Barry Bonds pleads not guilty to perjury

Barry Bonds pleaded not guilty on Friday to charges that he lied before a grand jury. The former San Francisco Giants player entered the plea to U.S. Magistrate Judge Bernard Zimmerman at an arraignment in federal court in San Francisco on Friday.

Bonds is charged with 14 felony counts of lying under oath to a grand jury in 2003 when he said he never knowingly took steroids or performance-enhancing drugs. He also faces one count of obstruction of justice, according to the New York Times.

Bonds, 43, comes from a family of athletes. He is the son of former major league All-Star Bobby Bonds, the godson of Hall of Famer Willie Mays, the nephew of 1964 Olympian Rosie Bonds, and a distant cousin of Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson. Bonds broke Hank Aaron's home run record last year, but he is unsigned this season, AP reported. He says he has been "hanging out with my family and staying in shape."

His trial is set to begin March 2, 2009.