Bonds threatens to sue detractors

0 Comments | Oakland Tribune, Aug 13, 2007 | by Paul T. Rosynsky

OAKLAND - Home Run King Barry Bonds is tired of people accusing him of using steroids or evading taxes and has hired two prominent attorneys to ensure those who make false statements about him are legally punished.

Oakland's John Burris and San Francisco's Todd Schneider announced Monday they will defend the slugger against false statements made by private citizens related to any illegal act someone might claim Bonds has admitted to.

``Barry is basically saying that he has been kicked around a lot and he is tired of being kicked around,'' Burris said. ``Our issue is really about statements that are made that are attributed to him that are not true. Particularly, statements that someone might say he made about the use of steroids or tax evasion.''

Bonds has been dogged by questions about possible steroid use ever since 2003 when the Internal Revenue Service raided the offices of the Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative and found that the business was distributing illegal steroids and human growth hormone to a host of professional athletes.

The suspicions grew more rampant last year when a book, written by two San Francisco Chronicle reporters, claimed Bonds had used performance enhancing drugs for at least five seasons beginning in 1998.

Ever since, the slugger has been berated at opposing ballparks as he approached and then recently passed one of the most hallowed records in Major League Baseball.

Burris and Schneider said Bonds wanted to break the home run record before he fought back against false statements that others claim he made.

``While pursing Hank Aaron's homerun record, Barry felt that it was more prudent to remain silent,'' the statement read. ``Now that the record has been broken Burris and Schneider will evaluate any and all statements attributed to him that are false.''

Despite the threats and two-page statement, some legal experts said the move is more stunt than substance.

``It's not likely to have any legal weight,'' said Stephen Barnett, professor emeritus at the Boalt Law School at the University of California-Berkeley. ``For one thing, the statement has to be false. And since Bonds is a public figure, that statement would have to be knowingly or recklessly false.''

Barnett said that Bonds would have to prove in court that a statement made by someone is false which could result in a trial about his steroid use, a situation Bonds might not want to endure.

However, Barnett said, the announcement and hiring of attorneys could scare some people into keeping their mouths shut. ``The statement they issued may have the desired effect of having some people watch their tongues,'' he said.

Burris said the purpose of the announcement and his retention as Bonds attorney is not to go after media publications or to curtail free speech and opinions against the controversial baseball player.

Instead, he said, it is to stop those who might think they know something about Bonds from telling a false story.

In his press release, Burris referred to Bonds former girlfriend who made accusations in a Playboy article and a former business partner who supposedly told the FBI that Bonds had evaded taxes as examples of what kind of statements he would investigate.

``We are not interested in reporters, free press or freedom of speech rights,'' Burris said. ``We are not going to go on a witch hunt.''

However, Burris said he and Schneider will investigate past statements and any statements made in the future.