Barry Bonds steroid case: 8 women, 4 men chosen for jury

Eight women and four men were chosen as jurors Monday in the federal felony trial of former San Francisco Giant Barry Bonds, the home run king charged with lying to a grand jury about steroid use.

The panel was seated after prosecutors and defense lawyers quizzed potential jurors about their sports preferences, reading habits and attitudes about steroids. Two of the jurors are African American women, and one is a woman who said she had purchased Oakland A's sports memorabilia. The Oakland Athletics are the Giants' cross-bay rival.

Prosecutors and defense lawyers weeded out potential jurors in a packed courtroom, where Bonds is on trial for telling a federal grand jury in 2003 that he never knowingly took steroids. Jurors were told that the trial could last as long as four weeks.

Bonds sat at a lawyers table directly facing the jury pool. When one of his lawyers introduced him to the jurors, he stood, nodded and waved with his forefinger.

Cristina C. Arguedas, one of the Bonds' lawyers, questioned potential jurors on whether they would be able to put aside what they had read or heard about the case. She said that Bonds and the news media "did not get along, so most of the press has been bad."

Bonds' mother and three aunts attended the court session.

Bonds, 46, who broke the home run records of Henry Aaron and Babe Ruth, was implicated in an investigation of a Bay Area lab that distributed performance-enhancing drugs to athletes.

Prosecutors intend to call Bonds' former mistress, an ex-teammate who said Bonds told him he used steroids and a physician who is slated to testify that a urine sample Bonds gave to  Major League Baseball in 2003 tested positive for steroids.

Opening statements are expected to begin Tuesday.

RELATED:

Barry Bonds steroid case: One-third of prospective jurors already excused

-- Maura Dolan in San Francisco

Photo: Barry Bonds arrives at the federal courthouse in San Francisco. Credit: Marcio Jose Sanchez / Associated Press

Comments

[Francis1]

I feel much safer with this heinous criminal being tried. I can walk the streets at night knowing Vick, Barry, Tommy Chong, Lance Armstrong and many other major criminal threats are on the federal prosecutor's radar. Apparently, no one in America is committing any real crimes, and the U.S. has unlimited funds to prosecute (& likely incarcerate if found guilty) serious offenders like Barry.

[Steve]

I don't see this going well for the prosecution. An eight year old case, lots of evidence thrown out, the defendant long retired from baseball - it's going to be an uphill climb. I'm not saying he didn't do steroids, because he did. But proving that he lied about it is going to be tough.

[Borchy]

just another drug addict baseball loser... Babe Ruth still has the record, afterall he didnt use dope!!

[u know]

No real jeapordy for Bonds, if he gets convicted he can appeal it. The 9th Circuit has ruled that you can lie, doesn't matter if you're lying to your girlfriend or a Grand Jury...

[gambino]

i'd love to see the prosecutor/gov drug warrior sit in jail for a year for so zealously wasting taxpayers monies on barry bond over the last 8 yrs.
Cost has got to be in the million figure by now, and for what exactly??

[My opinon means nothing]

Barry Bonds is the apeatamy of why I now hate baseball. To me, and a lot of others, baseball is not and can not ever be the same. So, Francis1, and any others who object to this, too bad. Baseball is considered The American Past Time. The boys of this country aspire to be like the greats of this game and do emulate them. Before this all went down with Jucied by Jose Conseco and even to this day and not just in baseball boys are using steriods to try to be what they are not. Bigger, faster, stronger, so they can hit more homers, pitch longer, or catch that uncatchable hit up the gap. They are sacrificing thier lives so The American public can be entertained. How pathitic.

[Kevin]

Francis, I agree with you that this crime is serious and heinous. I think they have enough funds though, because Bonds's crimes will not go unpunished. He has jerked this country around enough and all will learn a lesson from his downfall. Barring that at least they will bring down Clemens. If one of them doesn't go down hard, good luck conducting a federal investigation successfully ever again. When people can lie freely during one and get away with it we'll all be in trouble.

[nellis]

What a waste of taxpayer money. The country in going under and the government is prosecuting a has been ball player.

[LM]

Don't we have much more important things to spend our tax money on? Like taking care of elderly, disabled, and children?

Stop the craziness please.

[jurist]

I suppose the all the lawyers "truthed" their way to their jobs. Yeah, right.

[Marco]

Why are my tax dollars being wasted on this crapola?

So he lied about drugs, who cares? It's not like he protected members of the mafia or something.

I can think of better things to spend public funds on. Potholes, police, homeless shelters, education, anything but this.

[dusti]

Hank Aaron has the record.