Forget About Collusion, Barry! Here's What You Should Worry About.

[Migrant Redbird]

Cyclist convicted of perjury in Balco case

April 4, 2008

A federal jury this afternoon convicted former world class cyclist Tammy Thomas of perjury and obstructing justice for lying to a grand jury during the Balco steroids probe, a boost for prosecutors hoping to convict former San Francisco Giants superstar Barry Bonds of the same charges

.... Thomas was accused of lying to the grand jury about using steroids and obtaining performance enhancing drugs from Illinois chemist Patrick Arnold, a key Balco figure who pleaded guilty to manufacturing designer steroids and providing them to elite athletes through the now-defunct Peninsula laboratory.

The Thomas verdict has been closely watched as a potential preview of the government's perjury case against Bonds, who faces similar charges for allegedly lying to the Balco grand jury in December 2003. The Thomas and Bonds cases have many differences in terms of evidence and witnesses, but contain many of the same themes, including the government's motivation for calling dozens of athletes before the Balco grand jury and how a jury assesses what they said under oath about using steroids.

Among other things, the Thomas trial provided the first public account from San Jose-based Internal Revenue Service agent Novitzky, the architect of the Balco probe, Bonds' chief accuser and now the government's point man against steroids in sports. Novitzky's credibility was crucial to the Thomas case, and he is expected to come under severe attack if he takes the witness stand in a Bonds trial.

.... Thomas was the first Balco figure to challenge charges and take her case to trial. Eight other defendants have pleaded guilty to charges related to the scandal, including two, former Olympic star Marion Jones and San Francisco 49ers all-pro Dana Stubblefield, who admitted providing false statements during the Balco probe.

Former track coach Trevor Graham will give prosecutors another trial run in May, when he goes on trial for making false statements to federal agents during the Balco investigation. Graham has pleaded not guilty.

This case, and the previous conviction of Martha Stewart, both suggest that the possibility of Barry facing a guilty verdict might be higher than I thought. A lot of it probably will boil down to the jury selection, which isn't really the way that justice ought to run.

[giantfan]

Two cases arnt that similar, this girl failed a ioc test and her trainer ratted her out. Bonds has never failed a official test and we know anderson hasnt said anything. Im actually surprised this woman would even fight the charges after she failed the ioc test, it made no sense. It also doesnt help that shes lost 30-40 pounds.

[24fps]

Cyclist convicted of perjury in Balco case

Quote:

April 4, 2008

A federal jury this afternoon convicted former world class cyclist Tammy Thomas of perjury and obstructing justice for lying to a grand jury during the Balco steroids probe, a boost for prosecutors hoping to convict former San Francisco Giants superstar Barry Bonds of the same charges

.... Thomas was accused of lying to the grand jury about using steroids and obtaining performance enhancing drugs from Illinois chemist Patrick Arnold, a key Balco figure who pleaded guilty to manufacturing designer steroids and providing them to elite athletes through the now-defunct Peninsula laboratory.

The Thomas verdict has been closely watched as a potential preview of the government's perjury case against Bonds, who faces similar charges for allegedly lying to the Balco grand jury in December 2003. The Thomas and Bonds cases have many differences in terms of evidence and witnesses, but contain many of the same themes, including the government's motivation for calling dozens of athletes before the Balco grand jury and how a jury assesses what they said under oath about using steroids.

Among other things, the Thomas trial provided the first public account from San Jose-based Internal Revenue Service agent Novitzky, the architect of the Balco probe, Bonds' chief accuser and now the government's point man against steroids in sports. Novitzky's credibility was crucial to the Thomas case, and he is expected to come under severe attack if he takes the witness stand in a Bonds trial.

.... Thomas was the first Balco figure to challenge charges and take her case to trial. Eight other defendants have pleaded guilty to charges related to the scandal, including two, former Olympic star Marion Jones and San Francisco 49ers all-pro Dana Stubblefield, who admitted providing false statements during the Balco probe.

Former track coach Trevor Graham will give prosecutors another trial run in May, when he goes on trial for making false statements to federal agents during the Balco investigation. Graham has pleaded not guilty.

Cyclist convicted of perjury in Balco case

This case, and the previous conviction of Martha Stewart, both suggest that the possibility of Barry facing a guilty verdict might be higher than I thought. A lot of it probably will boil down to the jury selection, which isn't really the way that justice ought to run.

Of the many reasons I genuinely love to read the Orioles Hangout, high among them is the possibility that I might occasionally encounter a thoughtful and well-reasoned synthesis of a motley group of track athletes,a faded football star, Barry Bonds and Martha Stewart.

I especially love the newspaper paragraph which points out the author's no doubt unrecognized bias against incidental things like evidence and witnesses in favor of much meatier stuff like "themes" and "motivations" and "jury assessments". Presumably not to be confused with a jury's "verdict".

What this thread is sorely missing is a basketball reference, so allow me to suggest that Barry Bonds will not go to trial until the prosecutors have a case that is a bona fide 'slam dunk'.

Whatever Barry Bonds might be, obscure he is not. The stakes are too high to be left to the vicissitudes of themes and motivations on this one.