Did you know that until Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Justice was still trying to convict Barry Bonds of obstruction of justice for giving a meandering non-answer in a federal grand jury investigation? It’s true! BALCO may be just as relevant an acronym to today’s world as AOL, but that’s the speed of justice sometimes. According to FOX Sports, our long national nightmare is finally over, as the DoJ has given up the case. Let’s break down the sequence of events:
- 2002: U.S. Attorneys open investigation into BALCO
- 2003: Barry Bonds testifies before grand jury, says nothing “material” to case
- 2007: Charges of obstruction officially brought against Bonds
- 2011: Bonds is convicted of obstruction of justice; serves 30 days of house arrest but appeals
- April 2014: Bonds’ appeal is upheld by 9th Circuit Court of Appeals; conviction overturned
- July 2014: DoJ drops its appeal of Bonds’ appeal
Now that Bonds’ name is officially cleared in the eyes of the U.S. government, I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before Major League Baseball and its fans welcome him back with open arms and put him in the Hall of Fame where the all-time home run leader rightfully belongs. It’s not like pro baseball has a history of being overly self-important and sanctimonious, right?
(Via Fox Sports)
