After three days, the federal criminal trial of Barry Bonds concluded with major prosecution witnesses planting seeds that may bear fruit.

One of those was Steve Hoskins, a former business partner of Bonds who told jurors about a secret tape recording of a conversation he had with the slugger’s former trainer and loyalist, Greg Anderson.

Hoskins said he taped Anderson because he was bringing it to Bobby Bonds, the slugger’s father who maintained a belief that his son was breaking homerun records without performance enhancing drugs.

“That was the only way to prove it to him,” Hoskins said. On that tape, Anderson openly discusses the administrating technique he used. Anderson described his technique for injecting Bonds in different parts of his anatomy without causing the abscesses and infections that are common in steroid use.

Bonds’ former business associate also testified he saw Anderson and Bonds emerging from his private bedroom during spring training with Anderson holding syringes between the 2000-2003 seasons.

Also taking the stand was agent Jeff Novitsky who concluded his testimony under cross examination by the defense team. He gave jurors a lively review of how he obtained much of the evidence in the early stages of the BALCO investigation and that included digging through trash bins at night and wading through human waste and blood to obtain documents and other substances that could indicate the steroids lab was distributing illegal drugs. He also added that Bonds’ lies impeded the BALCO investigation.

That is very important to document in an obstruction and perjury case in addition to facts that demonstrate the lie was a “material” factor in holding the case back. Novitsky  said:

Mr. Bonds’ testimony was inconsistent with the facts that had been gathered to that point. We had to take a look at other testimony that was provided that was contrary to Mr. Bonds.

In the on deck circle are Dr. Arthur Ting, personal physician to Bonds and Kathy Hoskins, sister of Steve and former personal assistant to the former San Francisco Giant who will be followed by Kimberly Bell, Bonds’ mistress of many years. The mistress is expected to tell the courtroom about Bonds’ sexual decline and describe how his body changed during this steroid use period. Since personal information is expected to be aired during her testimony, expect the courtroom to be packed for that event.

With these recent and earlier developments the jurors were instructed to stay off Facebook and Twitter about the case.

Used with permission of the author.

Paula Duffy is a national sports columnist for Examiner.com and the Huffington Post and regularly comments on sports/legal matters for radio affiliates of ESPN and Fox Sports. She founded the sports information site, Incidental Contact, is the author of a line of audio books designed for sports novices and in her spare time practices law in Los Angeles.

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