Barry Bonds' Felony Obstruction of Justice Conviction Overturned

The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned an obstruction of justice conviction against former San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds on Wednesday that dates back to his 2003 testimony about performance-enhancing drugs.

A jury found Bonds guilty of obstructing law enforcement in 2011, saying his testimony was "evasive" in the famed BALCO trial. According to records obtained by Maura Dolan of the Los Angeles Times, the appeals court found "Bonds’ rambling reply was material and that he may not be retried."

“Making everyone who participates in our justice system a potential criminal defendant for conduct that is nothing more than the ordinary tug and pull of litigation risks chilling zealous advocacy,” Judge Alex Kozinski wrote, per Dolan.

Jon Shea of The San Francisco Chronicle provided a statement from Bonds:

"

Today's news is something that I have long hoped for. I am humbled and truly thankful for the outcome as well as the opportunity our judicial system affords to all individuals to seek justice. I would like to thank my family, friends, and all of you who have supported me throughout my career and especially over the past several years. Your support has given me strength throughout this and for that, I am beyond grateful. This has been a long and strenuous period in my life; I very much look forward to moving beyond it. I do so without ill will toward anyone. I am excited about what the future holds for me as I embark on the next chapter. Lastly and certainly not least, I would like to thank my legal team for their hard work and diligence on my behalf.

"

Tony Avelar/Associated Press

Prosecutors are now without a conviction of Bonds, who was found not guilty of perjury during the initial trial. He was initially sentenced to 30 days of house arrest and two years of probation. Those requirements will be wiped off his criminal record with Wednesday's reversal. 

Bonds was perhaps the most high-profile athlete asked to testify in the BALCO case, one of the largest performance-enhancing drug operations in U.S. history.

If they choose, federal prosecutors can look to extend the case before the full Court of Appeals or the U.S. Supreme Court. Given the mountainous cost of the case—in 2011, The Daily Beast reported that there were estimates that the federal government spent $55 million to get a conviction—it'll be interesting to see how prosecutors choose to proceed.

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