Column: Roger Clemens Shutouts Feds 6-0: Feds Should Have Dropped Case

Allan Lengel
By Allan Lengel
ticklethewire.com

Hopefully the case of baseball star Roger Clemens  provides a lesson for the Justice Department.

Yes, it’s wrong to lie to Congress, which is what he was charged with.

Nevertheless, when you have a questionable case — and in this instance a very questionable one — walk away.

The prosecution screwed up in the first trial when it accidentally introduced evidenced that had been barred by the judge. The judge declared a mistrial. He then considered tossing out the case all together.

Clemens was charged with lying to Congress about steroid use.

The judge eventually let the prosecution proceed with a second trial. He could have saved the government some grief by tossing the case.

But noooo.

On Monday, a federal jury in D.C. acquitted Clemens on all six counts.

For a pitcher, that’s known as a shutout.

Not even close: 6-0.

Big loss for the government in a big case.

 

OTHER STORIES OF INTEREST

Leave a Reply