For now.
Federal prosecutors in the grand jury investigation of Barry Bonds for allegedly committing perjury during his BALCO testimony and for tax evasion will not be handed down today. The grand jury's term expired today, but apparently it has been extended for an unspecified amount of time to supposedly continue the investigation.
This is key because Bonds' former trainer, Greg Anderson, has been sitting in jail for refusing to testify against Bonds is the prosecutions key wtiness in the perjury charges. Anderson's only way out of jail is to either testify or wait until the jury's term expires. Without Anderson's testimony it is highly unlikely that the prosecution will be able to make the perjury charges stick. Anderson's attorney expects him to be released today, but that situation remains unclear with the apparent extension of grand jury.
It's simple: If Bonds is acquitted on the perjury charges, MLB Commissioner Bud Selig will have zero authority to suspend Bonds. (He may not even have it even if Bonds is found guilty.) And, even if Bonds is found guilty of tax evasion, Selig would have very room under the Major League Baseball Players Agreement to suspend Bonds. The union would fight any suspension, and likely win.
All in all, this is not too different than liberals who were waiting for indictments to be handed down in the Plame Affair that never really came, save for Scooter Libby. If Bonds is found guilty of tax evasion but not perjury, this will not be the Bonds-itzmas many sports writers and rabid fans were hoping for. Ouch, Part II for the liberal press.
But there's a ways to go before the scenario above comes about. So hang tight, the sorry saga goes on. And on and on and on...
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Comments (2)
I just wish the public woul... (Below threshold)1. Posted by JoJo | July 21, 2006 3:23 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
I just wish the public would leave Barry Bonds alone (no offense to you, good article). Yeah, he has problems, we all do, he just got caught. Lying is wrong but does anyone honestly think that others in his situation would definitely tell the truth? I don't know. All I can say now is the press needs to find a different story, they have already screwed up his life, what else can they do?
1. Posted by JoJo | July 21, 2006 3:23 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on July 21, 2006 03:23
2. Posted by Peter F. | July 21, 2006 7:49 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
JoJo:
No, I agree, the press needs to call off the dogs; their behavior in this matter has been and continues to be reprehensible.
2. Posted by Peter F. | July 21, 2006 7:49 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on July 21, 2006 19:49