WASHINGTON—A federal judge on Tuesday declared a mistrial in the government’s embezzlement case against Michael Avenatti, giving the already convicted celebrity lawyer a temporary reprieve as he defends against a slew of criminal charges.
U.S. District Judge James Selna in Santa Ana, California, said Avenatti was entitled to a new trial because prosecutors had failed to turn over relevant billing-related evidence. Avenatti, 50, who is representing himself, had argued that the evidence might be exculpatory, and that the failure to turn it over undermined his ability to mount a defense.
