Barry Bonds pleaded not guilty Friday to charges he lied to federal investigators about using performance-enhancing drugs.

The home run king's arraignment in U.S. District Court in San Francisco marked his first public appearance since a Nov. 15 indictment charging him with four counts of perjury and one of obstruction of justice.

Bonds goes past a swarm of reporters at the U.S. federal courthouse in San Francisco, where he entered a not guilty plea on perjury charges.
(Paul Sakuma/Associated Press)

If convicted of all five charges, he could spend more than two years in prison.

Wearing a dark blue suit and tie and accompanied by his wife, Bonds stepped from a black sport-utility vehicle and waded through a crush of television cameras, reporters and onlookers outside the Phillip Burton Federal Building.

Bonds, 43, is accused of lying to a grand jury about his alleged use of performance-enhancing drugs. The federal indictment details 19 instances where it is alleged Bonds lied during his testimony in 2003.

U.S. District Judge Susan Illston ordered Bonds freed on $500,000 US personal recognizance, meaning he won't have to put up any money unless he violates the conditions of his release. He was ordered to return to court Feb. 7.

In an attempt to corral the horde, the court took the rare step of bringing the judges to Bonds rather than requiring him to appear in two courtrooms, as is often the case with routine initial appearances by criminal defendants. Bonds also was to be fingerprinted and have his mugshot taken.

Bonds is accused of repeatedly lying when he testified under oath in 2003 during the Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative case that he never knowingly used performance-enhancing drugs.

Several of Bonds's former associates are expected to contradict that testimony, and prosecutors claim to have a blood test from November 2000 that shows a "Barry B" testing positive for two types of steroids.

Bonds's defence team is expected to attack the credibility of the witnesses, who include Bonds's former mistress and a one-time business partner who had a bitter split with the slugger over memorabilia sales.

Legal experts say the drug test, seized during a raid of the BALCO steroids lab, will also be subject to fierce scrutiny by Bonds's lawyers.

3 teams said to want controversial free agent

Bonds, a seven-time National League most valuable player, is now a free agent after 15 years with the Giants. San Francisco's management have expressed their interest in moving in a younger direction.

Despite his age and the controversy that surrounds him, it has been reported that up to three teams would like to sign Bonds for next season.

"There is no doubt in my mind that Oakland will sign Bonds," said an anonymous major-league executive quoted in the San Francisco Chronicle on Thursday. "I'd be shocked if it didn't happen."

In his 22nd major league season, Bonds hit 28 home runs, breaking Hank Aaron's long-standing record of 756 career home runs. Bonds added 66 runs batted in and led the majors with a .480 on-base percentage.

Overall, Bonds is a career .298 hitter with 762 home runs, 1,996 runs batted in and 514 stolen bases in 2,986 games.