Barry Bonds Trial: Jury Sent Into Deliberations

We’re almost there! We’re so close you guys!

The Barry Bonds trial has now advanced to pretty much the final stage - jury deliberations, as the closing arguments have been heard. The lawyer work is done.

Earlier, we left off with Bonds defense lawyer Allen Ruby on the floor. After lunch, Cris Arguedas took over for Ruby, and asked the jury whether the prosecution had proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt. She undermined the testimony of Steve Hoskins, she accused the government of flying by the seat of its pants, and declared the prosecution had done nothing with regard to proving the side effects of steroid use.

Later, she presented evidence that Bonds’ testicles were “normal” every time he had a physical exam, and then set about undermining Kathy Hoskins, who was a key witness. She finished by blasting Kimberly Bell before turning things back over to Ruby, who wrapped things up by asserting that the government had bad witnesses and did a shoddy job of establishing proof.

Matt Parrella was then given an opportunity to give a final rebuttal, and he insisted that the government’s witnesses were solid, and that Stan Conte’s testimony, along with the tape of a conversation between Steve Hoskins and Greg Anderson, established proof that Bonds was using and knew exactly what was going on. He concluded by saying that the defense’s argument is “impossible to believe.”

And that was it. That was all of the legal speaking. The jury then went off to deliberate, and we’re only a matter of time away from finding out how this whole things ends up.

Follow along in this StoryStream for updates, and also get more information from SB Nation Bay Area’s Barry Bonds trial coverage, for which David Fucillo will be live-blogging - and live-tweeting - from the courtroom. You can follow on Twitter @SBNBayArea.