Clemens Prosecutors Revisit DNA Evidence as Testimony Ends

By Tom Schoenberg - 2012-06-11T21:00:49Z

U.S. prosecutors sought to bolster the credibility of their DNA and drug use evidence against former New York Yankees pitcher Roger Clemens, accused of lying to Congress by denying that he used steroids and human growth hormone, as testimony in his perjury trial ended in Washington.

The government, which completed its case against Clemens today, put on three witnesses to rebut defense allegations that the evidence linking Clemens to a needle and cotton balls containing anabolic steroids was contaminated or faked.

U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton scheduled closing arguments for tomorrow and the jury may begin deliberating Clemenss fate in the afternoon.

Clemens, a seven-time Cy Young Award winner as the best pitcher in his league, is charged with one count of obstructing a congressional investigation into the use of performance- enhancing drugs by professional athletes.

Hes also charged with three counts of making false statements and of perjury stemming from his testimony to a House panel. If convicted, he faces as long as 21 months in prison.

The prosecutions evidence includes a needle and cotton with Clemenss DNA that tested positive for steroids. The material was given to prosecutors by Brian McNamee, Clemenss former trainer. McNamee, who spent six days testifying, told jurors that he gave the ballplayer injections of steroids and HGH during the 1998, 2000 and 2001 baseball seasons while both men worked for the Toronto Blue Jays and the Yankees.

McNamee told jurors he saved needles, gauze and vials from one of the injections in 2001 and kept some of the items in a Miller Lite beer can that he took from the recycling bin in Clemenss apartment.

Walton, for a second time, denied a defense motion to dismiss the case. He did say hes considering whether to throw out one of the 13 false or misleading statements in the charges having to do with Clemenss denial that he attended a pool party at the home of fellow Toronto Blue Jays teammate Jose Canseco in 1998.

The case is U.S. v. Clemens, 1:10-cr-00223, U.S. District Court, District of Columbia (Washington).

Read the original:
Clemens Prosecutors Revisit DNA Evidence as Testimony Ends

Related Posts

Comments are closed.