Bonds case put on hold
The perjury case against Barry Bonds was put on hold for three months Friday, with prosecutors telling a federal judge in San Francisco 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 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.
Eight people connected to the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative (BALCO) have pleaded guilty, including track star Marion Jones, who began a six-month sentence in federal prison on March 7. Jones pleaded guilty to lying to federal investigators when she denied using performance-enhancing drugs and admitted lying to investigators about her association with a check-fraud scheme.
The trial of Tammy Thomas, an elite cyclist also accused of perjury, is scheduled to begin Monday.
Bonds was indicted in November on four counts of perjury and one count of obstruction of justice, charges stemming from 2003 grand-jury testimony in which he denied knowingly taking illegal performance-enhancing drugs.
Bonds was let go by the San Francisco Giants. The 43-year-old outfielder remains a free agent and wants to play this year.
From spring training:
• Pirates second baseman Freddy Sanchez felt pain in his surgically repaired right shoulder, a major setback that may force him to begin a second consecutive season on the disabled list.
• The Milwaukee Brewers placed starter Yovani Gallardo on the 15-day disabled list because of a knee injury.
• The New York Yankees chose Chien-Ming Wang to start opening day at home against the Toronto Blue Jays.
• Tampa Bay Rays center fielder B.J. Upton could return from a bruised triceps muscle this weekend. Ace Scott Kazmir, who is expected to start the season on the disabled list with a strained left elbow, did some throwing on the side.
• Blue Jays closer B.J. Ryan, who is trying to come back after Tommy John elbow surgery last May, threw a bullpen session in Dunedin, Fla. The team said it hopes Ryan will be ready to pitch in a game within the next few days.