http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap...e9GuWg?docId=cf9793db06b8446a81a3b56b13ad24af
Armstrong's popularity, his wealth, his ties to powerful figures including former U.S. presidents, his vehement denials, scores of clean drug tests — and, above all, his status as a cancer survivor and advocate for eradicating the disease — make him an incredibly tough target.
But for those who believe Armstrong cheated, all of those obstacles are less important than striking perhaps the biggest blow to date against performance-enhancing drugs.
"If you're going to aim that high you'd better be sure you have a rock-solid case," said a former federal prosecutor, Laurie Levenson of Loyola University Law School. "Jurors will want more than proof beyond a reasonable doubt when you're trying to bring down one of their heroes. They will want proof beyond any doubt."
Armstrong's popularity, his wealth, his ties to powerful figures including former U.S. presidents, his vehement denials, scores of clean drug tests — and, above all, his status as a cancer survivor and advocate for eradicating the disease — make him an incredibly tough target.
But for those who believe Armstrong cheated, all of those obstacles are less important than striking perhaps the biggest blow to date against performance-enhancing drugs.
"If you're going to aim that high you'd better be sure you have a rock-solid case," said a former federal prosecutor, Laurie Levenson of Loyola University Law School. "Jurors will want more than proof beyond a reasonable doubt when you're trying to bring down one of their heroes. They will want proof beyond any doubt."