Judge removes counts from N.J. lawyer's trial

NEWARK, N.J. - The legal haggling continues in the case of a well-known New Jersey lawyer charged with conspiring to murder two witnesses.

Paul Bergrin's first murder trial ended with a deadlocked jury last month. He is set to go on trial next month on separate charges that include trying to have a different witness killed.

U.S. District Judge William J. Martini ruled Tuesday that the government cannot try Bergrin on all of the other counts from a 2009 indictment, including racketeering.

The U.S. Attorney's Office wants to try Bergrin on all of the counts and will appeal the ruling. The office also is appealing Martini's decision to exclude some evidence from last month's trial. Bergrin has been in jail since his May 2009 arrest. - AP