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Seven-time
Cy Young winner, baseball pitcher Roger Clemens leaves
federal court in Washington on Monday after pleading
not guilty to charges of lying to Congress about
whether he used steroids or human growth hormone. His
attorney Rusty Hardin is at left.
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WASHINGTON - Roger Clemens put
his right hand on the lectern, leaned down toward the
microphone and made what might be the most important pitch of
his life: "Not guilty, your honor."
Those words, uttered Monday in
a strong, confident voice by the seven-time Cy Young Award
winner sporting a black blazer and blond highlights in his
hair, marked the official beginning of a court case that could
taint baseball even further and land the "Rocket" in
jail.
U.S. District Judge Reggie
Walton presided over an arraignment hearing that lasted less
than 14 minutes in the ceremonial courtroom at the federal
courthouse, across the street from the Capitol.
Walton set April 5 as the start
of jury selection — the Monday of the first full week of the
2011 baseball season, and also around the time a case
involving Barry Bonds, the all-time home run king, could be
wrapping up in San Francisco.
Pete Rose, Darryl Strawberry,
Dwight Gooden and Denny McLain are among former baseball stars
to have spent time in jail. Clemens and Bonds, who chased
history on the field throughout their careers, now could be
chasing history off it.
They are both in jeopardy of
becoming the first baseball star jailed because of a
conviction related to the performance-enhancing-drug imbroglio
that has sullied their sport for much of the past 15 years.
If convicted of six counts —
three of making false statements, two of perjury and one of
obstruction of Congress — Clemens could face up to 30 years
in prison and a $1.5 million fine, although 15 to 21 months is
the more likely sentence under federal guidelines.
As he has throughout the
process, Clemens again fought any suggestion that he cheated
during a 23-season career that ended with 354 wins and 4,672
strikeouts. He won his first three Cy Young awards in 1986,
'87 and '91, dipped ever so slightly, then won four more in
1997, '98, 2001 and 2004, at the age of 42.
On Monday, he was in Washington
because of testimony he gave to Congress in 2008. He went
before a House committee to clear his name after becoming a
prominent figure in the Mitchell Report, which came out the
year before with an unflinching account of baseball's drug
crisis.
Back then, Clemens testified:
"Let me be clear. I have never taken steroids or HGH."
This time, his words were fewer
but every bit as forceful. And his actions spoke of a man who
refused to let a court appearance ruin his day.
He arrived at the courthouse
four hours early to go through fingerprinting and paperwork
that is often left for after the official work in court is
complete.
Clemens apparently was trying
to get to North Carolina in time to play in the first round of
a weeklong amateur golf tournament. He arrived at The Pearl
golf course in Calabash, N.C., shortly after 5 p.m. and shot a
12-over 84, matching wife Debbie's first-day score.
Clemens declined to answer
questions about his court appearance, but did thank tournament
organizers for allowing him to compete in the event under the
circumstances.
After going through processing
early in the day, Clemens and his team of lawyers — led by
Rusty Hardin of Houston — ate in the main cafeteria.
In the lunchroom, Clemens
offered no comment, other than a friendly "Hey, how ya
doing," to an Associated Press reporter. Hardin also
didn't comment, saying he didn't want to violate the gag order
Walton has imposed on those involved in the trial.
Before the short hearing,
Clemens could be seen striding between meeting rooms on the
sixth floor as Hardin and prosecuting attorneys Daniel Butler
and Steven Durham exchanged discovery documents.
Then, Clemens walked into the
300-seat chamber, adorned with statues depicting ancient
arbiters of justice and portraits of former federal judges. He
adjusted his cuffs and collar a few times, said a word or two
to Hardin, sat down, then stood when Walton entered.
Hardin waived his client's
right to have the charges read, then Walton asked for Clemens'
plea.
"Not guilty, your
honor," he said, before going back to the defense table
where he sat still while the lawyers and judge parsed over
hearing dates and discovery issues.
Clemens was released with no
bail and no real restrictions. His only discernible reaction
came when Durham asked that the court hold his passport, and
Clemens turned to one of his attorneys and shook his head.
"I think he's well-known
enough that if he were to depart the country, someone would
know who he is," Walton said.
The case has been portrayed,
probably simplistically, as one of Clemens' word against those
who gave unfriendly testimony against him in Congress. The key
figures there are his former trainer Brian McNamee, who said
the pitcher did use steroids and HGH. Former teammate Andy
Pettitte also told congressional investigators that Clemens
told him he had used HGH — a conversation Clemens said
Pettitte "misremembers."
But in asking to push the start
of the trial to next year — with the agreement of the
prosecutors — Hardin said there is much scientific evidence
to comb through, as well, including presumably the syringes
McNamee says he used to inject Clemens with drugs.
On Monday, Hardin was given
access to the grand jury testimony and FBI interviews that
were used to indict Clemens, along with a 34-page master index
and 12 computer discs of evidence. Durham called the evidence
"voluminous."
"There's a good deal of
scientific evidence that needs to be tested," Hardin told
the judge. "We're at the mercy of the experts."
While the crux of the case is
whether Clemens used steroids or HGH, any conviction would
have to come on evidence that he lied to Congress about it.
It's a sort of backdoor way that authorities have used to
ensnare some of America's most high-profile athletes who have
been accused of using PEDs.
Sprinter Marion Jones went to
jail when, threatened with years in prison because of an
illegal check-writing scheme, she finally admitted to lying
about drugs, too.
The Bonds case is also a
perjury case, set to start March 21. He has pleaded not guilty
to charges that he lied to a grand jury in December 2003 when
he testified that he never knowingly used
performance-enhancing drugs.
As Clemens hustled out of the
courtroom, he was followed by at least 50 reporters, then met
by 100 more cameramen. Two security guards trying to help him
out of the building and into his waiting Escalade nearly
tackled the pitcher as they tried to keep onlookers at bay.
One fan yelled "I love
you!" but Clemens likely didn't hear. He already had his
iPod on.
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