ticklethewire.com
That was quick.
U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton declared a mistrial Thursday on the second day of testimony in D.C. federal court in the perjury trial of pitching legend Roger Clemens, who was accused of lying about steroid use.
MSNBC reports that the judge declared the mistrial after the prosecution introduced evidence against his orders.
The Washington Post reported that the judge will hear arguments in coming weeks about the possibility of a retrial.
The Post’s Del Quentin Wilber reported that the mistrial request came from the defense after the prosecution mistakenly played a portion of Congressional testimony.
The testimony, the Post reported, had a reference to the wife of former pitcher Andy Pettitte, a friend and former teammate of Clemens.
The Post reported that Pettitte told Congressional investigators Clemens confided in him about taking performance-enhancing substance.
The Post also reported that Pettitte told told Congressional investigators he mentioned that to his wife Laurie, who ended up providing an affidavit to Congress.
The Post reported that Walton had barred prosecutors from mentioning Laurie Pettitte’s statements in trial because it would be unfair to Clemens.
