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SAN FRANCISCO: US baseball all-time home run king Barry Bonds
pleaded not guilty here Friday to 15 felony charges of lying to a
federal grand jury when he denied using performance-enhancing drugs.
Bonds had pleaded innocent to similar charges
filed last December, but the judge in the case ordered prosecutors
to rewrite the indictment, which made no new allegations when
retooled but split out each individual perjury accusation.
A trial date of March 2, 2009, was set for the
case in Friday’s hearing. That will come less than a month before
the start of next year’s Major League Baseball season.
“The right conclusion to this case is
acquittal,” Bonds’ attorney, Allen Ruby, said. “If the
government chooses to dismiss all the charges before then, that’s
their decision and you ought to talk to them about that. But the
right way for this case to end is an unequivocal and complete
vindication of Barry Bonds.”
Ruby said that Bonds has no intention of
negotiating a plea agreement.
Bonds went through the process of pleading all
over again on Friday, standing in front of the judge while Ruby
spoke the words “not guilty” to each of the amended indictments.
The slugger has been free since the original
December 7 arraignment on a $500,000 personal recognizance bond.
Bonds was dropped by the San Francisco Giants
last year and the 43-year-old free agent outfielder has not found
any takers for his services this season.
The arraignment included 14 perjury counts and
another of obstructing justice, all stemming from Bonds’ testimony
in December 2003 to the grand jury investigating the BALCO steroid
scandal.
Bonds repeatedly denied knowingly taking
performance-enhancing drugs although his trainer, Greg Anderson,
would later be among those indicted in the steroid distribution
conspiracy that rocked athletics and baseball.
Bonds has denied any wrongdoing and never tested
positive for banned drugs, but steroids were not banned or even
tested for during much of Bonds’ career, including the 2001 season
when he set a one-season record of 73 homers.
Bonds, who could be sentenced to federal prison
if found guilty, broke Hank Aaron’s revered all-time home run
record last August by hitting his 756th career homer. He finished
last season with 762 career home runs.
US District Judge Susan Illston set status
hearings in the case for July 11 and August 29. A pre-trial
conference will also be held on February 17.
-- AFP
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