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Bonds Seeks To Exclude Girlfriend's Voice Mails

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS / AP) -- Barry Bonds' lawyers in his perjury trial are objecting to the introduction of voice mails the former baseball star left with his girlfriend.

In the voice mails, Bonds sounds irritated because he can't reach the girlfriend in most of the 11 messages Kimberly Bell collected between 1994 and 2003. Prosecutors want to play the recordings for the jury to bolster their contention that Bonds' short temper was a side effect of steroid use.

Bonds is charged with lying to a grand jury when he said he never knowingly took steroids. His trial starts March 21.

Bonds lawyers say the recordings don't prove steroid use because they argue cross words naturally occur between lovers. They also argue the recordings will unduly prejudice the jury by casting Bonds in an unflattering light.

The judge hears arguments March 17.

(Copyright 2011 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services may have contributed to this report.)

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