Michael Rains told the San Jose Mercury News baseball's home run king did not lie to a federal grand jury probing the BALCO steroid ring.

Documents were filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in San Francisco in connection with Bonds' Dec. 4, 2003, grand jury appearance. Bonds told the grand jury he did not knowingly take performance enhancing drugs supplied by Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative.

His former mistress, Kimberly Bell, has said BALCO supplied him the performance-enhancing drug, and claims he told her he used them.

"Everybody has an opinion about Barry," Rains told the newspaper in his first comprehensive interview since the indictments were announced. "A lot of people love and respect him and a lot of people dislike him. He understands that."

Bonds is scheduled for a court appearance Dec. 7.