Newspaper Page Text
HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL
Indictment suggests Bonds was Ids own worst enemy
Dear Readers, For
the past five years
we have awaited
the inevitable - Barry Bonds
has finally been indicted by a
Federal Grand Jury. Unless
some suicidal owner decides
to destroy his baseball fran
chi s e ,
Bonds’
baseball
career is
probably
over; but
what of
this indict
ment?
If you
recall my
comments
Wa
Jim Rockefeller
The “Law” man
concerning Michael Vick . . .
the Justice Department does
not mess around! Public per
ception of the government’s
available resources is a great
ly exaggerated; still, even if
Don't blink - life
Kenny Chesney’s
“Don’t Blink”
music video
(http://www.youtube.com/
watch?v = p4ySSg4QGBg)
begins with television news
coverage of a man celebrat
ing his 102nd birthday.
Reflecting on his years, he
says, “Today, by golly, life
goes like a bullet - too fast!”
About two months ago,
I wrote a column entitled
9f
' * "Kv it j jfljg;' j » *jL Mg jl '"'
- 'MV' * J IW* Jv flel * f %iS .
Contributed
Dennis Hooper, his wife Donna and Margery Zerko - an astonishng 80 years old for the
latter - raft over a class 111 rapid.
£ '* ■*s£ < *
'•' JMBL _ ’ '. •?
r•' '
SMELL GAS? ACT FAST.
Natural gas is a colorless, odorless fuel, but for safety reasons, a
chemical odorant sometimes described as a “rotten egg” smell is
added, making the presence of gas detectable,
IF YOU SMELL THIS ODOR:
• Alert others and leave the area immediately,
• Leave the door open as you exit,
• Do not operate electric lights, appliances or other equipment such as telephones,
cell phones, or flashlights.
• Go to a phone away from the area and call Atlanta Gas Light.
Natural gas odors should be reported right away. Do not try to
locate the source of the smell.
If you smell natural gas, call Atlanta Gas Light at 877-427-4321.
Atlanta Gas Light
An AGL Resources Company
the perception of “unlimited
resources” is false, Federal
prosecutors have the luxury
of selecting their cases, care
fully developing them, and
indicting only those they can
convict. They use the Grand
Jury’s authority, the power
of sentencing guidelines, and
cooperating witnesses, to
methodically close in on a
target. In this case, the tar
get was initially BALCO, as
an illegal distribution ring.
Once everyone else asso
ciated with BALCO was
sent to jail, focus shifted to
Bonds. He was enveloped in
the probe from its inception
(Sept. 5, 2003), when search
warrants were executed.
According to the indictment,
evidence recovered immedi
ately linked Bonds, his per
sonal trainer, Greg Anderson,
and BALCO. Shortly after
“There’s a
Little Boy
(or Girl) in
You.” (I’ll
provide
a copy if
you’ll con
tact me.)
My little
boy is
alive and
well and
Dennis Hooper
Leaders Building
Leaders
is somewhat unpredictable.
wards (Dec. 4, 2003), Bonds
was called to testify before
the grand jury with a grant
of “use” immunity.
This legal term may be
unfamiliar. When a person
is subpoenaed to testify, the
constitutional right against
self-incrimination can be
invoked and the witness can
refuse to answer any ques
tions. This refusal (you can
not refuse to simply show up)
cannot be used against the
witness. In order to eliminate
this impediment concerning
Bonds, he was promised that
if he told the truth, even if he
admitted any wrong-doing,
he could not be touched; in
other words, he was told
“come clean and we will only
go after the true bad guys
(e.g., Victor Conte, James
Valente, and BALCO).”
According to the indict
is an adventure
He shows himself at surpris
ing times and in surprising
ways.
Some of my readers are
distant from central Georgia.
They may not be aware of
how the Warner Robins
all-star team’s winning the
International Little League
World Series has galvanized
the attention of folks in our
area.
I was glued to ESPN every
OPINION
ment, Bonds thumbed his
nose at the government’s lar
gesse. He was asked several
questions and shown docu
ments implicating him in the
use of steroids and growth
hormone. His answers, quot
ed from this grand jury testi
mony, ring hollow.
Bonds denied being given
anything by Anderson prior
to 2003, when he casually
described letting Anderson
rub a cream and oil on his
body to speed his recovery
with a “whatever” response
- curious, given that profes
sional athletes are usually
fanatical about their bod
ies. Bonds also specifically
denied being given a syringe
for injection by Anderson.
The way the questions were
couched, it certainly sounds
like the prosecutor knew this
to be a lie.
time those youngsters were
on television a couple of
months ago. My wife won
dered why I would get misty
eyed watching kids playing a
game of baseball.
As a youth, I played on sev
eral all-star teams. Watching
the enthusiasm of those
young players, I recalled
my experiences as though
they occurred just - FIFTY
YEARS AGO!?!? Fifty years?
How could 50 years have
passed since I hit that clutch
triple in the final inning?
Kenny Chesney sings,
“Don’t blink - life goes fast
er than you think!” Until
recently, “60” is the age at
which I considered “old” to
begin. Now that I’ve been
there for several weeks, I’m
adjusting my measuring
stick!
I’ve been thinking a lot
about my Dad the past cou
ple of months. He left this
world not long ago. He was
ready to go. My Dad is in a
better place.
HOMES AS LOW AS $49 SQ^FT.
”"■ J '
Call Today For Free Pre-Qualification
We Find Ways To Approve More Loans Than
Any Other Custom Home Builder
Over 35 Years Of Custom Home Building Experience
900-4,000+ Sq. Ft. Floor Plans To Choose From
Featuring Standard Upgrades Including 9‘ Ceilings,
Low E Glass, 5" Gutters & Downspouts And More...
* Offer only available at the Macon Building Center. Offer not valid on existing
contracts. Offer expires 11/30/07. Not valid with any other offer Final Value
of Upgrades & Options based on Selections by Customers. See your
America's Home Place Building Consultant for details
** These prices are under roof, built on your lot prices and do not include
site improvements. Pictureg may show upgrades not included in price, J
-v . 1
Macon Building Center
6255 Zebulon Road #230
Macon, GA 31210
478-474-9070
1-800-NewHouse
AmericasHomePlace.com fi
56656
This testimony concerns
four counts of straight per
jury charges. Proof of perjury
requires that Bonds “knew”
his testimony was a lie. From
these quoted exchanges, it
seems there is proof of such
knowledge. A perjury charge
is often difficult to prove, as it
requires peering into a defen
dant’s “guilty” mind. Thus,
barring a “smoking gun” of
directly contradictory state
ments (the syringe answers
sound the most troubling),
Bonds’ worst nightmare is
probably the last count of
obstruction, where the gov
ernment need only prove
that the testimony was “mis
leading” and not necessarily
a “knowing” lie.
The Vick indictment was
obviously damning; the gov
ernment “had” him and he
would quickly enter a guilty
I know I’m like my Dad in
many ways. Yet I’ve made
some intentional choices to
live my life differently from
him. Reflecting on what my
Dad wanted and what he
actually generated in life has
Assessing Your
Leadership Skills
-SBS/person
. ’ ■
Ximnti & Glut*
Ptutcafo with
scroo |ISnl
Saturday, December Ist1 st
7:30 a.m. until 10:30 a.m.
Penny SknmbVitf Sc/uud
FREE FIREPLACE 1
s3*S®§ VALUE’
Offer Available Until 11/30/07
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2007 ♦
plea. There are only sug
gestions of the same in the
Bonds indictment; hence,
the end result is murkier.
Yet, as you read the indict
ment, it is apparent Bonds
thought he could give “non
answers” and suffer no con
sequences. Regardless, his
arrogance has left his legacy
as a cautionary tale, rather
than the triumph he had
probably imagined.
Local attorney Jim
Rockefeller owns the
Rockefeller Law Center and
is a former Houston County
Chief Assistant District
Attorney, and a former
Miami Prosecutor. E-mail
confidential legal questions
to ajr@rockefellerlawcenter.
com. Visit www.rockefeller
lawcenter.com for Frequently
Asked Questions and Jim’s
blog, The Rockefeller Report.
influenced my outlook and
behaviors.
“When your hour glass
runs out of sand, you can’t
flip it over and start again.
Take every breath God
See HOOPER, page
F. Dennis Hooper
Certified
Leadership Development Coach
Building leaders and
organizations of excellence
(478) 988-0237
is®*
Custom Home Builders
5A
*4399 ■
dhooper2@juno.com''
56598 x