Judge: Clemens team broke court rules

WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 (UPI) -- A legal team working for former major league pitcher Roger Clemens improperly contacted jurors in his perjury case, a federal judge said Wednesday.

U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton said in a letter to the jurors that investigators working for Clemens' defense team broke court rules by contacting them after a mistrial was granted.

Clemens was granted a mistrial July 14 by Walton after he ruled the prosecution had presented evidence deemed inadmissible.

The one-time Hall of Fame candidate is now set to be retried next year on charges he lied to Congress while under oath about his alleged steroid use -- jury selection for the next trial is set to begin April 17.

In the letter to the first panel's members, Walton asked them if they would be willing to speak with prosecutors about the incidents, court documents indicated.