Roger Clemens Acquitted Of Six Counts Of Perjury

Roger Clemens has been acquitted today perjury by a federal court. Clemens was accused of lying to Congress during hearings concerning steroid use in Major League Baseball.

Clemens was charged with two counts of perjury, three counts of making false statements, and one count of obstructing Congress. Clemens was one of several players called to testify during Congress’s investigations into the use of performance enhancing drugs by Major League Baseball players four years ago. He emphatically denied doing so.

Clemens spent 23 years as a starting pitcher for four teams. He began his career in 1984 with the Boston Red Sox. In 1997 he left to play for the Toronto Blue Jays despite Boston management’s efforts to keep him. From 1999-2003 he played for the New York Yankees. He then spent two seasons with the Houston Astros before coming back to New York for his final season in 2007. His career win-loss record is 354-184. He is a seven-time Cy Young award winner, appeared in eleven All Star games, and won two World Series with the Yankees.

This trial was his second on these charges. The first ended abruptly in a mistrial when prosecutors showed evidence to the jury that had been excluded by the judge as prejudicial. This second trial lasted ten weeks. Jurors deliberated for 10 hours before reaching their verdict.