Judge Orders NJ Attorney Paul Bergrin Tried on 26 Counts

A federal judge has approved a motion by prosecutors to present a racketeering case in its entirety against a prominent New Jersey defense attorney.

The Record reports that Paul Bergrin will face 26 counts alleging he conspired to commit acts of murder, witness tampering, cocaine trafficking, traveling in aid of a racketeering enterprise, bribery, prostitution and money laundering.

Paul Bergrin's first trial ended in a hung jury.

He had been petitioning for his retrial to have the murder counts severed from the more than two dozen other counts he faces.

U.S. District Judge Dennis M. Cavanaugh made the ruling Wednesday in a federal court in Newark.

An attorney assisting Paul Bergrin, who is representing himself, tells the newspaper Paul Bergrin was disappointed by the judge's ruling.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)