Feds end prosecution of Bonds without conviction

And according to Tuesday’s filing, the U.S. Solicitor General, who, according to the Mercury News, makes final decisions on whether to appeal cases to a higher court (the U.S. Supreme Court in this instance), decided not to pursue any further Bonds and his appeal.

After a decade of investigating and prosecuting baseball’s home run king for obstruction of justice, the U.S. Department of Justice said Tuesday morning it would not challenge an April reversal of the former San Francisco Giants slugger’s felony conviction.

After seven seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Bonds played for the San Francisco Giants from 1993 until he retired in 2007 as Major League Baseball’s career home run leader with 762.

Since Bonds is no longer an active player – though some might argue his incredible plate discipline could improve at least a dozen teams even on the brink of his 51st birthday – the announcement means very little to you and me in the grand scheme of things.

In his third year on the Hall of Fame ballot this year, Bonds received 202 votes for 36.8 percent from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.

Bonds is the only one of 11 people charged in the BALCO case left without a conviction.

Bonds was indicted in 2007 on perjury and obstruction charges related to lying to the grand jury in the midst of what became the most extensive investigation of steroid use in sports. Instead, the DOJ said the reversal of Bonds’ conviction would stand. Bonds attorney Dennis Riordan decline comment early Tuesday, saying he needed to speak with his client before discussing the case publicly. He avoided a perjury conviction, but was found guilty of obstruction for a roundabout answer when asked about his former personal trainer, Greg Anderson, and if he ever injected Bonds with steroids.

“That’s what keeps our friendship”, Bonds said.

In 2011, Bonds was convicted by a jury for obstruction of justice for not supplying clear answers when questioned by a federal grand jury in regards to injections.

Bonds had served a portion of the sentence given him from the initial conviction before the decision was overturned.