Roger Clemens Trial: Mistrial a Signal That It's Time To Move On

The saga of Roger Clemens and the perjury trial that could send him to prison just got a bit more interesting, though it still doesn't justify the taxpayer money being used to try an athlete for performance-enhancing drug use. This whole thing has been a witch hunt that is completely without merit, and this is just another sign that this trial needs to be abandoned completely.

According to a report from the Associated Press, the judge is debating whether or not to declare a mistrial due to some evidence released to the jury that could prejudice the jury against the former pitcher.

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(U.S. District Judge Reggie) Walton interrupted the prosecution's playing of a video from Clemens' 2008 testimony before Congress and had the jury removed from the courtroom. Clemens is accused of lying during that testimony when he said he never used performance-enhancing drugs during his 24-season career in the major leagues.

One of the chief pieces of evidence against Clemens is testimony from his former teammate and close friend, Andy Pettitte, who says Clemens told him in 1999 or 2000 that he used human growth hormone. Clemens has said that Pettitte misheard him. Pettitte also also says he told his wife, Laura, about the conversation the same day it happened.

Prosecutors had wanted to call Laura Pettitte as a witness to back up her husband's account, but Walton had said he wasn't inclined to have her testify since she didn't speak directly to Clemens.

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Haven't we had enough of these steroid and performance-enhancing drug sessions in Congress and the trial of Barry Bonds, which blew up in the face of the prosecution, and the saga of Lance Armstrong and now this whole Clemens debacle to know that what these people may or may not have done isn't worth the time, effort and money that is being put into it?

Everything that Congress has done with these baseball players is being done to try and make them look better for all of the problems that they have caused by bringing these players to the Washington D.C. oh-so many years ago to testify about performance-enhancing drugs.

With the national debt reaching $14 trillion, a war going on in Iraq and Afghanistan, cities being ravaged by natural disasters and real criminals being allowed to walk the streets, why are we wasting all of our time on what's going on with Roger Clemens?

This trial should be thrown out because it's pointless. What does anyone gain by Clemens being found guilty or innocent? The prosecutors are going to get their names in a few more newspapers and that's about it. Clemens, even if he's found innocent, isn't going to get his reputation back. He won't go into the Hall of Fame, which is completely stupid but that's another story. He won't be invited back to any baseball-related functions.

The prosecutors in this trial have no idea how to get a conviction without prejudicing the jury, as evidenced by their snap judgment in using evidence that they were told repeatedly not to, and there is no way that this trial should continue a day longer than it already has.

If the worst thing that Clemens did in his life was take a needle and stick it into his backside, I would venture to say that he lived a life a lot cleaner than most athletes and politicians. But he is on trial so that these empty suits don't look like complete idiots.

Congratulations, Washington. You have made the citizens proud yet again.