There are a bunch of stupid thuglings going around the Bay Area right now knocking over restaurants and threatening to shoot folks (these things go sour now and then). But our USA is busy chasing Barry Freaking Bonds. I hope the thuglings start knocking over Gary Danko or wherever this idiot eats out. A gun in his mouth for a few minutes might refocus his priorities.

Full disclosure: a friend's pregnant wife was mugged the other week. I am a little peevish whenever I read about timewasting crap like this.

“Jack-Booted Thug of the Year”

There's something about the word "jackboot" that's always amused me. Maybe that's because when I was book scouting in England in the 80's I kept running across a WWII era title called "Jackboots Over Jersey." Don't know why, but that seemed like a sublime name for a book.

Full disclosure: a friend's pregnant wife was mugged the other week

.

Sorry. Is she OK?

Geez, with such a trolling intro, you'd think the thread would get more play.

But all it takes is for McCain to nominate some Eskimo Chippie as his VP, and all the attention goes elsewhere. Now I know how Barry Obama feels.

Geez, with such a trolling intro, you'd think the thread would get more play.

The problem is that the majority of those who believe that Bonds used steroids, and that his trainer was involved, still think this is a crap move by the government. It's hard to make some people into sympathetic victims, but the feds are doing a great job of it.

Threatening a guys wife is a pretty sleazy way to go about things, whether or not he's guilty.

Threatening a guys wife is a pretty sleazy way to go about things, whether or not he's guilty.

They're not just threatening his wife; they're threatening his wife's mother, too. Which makes it even worse.

They're not just threatening his wife; they're threatening his wife's mother, too. Which makes it even worse.

Definitely. Although of the two, I'd think the shakedown of the wife is probably worse, especially since they seem to be trying to use it to get around the Spousal Privilege.

Incidentally David, how would that apply in this case - since they're trying to get testimony for Bonds, Anderson isn't technically the defendant, but they are holding him on the separate charges.

That's certainly one way to get rid of your mother-in-law! ba-dum-dum

Anderson isn't technically the defendant, but they are holding him on the separate charges.

I thought he was out. The next time they go after him, it will be at the trial, if he refuses to testify.

Geez, with such a trolling intro, you'd think the thread would get more play

Well I'm glad you wrote a catchy enough intro to get me to read the story. I'm appalled.

Nowitzky pops up again. Can't imagine that a prosecutor would feel comfortable foing to trial based on an allegation by Nowitzky, but then I'm certain that the wife and mother-in-law aren't looking forward to anything.

Any purpose served in formally raising malicious prosecution? I'd guess that prosecutors have very wide discretion but this feels so wrong.

Definitely. Although of the two, I'd think the shakedown of the wife is probably worse, especially since they seem to be trying to use it to get around the Spousal Privilege.

Incidentally David, how would that apply in this case - since they're trying to get testimony for Bonds, Anderson isn't technically the defendant, but they are holding him on the separate charges.

It doesn't apply in this case. Spousal privilege has to do with spouse testifying against spouse, but they're not trying to get his wife to testify against him (or vice versa); they're trying to get him to testify against Bonds.

Also, there are no "separate charges" here, and Anderson isn't being held on anything now. If they decide to prosecute Anderson, it will be for criminal contempt, and they won't need his wife or mother-in-law to testify against him.

David, thanks for the clarification. For whatever reason, I missed that Anderson had been released, and thought that he was still being held for his refusal to testify.

Anderson's refusal was to testify before the grand jury; once the indictment was handed down, the grand jury was shut down so there was nothing to hold him in contempt for. (Once Bonds' trial starts, then we can start the process over again and he can go back to jail.)

Witch!!!

This scumbag deserves to be professionally ruined for distorting fair play, and for using immoral means to achieve his ends.

The first name that comes into your mind to fill the role of Scumbag may say something about your priorities as a citizen.

Is anybody else shocked that after six years they don't have enough evidence to toss this witch into the lake. six years! Kind of makes you wonder if any of that trash in "Game of Shadows" was even credible, doesn't it?
Not to mention, the lead investigator didn't even take notes, just did it all from memory.

Sounds to me like the SF Chronicle missed the real game of shadows.

free barry bonds!