Clemens lawyer: U.S. case is 'garbage'

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WASHINGTON, April 24 (UPI) -- The attorney defending Roger Clemens Tuesday ripped the U.S. government's case against the former major league ace as "garbage."

In his opening statement at Clemens' perjury trial in Washington, attorney Rusty Hardin also called star prosecution witness Brian McNamee a liar.

Clemens is being tried for a second time on obstruction of Congress, perjury and making false statements charges for testifying before Congress that he never took steroids and human growth hormone.

"It is the most mixed-up hodgepodge of garbage you could ever imagine," Hardin said of the government's case, noting evidence of alleged injections McNamee gave Clemens had been kept in a gym bag with beer cans.

Hardin told the jury of 10 women and six men, including four alternates, McNamee was seeking the spotlight in making his claims against Clemens, noting the former trainer's appearance on Howard Stern's radio show and the book he has written, ABC reported.

"Is there any market for this book if he hadn't made these allegations?" Hardin asked the jury.

Hardin described Clemens' work ethic during his career and showed pictures indicating his body never changed the way steroid use would have affected it.

Clemens' first trial was declared a mistrial.