SAN FRANCISCOûBarry Bonds renewed his claims of innocence Friday, pleading not guilty to 15 federal charges of lying to a grand jury about his performance-enhancing drug use.
Baseball’s home run king pleaded not guilty to similar accusations last December, but a judge ordered prosecutors to rewrite the indictment. The new indictment includes no new allegations. Bonds was re-arraigned Friday on 15 felony counts of lying under oath. Prosecutors say he lied when he told a grand jury investigating BALCO in 2003 that he never knowingly took steroids or other performance-enhancing drugs. Dressed in a black suit, Bonds said nothing during the five-minute arraignment. His attorney Allen Ruby pleaded not guilty on the slugger’s behalf, and Bonds embraced his aunt Rosie Kreidler after the hearing. "The reason that I am here is because his father is deceased," said Kreidler, sister to Bonds’ father Bobby Bonds. "This is such a tremendous blow to his family. It is so much on us. He’s a great person. We are all praying for him." Bonds, who arrived in a black SUV with his attorney and a couple bodyguards, was scheduled to attend a second federal court hearing later Friday during which a trial date may be set.
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