Post by ۞Quaalude™۞ on Apr 10, 2011 12:55:35 GMT -5
Barry Bonds' lawyers rested their case Wednesday without calling a single witness to defend the former big leaguer against charges that he lied to a federal grand jury in 2003, local media reported.
US District Court Judge Susan Illston dismissed the jury after the Bonds defense team said they did not want to put anyone on the stand. Both sides will make closing statements on Thursday, the San Jose Mercury News reported.
Federal prosecutors rested their case Tuesday afternoon and Bonds' lawyers immediately filed a motion with the judge asking that the entire case be thrown out on the basis that the federal government did not make its case against their client. Illston did not grant that request, but did agree to drop one of the four perjury charges against Bonds early Wednesday.
Bonds now faces three counts of perjury and one of obstruction of justice related to his testimony before a grand jury investigating a Bay Area laboratory, BALCO, that supplied top athletes with performance-enhancing drugs. The charge that was dropped was related to Bonds lying about using two BALCO-produced substances, "the cream" and "the clear," prior to the 2003 baseball season.
US District Court Judge Susan Illston also denied several motions from Bonds lawyers on Wednesday, attempting to strike parts of the testimony from prosecution witnesses. They also tried to have all the perjury charges thrown out because they believed the federal government failed to make a case against him. Illston denied that request as well.
Bonds told the grand jury that he did not know that he was getting steroids from his trainer, Greg Anderson. He claimed then, and still maintains, that he thought he was being given flax seed oil and a cream to help his arthritis pain QC
Read more: www.nypost.com/p/news/national/barry_bonds_lawyers_trial_they_will_Cm7gW7c4GXSFiW2OvyiPvK#ixzz1aM6aY2Dq
US District Court Judge Susan Illston dismissed the jury after the Bonds defense team said they did not want to put anyone on the stand. Both sides will make closing statements on Thursday, the San Jose Mercury News reported.
Federal prosecutors rested their case Tuesday afternoon and Bonds' lawyers immediately filed a motion with the judge asking that the entire case be thrown out on the basis that the federal government did not make its case against their client. Illston did not grant that request, but did agree to drop one of the four perjury charges against Bonds early Wednesday.
Bonds now faces three counts of perjury and one of obstruction of justice related to his testimony before a grand jury investigating a Bay Area laboratory, BALCO, that supplied top athletes with performance-enhancing drugs. The charge that was dropped was related to Bonds lying about using two BALCO-produced substances, "the cream" and "the clear," prior to the 2003 baseball season.
US District Court Judge Susan Illston also denied several motions from Bonds lawyers on Wednesday, attempting to strike parts of the testimony from prosecution witnesses. They also tried to have all the perjury charges thrown out because they believed the federal government failed to make a case against him. Illston denied that request as well.
Bonds told the grand jury that he did not know that he was getting steroids from his trainer, Greg Anderson. He claimed then, and still maintains, that he thought he was being given flax seed oil and a cream to help his arthritis pain QC
Read more: www.nypost.com/p/news/national/barry_bonds_lawyers_trial_they_will_Cm7gW7c4GXSFiW2OvyiPvK#ixzz1aM6aY2Dq