Barry Bonds, on of America’s biggest sluggers, will be in a San Francisco court this morning to face perjury charges and obstruction of justice over an inquiry into steroid use. Bonds is the latest super star athlete involved in growing scandal over performance enhancing drugs.

The San Francisco Giants’ slugger managed to break one of sports’ most revered records as he hit his 755th career home run, but this success was tainted due to constant accusations that he used steroid from a San Francisco company called Balco. The substance he allegedly used had been untraceable.

The investigation carried out into Balco’s activities has already led to the disgrace of other top athletes. One of the best examples is the Olympic sprinter Marion Jones, who had to return the Olympic gold medals she had won at the Sidney Olympics.

Unlike Marion, who confessed that she used banned substances and apologized to all her fans, Barry Bonds continues to deny such accusations and is expected to plead not guilty to four counts of perjury and one count of obstruction.

This court presence will be Bonds’ first public appearance since he was indicted on Nov. 15. The event is expected to draw a massive crowd of journalists, demonstrators and fans.
Some of his former connections are expected to challenge Bonds’ testimony and prosecutors already said they have a blood test from November 2000 that shows the famous slugger testing positive for two types of steroids.

If Bonds is found guilty on the five charges, he could get more than two years of prison time.

"It's going to be a very quick hearing," said Golden Gate University law professor Peter Keane. "He'll have the charges read to him and likely enter a plea."