Bonds facing fewer felony charges...

[madinmaryland]

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Federal prosecutors on Thursday cut the number of felony charges Barry Bonds faces from 11 to five.

Major League Baseball's home run leader still faces the same punishment he always has, but the paring of the charges still underscored the troubles prosecutors have encountered since indicting him for the first time in 2007 for allegedly lying to a grand jury about his steroids use. Bonds has pleaded not guilty.

The indictment unsealed Thursday was the fourth version of the charges against Bonds. The document reflects the hit the government's case took when the slugger's personal trainer made clear his willingness to go to jail on contempt of court charges instead of testifying against his former client.

The trainer, Greg Anderson, has already served more than a year in prison for refusing to testify before the grand jury investigating Bonds. Anderson, who prosecutors allege supplied Bonds with steroids, is scheduled to appear in court before Bonds' March 21 trial to formally tell the judge of his plans for the trial. Anderson's attorney, Mark Geragos, said Anderson will reiterate his refusal to take the witness stand. It's likely that Anderson will be jailed for the duration of the trial, which is expected to last up to a month.

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/baseball/mlb/02/10/barry-bonds-felony-charges.ap/index.html#ixzz1DfV0GeSo

Haven't had one of these threads in a while.

:popcorn: