Jurors to hear closing arguments in Clemens case

Washington—After eight weeks, jurors are finally getting to hear closing arguments in the Roger Clemens perjury trial Tuesday, and they are expected to begin deliberations later in the day. U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton said Tuesday he would allow jurors to consider one of the false statements Clemens is alleged to have made to Congress in his 2008 deposition, about whether he was at a pool party hosted by then-teammate Jose Canseco on June 9, 1998. The day before, the judge had said he would consider tossing the alleged false statement, in which Clemens said he was not at Canseco’s house on or around that day.

“I will permit it to go the jury, although I have some concerns,” Walton said Tuesday, before jurors entered the room. Prosecutors have connected Clemens’ alleged attendance to steroids use in vague terms: Clemens’ chief accuser, his former strength coach, Brian McNamee, testified he saw Clemens talking at the party to Canseco, identified to the jury as a steroids user, and a third man, just days before Clemens allegedly asked McNamee for a first injection of steroids.

Clemens’ denial of being at Canseco’s house is one of 13 alleged Clemens lies cited in the count charging the former baseball pitcher with obstructing Congress.—AP