Good news for Barry Bonds' lawyers means bad news for Bay Area autograph hounds -- by ruling out substantial portions of the feds' evidence against Barry, a federal judge has renderred it highly unlikely that Jason Giambi will be called to the stand in the Bonds perjury trial.
Judge Susan Illston ruled Thursday that she would definitively not admit evidence concerning Bonds' positive drug tests and his trainer's doping calendars. This information is now public, though, so hope none of you are reading this, jurors.
This trial was shaping up to be a regular All-Star Game, with Bonds appearing as the accused and superstars, like Jason Giambi and Benito Santiago, set to be subpoenaed to the witness stand. The ballplayers' testimony was intended to establish that these guys also obtained steroids from Bonds' personal trainer Greg Anderson, and that Anderson's clients all knew that they were being juiced. But Judge Illston's ruling renders these players' testimony as hearsay and not specifically releavant to Bonds.
Prosecutors could technically try to call in Giambi on some other matter. But unless Giambi decides to declare that he saw Bonds' testicles shrinking, the slugger appears free to stay in Phoenix for A's Spring Training.
Joe Kukura is a freelance writer who would be totally willing to testify under oath that he saw Barry Bonds' testicles shrinking.
