SAN FRANCISCO — A federal judge ruled jurors in the Barry Bonds trial may not hear a freshly rediscovered recording of two key witnesses — ridiculed by the defense as a “miracle tape” — as prosecutors rested their case against the home run king Tuesday after 2 1/2 weeks and 25 witnesses.
The defense said it planned to call up to six witnesses, including possibly Bonds himself, in a presentation that lawyers projected will start and end today. If that schedule holds up, closing arguments would take place Thursday morning, and the case could go to the jury of eight women and four men later in the day.
Bonds, Major League Baseball’s season (73) and career (762) home run leader, is accused of four counts of making false statements and one count of obstruction of justice for telling a grand jury in 2003 that he didn’t knowingly use performance-enhancing drugs.
After the prosecution rested, Bonds’ lawyers filed four motions with the court, the most significant of which asked U.S. District Court Judge Susan Illston to acquit Bonds now. They also filed motions to strike testimony by four players on how they received drugs from Bonds’ former trainer Greg Anderson, testimony on the side effects of steroids and HGH, and part of the taped conversation between former Bonds business partner Steve Hoskins and Anderson.
Illston said she was inclined to strike part of the Hoskins- Anderson conversation that was played for the jury and testimony from former Bonds’ girlfriend Kimberly Bell about his shrunken testicles, which the government says is a side effect from steroids use. She also wondered aloud whether the government had provided any evidence to back its count charging Bonds with lying when he said he received only vitamins from Anderson before the 2003 season.
