"Barry Bonds, the former Giants outfielder and baseball's all-time home-run leader, was convicted Wednesday of obstruction of justice for giving evasive answers to a federal grand jury that questioned him about his use of performance-enhancing drugs.

The jury that convicted Bonds in federal court in San Francisco deadlocked on three perjury charges. U.S. District Judge Susan Illston declared a mistrial on those counts.

The jury returned its verdict after a three-week trial. The panel began its deliberations Friday.

Illston set a May 20 hearing, in part to determine whether the government wants a retrial on the perjury counts. Bonds' lawyer, Allen Ruby, said the defense will ask the judge to throw out the verdict, saying a conviction for obstruction was inconsistent with the jury's deadlock on the perjury counts.

The lone conviction came on a count charging Bonds with intentionally giving evasive, false or misleading testimony. In response to a question about whether his trainer gave him injectable drugs, Bonds gave a rambling answer, saying he was a "celebrity child, not just in baseball, by my own instincts."

Bonds' answer was obstruction of justice, the jury ruled, a deliberate attempt to interfere with the grand jury's probe.

Bonds, 46, showed no reaction to the verdict. He left court without saying anything. A sentencing date was not set, and Bonds remains free. He could be sentenced to two years in prison under federal guidelines, although some legal experts say he is likely to receive no more than house arrest.

U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag said the trial was about truth and justice.

"In the United States, taking an oath and promising to testify truthfully is a serious matter," she said in a statement. "We cannot ignore those who choose instead to obstruct justice."

Outside court, jurors said they unanimously believed Bonds was deliberately evasive in response to questions about whether he had ever been injected with banned drugs."