Opening arguments in Clemens trial to begin Monday

WASHINGTON -- Opening statements in the perjury trial of Roger Clemens are scheduled to begin Monday afternoon, the federal judge presiding over the case said after the court finished the arduous process of qualifying a jury pool of 36 during the trial's first week.

The next step in jury selection is whittling the jury pool to the 12 men and women, plus four alternates, through the strike process, which U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton said will occur when court proceedings resume Monday morning.

Walton closed court earlier than normal Thursday afternoon, without listening to defense arguments over whether Andy Pettitte should be allowed to testify about receiving human growth hormone from the same trainer as Clemens.

The judge said he had a previous speaking engagement; there is no court on Fridays in the case.

Walton said he will listen to arguments and rule on the Pettitte motion, as well as on another motion filed earlier this week by Clemens' lawyers that argued that the 2008 congressional hearing in which Clemens and trainer Brian McNamee testified was not constitutional because it did not have a legislative purpose.

Clemens, a former star pitcher for the Yankees, faces three counts of making false statements, two counts of perjury and one of obstruction of Congress. He testified under oath that he has never taken steroids or human growth hormone while McNamee, of Long Beach, testified that he injected the pitcher with performance-enhancing drugs in 1998, 2000 and 2001.