Anabolic Steroids Blog - iSteroids . com » BONDS’ URINE SAMPLE AND ITS USE AS EVIDENCE

BONDS’ URINE SAMPLE AND ITS USE AS EVIDENCE

bonds-steroids Barry Bonds’ defense attorneys will have to prepare several ways to counter the potential evidence that the prosecution might draw from the urine sample that had tested positive for “the cream”, an anabolic steroid. Bonds has always passed the drug tests in the Major Leagues. In 2003, he admitted to have used a “clear” and a “cream” substance but he claimed that he didn’t know that these were steroids. Bonds thought that they were flaxseed oil and something used for arthritis. In 2004, federal agents managed to seize a sample of Bonds’ urine from a laboratory that had done the survey tests for baseball. The sample was re-analyzed and showed a positive result for the designer steroid. Several issues and debates have stemmed from the actions of the investigators. Defense attorneys might try to make the urine sample unusable as evidence since by arguing custody issues. They aren’t even sure if it was legal to seize the sample which was supposed to be destroyed 30 days after the laboratory had done its test. The laboratory that had done the survey test may also be held liable for not following drug testing protocols such as destroying the samples

From Daily News:

MLB and the Players Association agreed to a survey testing program in 2003 to determine the extent of steroid use in the sport. The tests were supposed to be anonymous and players were not disciplined if they tested positive.

The 2003 samples have been the source of a contentious legal battle between the government and baseball since April 2004, when federal agents investigating BALCO executed a search warrant on Quest Diagnostics and Comprehensive Drug Testing in Long Beach, Calif., the labs that coordinated MLB’s drug testing program, and seized the samples.

MLB and the Players Association filed a lawsuit against the government and after several turns through the courts, the case is now being considered by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Bookmark It