Bonds's trainer free because of 'legal snafu'
Barry Bonds's personal trainer, Greg Anderson, walked out of prison yesterday in San Francisco, hours after a federal judge ordered him released because of a ``legal snafu."
US District Judge William Alsup said Anderson must be freed because a federal appeals court hadn't affirmed the contempt order within the required 30 days after Anderson was jailed.
Anderson, 40, could be returned to prison if the appeals court affirms the Aug. 28 contempt citation.
The trainer has been imprisoned twice for refusing to testify before a grand jury investigating whether the Giants slugger committed perjury when he said he never knowingly used steroids.
Anderson's latest jail stint lasted 37 days. He also served 15 days in July and was released when the previous grand jury expired.
He has appealed his contempt jailing on several fronts. Anderson's main contention is that a secret, illegally recorded tape of him discussing Bonds's steroid use is the basis for the grand jury questions he refuses to answer.
Prosecutors, however, say the tape is legal and was made in a face-to-face meeting with Anderson.
Although Alsup dismissed Anderson's tape claim and others, the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeal last week sent Anderson's appeal back to the judge, saying Alsup's ruling was not clear enough.
``This snafu has arisen by an apparent failure by the court to be clear of its findings," Alsup said.
In clarifying his order yesterday, Alsup said he agreed with prosecutors that there was ample evidence beyond the tape to question Anderson.
Burke, who batted .276 with a career-high nine home runs this season, hurt his shoulder crashing into the wall at Denver's Coors Field in May. He then reinjured it in June while batting.
