Federal government drops case against Barry Bonds, wasting more than $6M
By Chris Cwik
http://tinyurl.com/bondswin
簡單翻
司法部放棄對Bonds的上訴了 花超過6M美金
之前因為調查吃禁藥問題(2003) Bonds被指控妨礙司法
過了10年以上 現在官司結束
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但這對Bonds是否能進HOF 看來幫助有限
MLB全壘打王看來相當有可能進不了HOF
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Barry Bonds' legal troubles are officially over. The U.S. Department of
Justice decided to drop what was left of its criminal case against Bonds.
Bonds was being prosecuted for obstruction of justice due to an answer he
gave during a federal grand jury in 2003. A Circuit Court overturned the
charges back in April, and the Department of Justice decided it would not ask
the U.S. Supreme Court to evaluate that decision.
It took over a decade, but the government could not find a way to prosecute
Bonds. The decision to go after him in the first place is starting to look
like a costly blunder. The initial trial was said to have cost $6 million.
That figure has gone up when you consider the hours and paperwork involved in
the appeal process.
The Associated Press spoke to a former prosecutor, who explained it didn't
make sense for the Department of Justice to pursue this issue further.
The DOJ had to ask the solicitor general's office for permission to appeal
the ruling, said Rory Little, a former federal prosecutor who now teaches at
the University of California, Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco.
The DOJ said in its court filing that the solicitor general would not appeal
the case, meaning the reversal of Bonds' conviction would stand.
Little said the decision was not a surprise. 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.
''You have 11 judges splitting four ways,'' he said. ''That's not a very
clean vehicle for Supreme Court review.''
Shortly after the decision was made public, Bonds put out a statement on his
website. That statement read:
The finality of today’s decision gives me great peace. As I have said
before, this outcome is something I have long wished for. I am relieved,
humbled and thankful for what this means for me and my family moving forward.
Throughout this process my faith in God, along with so many who have
supported me, is what has kept me going. Thank you to all of you who have
expressed your heartfelt wishes to me; for that, I am grateful. I’d also
like to thank my outstanding legal team for their continued work on my behalf.
The ruling probably doesn't do much for Bonds' chances at the Hall of Fame.
The home run king received just 38.6 percent of votes last season. Voters
aren't keeping him out due to his legal troubles, they are keeping him out
due to his perceived use of performance enhancing drugs. With those issues
still unresolved, Bonds is unlikely to see his voting percentage rise much in
the coming years.
In the end, it all looks like a gigantic waste of time. The government fought
for over a decade to try and make Bonds a felon, and ultimately failed. In
the process, they spent a ton of money.
Bonds likely also spent a lot of money, but he came out on top. Bonds hasn't
had a lot of chances for victory since he retired, so this is probably a nice
change for him.