Barry Bonds former girlfriend provide lurid testimony about the size and shape of Barry Bonds testicles in federal court this week as one of the government’s star witnesses. Kimberly Bell testified that Bond’s testicles shrunk at one point during their nine-year relationship.
Testicular atrophy is a well-known side effect of anabolic steroids. However, observation of changes in testicular size by a third-party may be less-than-accurate.
Cristina Arguedas, one of Barry Bonds’ attorneys, pointed out to Judge Susan Illston that Bell provided contradictory testimony this week concerning Barry Bonds’ ball size. Bell apparently told the grand jury investigating the BALCO steroid scandal that Bonds testicles shrunk “by half”. Bell acknowledged during the current Bonds perjury trial that, while his testicles became smaller, they did not shrink as much as she claimed during her grand jury testimony.
After a couple of witnesses took the stand this morning, the jury was cleared and Bonds’ lawyers told the judge that Kimberly Bell — Bonds’ ex-girlfriend — testified about Bonds’ testicle shrinkage differently yesterday than she did before the grand jury. Back in 2003, Bonds’ lawyers say, Bell said Bonds’ testicles shrunk by 50%. Yesterday she said that they had shrunk, but not by as much.
The contradictory testimony, and possibility that Bell perjured herself in front of the very same grand jury that Bonds is accused of knowingly lying about his steroid use, could potentially discredit the government’s star witness in the eyes of the jury. There is a possibility that the judge could completely throw out the testimony of Bell or simply instruct the jury to disregard contradictory statements made by the witness.
At any rate, Bell’s contradictory testimony could very well hurt the prosecution. Even if the prosecution prevails with a conviction, the contradictory testimony and the defense claim that the prosecution withheld knowledge of those contradictions, could be the basis of an appeal.
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