The Barry Bonds perjury and obstruction of justice trial to a huge step towards completion today. The government rested its case after it was unable to get a tape admitted that purported to include specific steroid discussions between Dr. Arthur Ting and Steve Hoskins. The conversation would have contradicted important chunks of Dr. Ting’s testimony last week that blew a sizable hole in the side of the government’s case. However, the judge ruled that too much of the tape was inaudible, and what was audible was largely irrelevant and inadmissible.
The government had spent much of the morning examining Dr. Don Catlin from the UCLA Drug Laboratory. Dr. Catlin confirmed that Clomid and THG appeared in the test. THG is the acronym for the drug (Tetrahydrogestrinone) that is also called The Cream. Clomid is a female fertility drug that can help bring testosterone levels back to normal after wrapping up a steroid cycle. Considering it’s a female fertility drug, the jury could question why a man would be taking that. Of course, Bonds has claimed all along that he took PEDs without knowing they were such.
After all this was complete, the government wrapped things up by reading the grand jury testimony into the record. The four counts of perjury and one count of obstruction of justice are all based on Bonds’ testimony to the grand jury. You can read the edited version of the grand jury transcript that was read to the jury today. Additionally, you can read the original unedited version.
The defense will begin their case tomorrow with a pair of witnesses; one from the IRS and one from the FBI. Additionally, the defense has filed numerous motions on which the judge will need to rule. The defense moved for a directed verdict of acquittal, which would take the case out of the hands of the jury if the judge felt the government had not met its most basic burden of proof. Additionally, the defense moved to strike a variety of evidence including testimony of the athletes, testimony about the side effects of steroids and PEDs, and testimony related to the other recording.
Judge Illston is expected to rule on all these motions in the morning. Her preliminary ruling today was to deny all the motions except to strike testimony about testicular shrinkage and part C of the Hoskins/Anderson tape. After Judge Illston deals with that, the defense will present the witnesses in its case.