Barry Bonds will have to be arraigned and enter a plea next month for the third time since he was initially charged in 2007 with lying to a federal grand jury about his steroid use.
U.S. District Judge Susan Illston on Friday ordered Bonds to enter his new plea after prosecutors revised the charges against him, cutting his indictment from 11 counts to five.
Bond is expected to plead not guilty for the third time at a hearing March 1. His trial is scheduled to begin March 21.
Illston said she will rule later on Bonds' demands to exclude from trial a recorded conversation between Bonds' former business partner, Stevie Hoskins, and Bonds' personal trainer, Greg Anderson.
The pair are alleged to be discussing Bonds' steroid use.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
