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A rundown of the Barry Bonds trial

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Barry Bonds, former San Francisco Giant, is in the midst of a federal trial that began several weeks ago in the Bay City. He has been accused of lying to a grand jury in 2003 when he testified he had never knowingly used anabolic steroids.

Bonds has been charged with one count of obstructing justice and three counts of making false statements. If convicted, he could be sent to prison or confined to his home for several months.

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In the trial’s opening statements, assistant U.S. Atty. Matthew Parrella argued: ‘The defendant was given immunity. All he had to do was tell the truth. That’s all he had to do was tell the truth, but he couldn’t do it. And the evidence will show that he planned not to do it.”

Allen Ruby, Bonds’ attorney, responded that his client gave the truth and “did his best” when he told a grand jury that he never knowingly used anabolic steroids.

However, since the trial began, key prosecution testimony has not been in the former slugger’s favor.

A recap:

-- Jeff Novitsky, a federal investigator, testified that the government found anabolic steroids and human growth hormones during raids in 2003 on a Bay Area laboratory associated with Bonds, a storage unit and in the home of Bonds’ personal trainer.

-- Kimberly Bell, a former mistress for nine years and through two of Bonds’ marriages, said he admitted to her that he took steroids. Additionally, she testified that Bonds threatened to burn her home, cut out her breast implants and cut off her head.

-- Colorado Rockies first baseman Jason Giambi and two former Major League Baseball players testified that they obtained steroids from Bonds’ personal trainer. The trainer, Greg Anderson, has refused to testify against Bonds and has been incarcerated during the trial.

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-- A former assistant and close friend, Kathy Hoskins, said she saw Bonds’ personal trainer inject him with an unknown substance in the stomach, contradicting what Bonds told a grand jury.

Bonds’ defense rested Wednesday without calling a single witness.

The trial, now in its third week, will go to a jury of eight women and four men following closing arguments Thursday.

Read more coverage on the Bonds trial in the Los Angeles Times’ breaking news blog, L.A. Now.

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