Friday afternoon, Judge Susan Illston entered an order denying Barry Bonds' motion for an acquittal or, in the alternative, a new trial. Bonds was convicted on one count of obstruction of justice based on his evasive statements, in spite of not being convicted of lying about anything. The defense argued the answer was irrelevant to the purposes of the grand jury, but Judge Illston did not agree. She felt it was sufficiently material to uphold the conviction.
Bonds will likely appeal the decision to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Bonds faces up to ten years in prison if the conviction is upheld. Sentencing guidelines suggest 15-21 months in prison, but in previous BALCO cases, Judge Illston has generally given house arrest. Although Bonds can survive just fine with house arrest, there is still a certain black mark having a felony on his record. While being unable to vote might not be a big deal to him, there black mark remains.
The prosecution will mark this up as a victory for justice. While that is a bit comical given the time and money invested, it will at least bring an end to this circus for the time being. For those who enjoy the circus, we still might have a Roger Clemens re-trial, so you've still got that!