Hardin said Clemens had to hustle to get to court in time to hear the verdict. His chief lawyer, Rusty Hardin, walked up to a bank of microphones and exclaimed: "Wow!" Debbie Clemens dabbed her husband's eyes with a tissue.Īccused of cheating to achieve and extend his success - and then facing felony charges that he lied about it - Clemens declared outside the courthouse, "I put a lot of hard work into that career." At one point, Clemens and his four sons gathered in the middle of the courtroom, arms interlocked like football players in a huddle, and sobbing could be heard. Late Monday, as the jury foreman read the acquittal on the final count, Clemens bit his lower lip and rubbed a tear from his eye.Ĭlemens, family members and his lawyers took turns exchanging hugs.
#Roger clemens trial
In a non-drug-related case, the Clemens outcome also comes on the heels of the Department of Justice's failure to gain a conviction in the high-profile corruption trial of former presidential candidate John Edwards Anti-Doping Agency filed formal accusations last week that could strip the seven-time Tour de France winner of his victories in that storied race. The verdict was the latest blow to the government's legal pursuit of athletes accused of illicit drug use.Ī seven-year investigation into home run king Barry Bonds yielded a guilty verdict on only one count of obstruction of justice in a San Francisco court last year, with the jury deadlocked on whether Bonds lied to a grand jury when he denied knowingly taking performance-enhancing drugs.Ī two-year, multi-continent investigation of cyclist Lance Armstrong was recently closed with no charges brought, though the U.S. He won seven Cy Young Awards, emblematic of the league's best pitcher each year in a 24-year career with the Red Sox, Yankees, Blue Jays and Astros. The outcome ended a 10-week trial that capped the government's investigation of the pitcher known as "The Rocket" for the fastball that he retained into his 40s. Jurors returned their verdict after less than 10 hours over several days. This case was lengthy, but the deliberations were relatively brief. "It's been a hard five years," said the pitcher, who was retried after an earlier prosecution ended in a mistrial. "I'm very thankful," he said, choking up as he spoke. WASHINGTON - Roger Clemens was acquitted Monday on all charges that he obstructed and lied to Congress in denying he used performance-enhancing drugs to extend his long career as one of the greatest and most-decorated pitchers in baseball history.įierce on the pitching mound in his playing days, Clemens was quietly emotional after the verdict was announced. MLB, New York Yankees, Houston Astros, Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox
#Roger clemens upgrade
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