There is no significant evidence that says Bonds used the designer steroids “the cream” and “the clear” prior to 2003. These drugs were identified later as THG and a testosterone preparation.
It now leaves Bonds’ lawyers an easier fight with just 3 counts of lying under oath and one count of obstruction of justice to handle. In Keane’s opinion, the defense should worry on the indictment concerning Bonds’ denial that he never received an injection from anyone except from his physician. The former assistant of Bonds, Kathy Hoskins, told the jury that she saw Bonds was injected with something in 2002 by Greg Anderson.
Government Witnesses
In the course of the trial, the government already called 12 witnesses including their key witness Kimberly Bell. Other witnesses were baseball players, an anti-doping scientist, BALCO lead investigator Jeff Novitski, MLB staff, Bonds’ doctor, and former business partner Steve Hoskins. Most of them have no direct accounts on the alleged steroid use of Barry Bonds. An exception is the testimony of Steve Hoskins because of his recorded conversation with Bonds’ former trainer Greg Anderson. Anderson allegedly confided to him about giving the home run king with steroids.
However, the defense has been able to counter or break the credibility of these witnesses. Steve Hoskins and Kimberly Bell might be testifying against Bonds because of other motives. Both of them had a bitter relationship with the baseball slugger. For example, a lawyer of Bonds was able to show that Bell’s testimony contradicts with her previous statements. Bell testified that she observed several changes on Bonds’ body like acne, baldness and shrinking testicles. All of them were side effects of taking steroids.
Evidence of Positive Steroid Test
The prosecutors presented a positive drug test of Barry Bonds. The record was taken from the MLB’s initial steroid testing program in 2003 where the slugger was caught using the designer steroid “the clear” and clomid, a female fertility drug used to counter the side effects of steroids. Portion of the taped conversation between Steve Hoskins and Greg Anderson was also heard by the jury.
Former Trainer Still in Jail
Greg Anderson was cited for contempt after he refused to testify against the baseball slugger. His lawyer immediately asked for his release after the defense rested their case. However, the prosecution counters that motion. According to Assistant US Attorney Merry Chan, they are still hoping that Anderson would come out and testify and tell the truth to the jury. Anderson is the only person who can attest whether Bonds really used steroids and knows about it. Bonds is firm that he did not knowingly use anabolic steroids. He contends that he was only given vitamin injections, flaxseed oil and creams to treat arthritis.
Closing Argument
At the closing argument on Thursday, both parties will be given at least three hours to finally convince the jury. After that, the case will be turned over to the jurors for deliberation. The jury is composed of 4 men and 8 women.
