Court refuses to release Bonds' trainer; orders new hearing

September 29, 2006

A federal appeals court rejected a bid to free Barry Bonds' personal trainer, who was jailed for refusing to testify to a grand jury, but did not end his appeals.

A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday sent Greg Anderson's contempt case back to U.S. District Judge William Alsup to decide a key issue.

Anderson's lawyers have argued he shouldn't have to testify about whether he gave the Giants slugger steroids because they contend prosecutors illegally tape recorded him. They claim the contents of the tape is the subject of questioning by a grand jury.

Prosecutors said the recording was made during a face-to-face meeting and wasn't obtained improperly. They promised not to use its contents when questioning Anderson.

The appeals court demanded that Alsup rule whether the tape recording was indeed illegal, but rejected Anderson's other claims.

The court also granted prosecutors' request to seal some documents in the case.

Anderson has been behind bars since August for refusing to testify before a federal grand jury investigating whether the Giants slugger committed perjury when he said he never knowingly used steroids.

Anderson also served three months in prison and three months of home detention after pleading guilty to steroid distribution and money laundering stemming from the government's investigation of the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative, which allegedly supplied Bonds and other athletes with performance-enhancing drugs.

Anderson is currently being held at the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin.

The case is Anderson v. United States, 06-16572.