Menendez Seeking Mistrial After Ethics Lawyer Barred From Giving Testimony

The judge in the corruption trial of U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, D-New Jersey, is expected to rule Monday on a defense motion for a mistrial.

Thursday's mistrial motion was prompted by a ruling from U.S. District Judge William Walls that barred the defense from presenting testimony from Marc Elias, a Perkins Coie lawyer who represented Menendez in an ethics probe by the U.S. Senate before his indictment. Defense lawyers also cited several prior rulings by Walls limiting what evidence the defense could present the jury to support the mistrial motion.

Lawyers for Menendez and for co-defendant Salomon Melgen sought to present testimony from Elias on his representation of the senator in the 2012 inquiry, but a prosecutor objected, claiming Elias' testimony would constitute hearsay because it would represent Menendez's testimony to the Senate ethics committee.