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Roger Clemens' Interview on ESPN Radio

By Rick Karcher, Michael McCann, Geoffrey Rapp, Greg Skidmore, and Howard Wasserman

I have a new SI.com column on the legal implications of Roger Clemens' interview this morning on ESPN Radio's Mike & Mike in the Morning. An excerpt of the column is below.

Clemens' decision to appear on Tuesday's radio program probably did not please his attorneys. Persons who are facing possible indictments and criminal trials are typically discouraged by their counsel from answering questions in the absence of legal protections. In addition, by reminding a national audience of the gravity of his alleged crimes and by unequivocally insisting that he is a victim of others' wrongdoing, Clemens makes it harder for the Justice Department to even consider dropping or moderating its case against him. In that same vein, Clemens' decision to appear on a national radio show suggests that his focus is on the "public trial of his reputation," which, if true, may ultimately harm his prospects in a criminal trial of his legal rights. Put another way, Clemens needs to put aside concerns about the public's disbelief in him and focus on the specific goals of defending himself from criminal conviction.

To read the rest of the piece, click here.

Full post as published by Sports Law Blog on May 12, 2009 (boomark / email).