Posted by Sabrina B. @gametimegirl

Barry Bonds ‘ perjury trial starts Monday in federal court in San Francisco and the judge who will preside over the case has earned a reputation as a fair and unflappable presence on the bench.

U.S. District Judge Susan Illston has handled a huge variety of cases in 16 years since being appointed by President Bill Clinton, but sometimes even her patience has been tried in the buildup to the Bonds trial.

She urged the two sides to reach an agreement before the trial but that apparently went nowhere. And she has decided on a blizzard of motions in the trial, which will undoubtedly draw a great deal of media attention.

-AP