What are the chances Roger Clemens serves jail time for lying to Congress about using steroids?
If Roger Clemens doesn’t accept a plea deal — which, at present, seems unlikely — the odds are high he will do time. But it’s not the slam-dunk some are predicting. A federal grand jury Thursday indicted Clemens on six felony counts, charging he obstructed Congress, made false statements and committed perjury when, in February 2008, he told the House Committee on Oversight that he never took performance-enhancing drugs. If convicted, the seven-time Cy Young Award winner could serve 21 months in prison. But will he? A few things to keep in mind as the case unfolds. This is a federal case, and federal prosecutors don’t like losing. And they rarely do, boasting a 95 percent conviction rate — far higher than their counterparts in state attorneys’ offices. And judging by the U.S. attorney prosecuting the case, Ronald C. Machen Jr., there’s little indication he will be cut any slack. “The Department of Justice takes referrals from Congressional Committees very seriously,” Machen Jr. sai
