The perjury case against free-agent slugger Barry Bonds was put on hold for three months Friday, with prosecutors telling a federal judge they plan to obtain a new indictment against baseball’s home run king.
U.S. District Judge Susan Illston had told prosecutors on Feb. 29 to fix their original indictment because it lumped multiple allegations into too few counts. Illston said that prosecutors needed to drop some of the allegations from the indictment or add more charges.
At a brief court hearing Friday, assistant U.S. attorney Matt Parrella didn’t say when the government will ask a grand jury for a new indictment. Illston ordered the sides to return to court June 6, making it likely any trail would not start before 2009.
*Brian McNamee, the former personal trainer who has said he injected pitcher Roger Clemens with steroids and human growth hormone, fainted while driving and crashed his car head-on into a city bus in New York. McNamee’s Lexus, another car and the bus were involved in the crash around 12:30 p.m. Thursday on Central Avenue in Queens’ Far Rockaway neighborhood. There were no serious injuries.
*Pirates second baseman Freddy Sanchez may begin the season on the disabled list as his surgically repaired right shoulder continues to heal. … The Yankees chose Chien-Ming Wang as their Opening Day starter. … The Brewers put starting pitcher Yovani Gallardo on the 15-day disabled list with a torn lateral meniscus in his left knee. … Ex-Cub Angel Pagan went 2-for-2 with a triple against the Nationals to lift his spring average to .355 in his quest to win the Mets’ starting left-field job. … Braves starter John Smoltz felt tightness in his right shoulder and missed his start against the Indians. Smoltz said he would have pitched through the pain if the game counted.
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Edited by Mike Pankow from Tribune news services.
