Opening Statements to Begin in Roger Clemens Retrial? - East Idaho News
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Opening Statements to Begin in Roger Clemens Retrial?

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Getty N 070511 RogerClemens?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1335183330199Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) — Opening statements could begin Monday in a Washington, D.C. courtroom for the retrial of former major league pitcher Roger Clemens.

Jury selection is expected to be finalized in the morning, after which opening arguments can begin.

Clemens, a seven-time Cy Young Award winner, is on trial again for allegedly lying to Congress about his use of performance enhancing drugs, specifically steroids and human growth hormone (HGH).

The former pitcher was indicted in August 2010 on charges of obstruction of Congress, perjury and false statements.  He is accused of making the false statements to congressional investigators in a Feb. 5, 2008 deposition.  The perjury charges, meanwhile, arose from his Feb. 13, 2008, testimony before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

A mistrial was declared in the case last July after two days of testimony, when prosecutors included portions of Clemens’ February 2008 congressional testimony that referenced conversations former Yankee teammate Andy Pettitte had with his wife, Laura Pettitte, about the use of HGH. The judge presiding over the trial had barred the prosecutors from referencing Pettitte’s wife before the jury.

During the retrial, Clemens’ lawyers are expected to try to create doubt about the government’s evidence. 

Defense attorney Rusty Hardin will likely question the credibility of Brian McNamee, Clemens’ former trainer and the government’s star witness in the case.  Hardin is likely to raise questions about how McNamee kept the syringes and gauze pads he allegedly used to inject Clemens with performance enhancing drugs before providing them to government investigators. 

Clemens has stated that the injections he received from McNamee were vitamin b12 and lidocaine. 

The trial is expected to last six weeks.

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