Bonds' hearing postponed until June 17

SAN FRANCISCO - Barry Bonds' post-trial hearing was postponed from tomorrow to June 17, giving prosecutors more time to consider whether to retry the home run king and allowing the former player's lawyers another month to sharpen their arguments for throwing out the lone conviction.

The seven-time NL MVP was convicted of one count of obstruction of justice April 13 for giving an evasive answer in 2003 to a grand jury investigating the distribution of performance-enhancing drugs.

The federal court jury, which deliberated for 4 days, deadlocked on three counts charging the former San Francisco Giants star with making false statements when he denied knowingly using performance-enhancing drugs and when he said only his doctors injected him.

Bonds' lawyers and federal prosecutors announced an agreement on the delay yesterday.

The deadline for Bonds' motions asking U.S. District Judge Susan Illston to overrule the jury and find him not guilty on the obstruction count or - alternatively - to order a new trial also was reset to June 17.

Prosecutors have not said whether they will retry Bonds on the three counts on which the jury deadlocked.

In a filing to the court, prosecutors said both sides agreed on the delay "to evaluate the basis and need for post-trial motions, to evaluate witness availability in the event of a retrial, and to ensure counsel has the time necessary for effective preparation of post-trial and pretrial motions in the event of a possible retrial."

The 46-year-old Bonds faces up to 10 years in prison on the obstruction conviction, but federal guidelines call for 15 to 21 months. For similar offenses, Illston sentenced cyclist Tammy Thomas to 6 months of home confinement.