Bonds Trial Update: Can Former MLB Players Bring Greg Anderson to the Courtroom?
One thing that is a certainty about the Barry Bonds trial is that his former trainer and alleged steroids supplier, Greg Anderson, will not testify against the slugger. He and his “Fifth Amendment” rights will be in jail as he has refused to take the stand.Given this missing witness, the prosecution is attempting to bring Anderson and his misdeeds into the courtroom by use of the testimony of several former MLB players. These players include former Yankee Randy Velarde, former Giant Marvin Bernard and the steroid twins themselves, Jason and Jeremy Giambi. All of these players told the jury that they knew that they were receiving steroids and/or human growth hormone from Greg Anderson. The players gave testimony that they heard Anderson refer to his products as the “Cream” and the “Clear” but, in truth, the former players knew they were steroids.
Bonds allegedly testified before a grand jury that he thought he was being given flax seed oil by Anderson (in the Cream and Clear) but he never knew they were steroids.
What the collective former players cannot say is that they ever saw Bonds take steroids. Nor can they give testimony that they knew Anderson was providing steroids to Bonds. The evidence provided by these former players is nothing more than classic “guilt by association.”
Whether a mountain of guilt by association evidence can equal Bonds’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt remains an open question.
My name is Christopher Fusco. I am the managing partner of Callahan & Fusco, LLC with offices in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.