Could Thompson Conviction Signal Trouble for Barry Bonds?

[WSJ_law_blog]

Photo: Associated Press


These days, unemployed slugger Barry Bonds doesn’t have to worry about not getting pitched to or tracking down line drives to the gap (or, for that matter, wins and losses of the woeful Giants). But he might have to start worrying about these nagging perjury charges.

In what’s being billed as a boost to prosecutors in the Bonds case, a federal jury on Friday convicted former world class cyclist Tammy Thomas (pictured) of perjury and obstructing justice for lying to a grand jury during the BALCO steroids probe. Bonds has been indicted on similar charges. He has pleaded not guilty.

According to the account in the Marin (Calif.) Independent Journal, the Thomas and Bonds cases have many differences in terms of evidence and witnesses, but contain many of the same themes.

After more than a day of deliberations, the jury found Thomas, 38, guilty on three counts of making false statements to a federal grand jury in November 2003. Thomas was reportedly stoic as the jury’s verdict was read, but then lost it. According to the Independent Journal, she leapt to her feet as the jurors left the courtroom and began shouting at them: “Look me in the eye, look me in the eye. Look me in the eye and tell me you mean what you did. Look me in the eye. You can’t do it.”

Thomas also reportedly confronted the BALCO prosecution team as they left court, gesturing and shouting at lead prosecutor Matt Parrella. “Look me in the eye. You like to destroy lives,” she yelled at Parrella, who was pulled from the scene by fellow prosecutor Jeff Nedrow.

Thomas faces a sentence likely to range from one to three years in federal prison for the perjury and obstruction convictions. Sentencing is set for July 18.