U.S. jury finds slugger Barry Bonds guilty of obstruction of justice

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U.S. jury finds slugger Barry Bonds guilty of obstruction of justice

2011-04-14 05:47:27 GMT+7 (ICT)

SAN FRANCISCO (BNO NEWS) -- A federal jury on Wednesday found former baseball star Barry Bonds guilty on one count of obstruction of justice but deadlocked on three perjury counts, prosecutors said.

"The jury convicted the defendant of obstructing justice, which required it to find that Bonds corruptly, for the purpose of obstructing justice, provided intentionally evasive, false or misleading testimony before the Grand Jury," said U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California Melinda Haag.

The defense and prosecution agreed, before the verdict was read, that federal Judge Susan Illston should accept the verdict over the obstruction of justice charge and declare a mistrial on the other counts.

Bonds, the current all-home run leader in Major League Baseball (MLB), is accused of lying to a federal grand jury that was probing the BALCO case, a now-defunct Peninsula laboratory linked to supplying scores of elite athletes with performance enhancing drugs.

"This case is about upholding one of the most fundamental principles in our system of justice - the obligation of every witness to provide truthful and direct testimony in judicial proceedings," added Haag.

The 46-year-old slugger has repeatedly denied using steroids or other substances to improve his performance. However, during the 2003 trial, Bonds' defense team conceded that he may have used BALCO steroids unknowingly.

"We will decide whether to seek a retrial of the defendant on the remaining counts as soon as possible and will inform the Court and counsel as soon as we make our decision," concluded Attorney Haag.

After the jury's verdict, Bonds is now a convicted felon. Each count against him carries a maximum sentence of 10 years of imprisonment. However, it is expected that the former baseball player will get probation or up to 15 months in prison.

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