Clemens not guilty on all counts in perjury trial

[Ryno84MVP]

A jury on Monday acquitted pitching great Roger Clemens of all six criminal charges against him in a trial to decide whether he lied to Congress about using performance-enhancing drugs.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/whitesox/chi-clemens-verdict-20120618,0,772806.story

[Gregg]

So now do they go after the guy who lied and said he injected him?

[Sharky]

So now do they go after the guy who lied and said he injected him?

Really, Gregg? Just because Clemens was acquitted doesn't mean he's innocent. What is the likelihood that his buddy, Andy Pettite -- on his own -- came up with the idea that Clemens mentioned doing HGH? I am generally an "innocent until proven guilty" guy. But there seems to be way too much pointing in that direction. Lack of conviction doesn't change my mind much in this case.

[OaklandA's]

Really, Gregg? Just because Clemens was acquitted doesn't mean he's innocent. What is the likelihood that his buddy, Andy Pettite -- on his own -- came up with the idea that Clemens mentioned doing HGH?

Not sure what you mean here, but Pettitte's testimony was probably a key factor in the acquittal. Pettitte said in the Congressional hearings in 2008, and again in the trial, that he may have misunderstood Clemens talking about his wife taking HGH.

[chancellor]

So now do they go after the guy who lied and said he injected him?

If they do, he will learn again that hell hath no fury like a woman scorned....

[Gregg]

Really, Gregg? Just because Clemens was acquitted doesn't mean he's innocent. What is the likelihood that his buddy, Andy Pettite -- on his own -- came up with the idea that Clemens mentioned doing HGH? I am generally an "innocent until proven guilty" guy. But there seems to be way too much pointing in that direction. Lack of conviction doesn't change my mind much in this case.

I was tongue in cheek. If you are having a perjury trial because lying is so bad (and it is) and you find the defendent not guilty because your witness lied, don't you have to then go after that liar? After all didn't he lie on the stand? Are we/they only going after the big names or are they going after justice?

[B-Fly]

Actually, when it's a criminal perjury charge, you don't have to conclude that one witness lied to find the defendant not guilty. You just have to conclude that given the contradictory testimony from the different witnesses presented, you are left with some reasonable doubt about the defendant's guilt. If you could poll the jury, you may find that most of them thought that the prosecution witness probably was telling the truth and that Clemens probably lied to Congress. But that's not enough if the sum of the evidence created some reasonable doubt in their minds.

[Gregg]

Actually, when it's a criminal perjury charge, you don't have to conclude that one witness lied to find the defendant not guilty. You just have to conclude that given the contradictory testimony from the different witnesses presented, you are left with some reasonable doubt about the defendant's guilt. If you could poll the jury, you may find that most of them thought that the prosecution witness probably was telling the truth and that Clemens probably lied to Congress. But that's not enough if the sum of the evidence created some reasonable doubt in their minds.

Thanks for the input.

Maybe you can answer this one? According to the article there were many inconsistencies in the testimony. Could that be grounds to charge him with perjury? I do not expect them to do so. I am just wondering if they could? And could prosecutors call the jury to be witnesses to the perjury?

[cavebird]

Thanks for the input.

Maybe you can answer this one? According to the article there were many inconsistencies in the testimony. Could that be grounds to charge him with perjury? I do not expect them to do so. I am just wondering if they could? And could prosecutors call the jury to be witnesses to the perjury?

Many inconsistencies doesn't amount to anything near a viable perjury charge. To succeed on that, they would have to be able to prove that he lied. The jury verdict in this case likely means that the some total of all of the evidence means that you can't prove beyond a reasonable doubt who is lying and who is telling the truth. You can go ahead and charge everyone with perjury, but the only reason would be that the prosecutor is a glutton for punishment, because we won't win any of the cases.

[Frank]

A jury on Monday acquitted pitching great Roger Clemens of all six criminal charges against him in a trial to decide whether he lied to Congress about using performance-enhancing drugs.

A few thoughts on this repeated fiasco

Nobody won....An apropos conclusion to a ill conceived and then grossly bungled prosecution ......How many of us really expected a conviction - How many of us really believe the initial Congressional investigation and subsequent prosecution was warranted.

This entire event was predicated on LIARS lied to LIARS commencing with Clemens initial testimony before a congressional committee composed of professional LIARS..... and so on and so on.....

Considering Bonds , Clemens, Martha Stewart etc , our federal government really knows how to ignore the obvious and meaningful criminal elements - what waste of scarce & valuable tax dollars.

I believe we have totally lost control of ourselves when it comes to appropriate and meaningful pursuit of justice and the greater good.

[GwynnInTheHall]

A few thoughts on this repeated fiasco

Nobody won....An apropos conclusion to a ill conceived and then grossly bungled prosecution ......How many of us really expected a conviction - How many of us really believe the initial Congressional investigation and subsequent prosecution was warranted.

This entire event was predicated on LIARS lied to LIARS commencing with Clemens initial testimony before a congressional committee composed of professional LIARS..... and so on and so on.....

Considering Bonds , Clemens, Martha Stewart etc , our federal government really knows how to ignore the obvious and meaningful criminal elements - what waste of scarce & valuable tax dollars.

I believe we have totally lost control of ourselves when it comes to appropriate and meaningful pursuit of justice and the greater good.

I was about to start a thread on this very topic.

In today's society, there is NO incentive to tell the truth. Honesty is an inconvenient, unprofitable concept.

Deny, Deny, Deny and then if your caught--Apologize.

Money buys Justice unless you're soooo damn guilty it's beyond obvious.

We reward liars, cheats and unethical behavior.

It makes me want to ****ing puke.