SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Barry Bonds’ lawyers have filed their reply brief in their appeal of his obstruction of justice conviction.
After receiving the brief Thursday, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals set a date for oral arguments in the case of the career home run leader. A hearing before a three-judge panel is likely late this year, with a decision possible in 2013.
A jury in April 2011 found Bonds guilty on the obstruction count, which stemmed from his statement to the grand jury that he was a “celebrity child.” The jury failed to reach a unanimous verdict on three counts charging him with making false statements to a grand jury in 2003 when he denied using performance-enhancing drugs and testified he allowed only doctors to inject him. The government then dropped the other charges.
