Legal News

Bonds' team keeping mum on defense strategies

By Richard Binder

Former Giants slugger Barry Bonds made headlines two years ago, first by getting indicted, and then by enlisting a squadron of the Bay Area's best defense attorneys. Now, with jury selection approaching in a case that, from a legal standpoint, isn't incredibly complex, white-collar lawyers say Bonds' four-firm defense team must ensure it doesn't trip over itself in court.

One of the most important decisions for any trial team, observers say, is choosing a leader, and that role appears to have fallen to co-counsel and San Jose solo Allen Ruby. He was out front in answering Northern District Judge Susan Illston at a pretrial conference this week, and defense lawyers think he will handle opening statements. Contacted Wednesday, Ruby wouldn't discuss how his team is dividing its work.

"That terrain we have not gone into with the media," he said. "We haven't talked about ourselves, and we are not going to start now."

For details and prognostications, read the full story at The Recorder.

Full post as published by Legal Pad | LA on February 19, 2009 (boomark / email).