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Has Clemens Dug Himself A Legal Hole? Former Trainer Reportedly Supplied Congress With Physical Evidence
By Administrator | February 10, 2008
This week, information was leaked that Brian McNamee, Roger Clemens former trainer, has provided physical evidence to the federal government that will support his allegations of steroid / HGH use by Clemens.
According to an unnamed source, McNamee provided gauze pads and syringes to IRS Special Agent Jeff Novitzky back in January. The evidence reportedly contains Clemens’ blood (and, presumably, traces of steroids and HGH) . McNamee alleges that the syringes were used to inject Clemens with steroids and HGH back in 2000 and 2001. McNamee’s lead lawyer, Earl Ward, confirmed the reports saying: “I think this is a significant point in the case. We believe that this is significant corroboration”.
As you may remember, McNamee told investigators that he injected Clemens with Winstrol (1998), Deca-Durabolin (2000) and HGH (2001) on a dozen occasions (+/-). Clemens has vehemently denied the allegations, and even went so far as to file a lawsuit against McNamee. Up until this point, the case had appeared to be a “he said - he said” case; but, if physical evidence was turned over to investigators then the case takes on a completely new life. And if the evidence shows what it is purported to show, then Clemens — who earlier this week issued denials to Congress under oath — may eventually find himself sharing a jail cell with Barry Bonds.
Clemens attorney Rusty Hardin publicly scoffed at the reports when asked about them earlier today… but his comments were an embarrassingly half-hearted attempt to buy Team Clemens time to circle the wagons (Harden said: “Find a prosecutor or a judge that would ever see this as evidence, all right? This is waste material. In fact, I think we’re going to file a complaint with the health department”.)
Doping expert Don Catlin said steroids still could be detected in a sample that old: “But if you don’t find it, it doesn’t mean it wasn’t there before”.
ESPN.com conducted a survey of people’s initial reaction to the news about physical evidence… one of the response options (the most popular one, by the way) was that McNamee must have been crazy to keep the gauze and syringes. I wholeheartedly disagree. If what McNamee has alleged is true, then he knew that he was committing an illegal act (supplying steroids)… therefore, he also knew that by keeping the gauze and syringes he was safeguarding evidence that he could someday be used to cut a deal (to keep himself out of jail).
As horrible as it may seem, ‘horse trading’ goes on in the American justice system a thousand times each and every day. “Small fish” are given a free pass (or reduced sentence) in order to land the “big fish”. It doesn’t make it right, it’s just the way it is. In this instance, Clemens is “the big fish”.
So as unethical as McNamee may be, the production of physical evidence appears more wily than crazy.
Topics: Around Baseball |
