United States authorities end criminal case against Barry Bonds

After more than a decade of being investigated by the federal government, baseball’s controversial home run king – Barry Bonds – no longer has a criminal record after the U.S. Justice Department filed a a court document Tuesday saying it will no longer seek charges against him.

“One of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals judges in favor of vacating the ruling noted that, “[The obstruction statute] stretched to its limits … poses a significant hazard for everyone involved in our system of justice, because so much of what the adversary process calls for could be construed as obstruction”. Though the 9th Circuit’s ruling exposed confusion over the federal obstruction of justice law, it was not a good candidate for review by the U.S. Supreme Court because it generated four different opinions. As I have said before, this outcome is something I have long wished for.

Now the question is, could this clearing of his criminal record spark him finally gaining entry into baseball’s Hall of Fame?

“The most one can say about this statement is that it was non-responsive and thereby impeded the investigation to a small degree by wasting the grand jury’s time and trying the prosecutors’ patience”, he wrote. “In my opinion they should have never brought charges against Barry Bonds and wasted tens of millions of taxpayer dollars….” Clemens was acquitted in 2012 on all charges that he obstructed and lied to Congress in denying he used performance-enhancing drugs.

In his 2003 testimony, Bonds admitted to the grand jury he had taken substances known as “the clear” and “the cream” from Anderson but said he thought they were flaxseed oil and arthritis ointment. 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. “I just don’t get into other people’s business because of my father’s situation, you see”.

Bonds served his sentence, 30 days of home confinement, while he awaited his appeal.