After more than 11 years in court, Barry Bonds has been cleared in a federal court of appeals.
Baseball's all-time home run leader had his obstruction of justice conviction thrown out on Wednesday. The ruling was 10-1 that his answer before a grand jury in 2003 was not material to the government's investigation into illegal performance-enhancing drugs distribution.
"Today's news is something that I have long hoped for," Bonds said in a statement. "I am humbled and truly thankful for the outcome as well as the opportunity our judicial system affords to all individuals to seek justice."
Bonds broke Hank Aaron's long-standing career record of 755 homers in 2007, finished that season with 762 and was indicted that December for his testimony before a grand jury investigating the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative, in which he answered a question about injections by saying he was "a celebrity child."
"I think sadly his reputation has been tarnished, not because of the indictment or the reversal, but because of all the PED use," former baseball commissioner Fay Vincent said. "I think the public has made up its mind."