Barry Bonds Calls Himself a 'Convicted Felon,' Looks for Work

Barry Bonds is a convicted felon and the media is making a big deal about it. Or at least the fact that he openly refers to himself as being one.

Reporters caught up with the ex-slugger at a Giants game on Monday, a little over a year after he was convicted of obstructing justice. Though he's currently appealing the conviction, Bonds is still looking forward to a time when his legal troubles are over.

In a recent meeting with Giants president Larry Baer, he's said to have brought up the possibility of working with the team in the near future.

Bonds is lucky that manager Bruce Bochy told the Associated Press that he'd welcome the convict back into the fold. But again, Bonds is not your ordinary felon.

Not only has he been convicted of a relatively low-level offense, he has a name and (albeit iffy) reputation to fall back on. People know him and he has a discernible skill (hitting) that is hard to find. In other words, it'll never be incredibly difficult for Barry Bonds to find a job.

Most felons don't share this experience. Employers often won't hire felons, who also may not be able to vote or own guns. If a person is convicted of a violent felony, they can almost forget about finding a job without backing from a government program. The same goes for a convicted felon like Barry Bonds who was essentially convicted of lying.

Employers don't like liars.

So while it's great that Barry Bonds, the convicted felon, is trying to get back out into the world, he's operating under a completely different set of circumstances than those in the same position.

Related Resources:

• Barry Bonds eager to move on following conviction (Los Angeles Times)
• Do Some Laws Keep Ex-Convicts From Finding Work? (FindLaw Blotter)
• Barry Bonds Convicted: Guilty of Obstruction of Justice (FindLaw's Tarnished Twenty)