Mistrial declared in Notorious B.I.G. wrongful death lawsuit: LAPD Deliberately Withheld Evidence

A federal judge on Wednesday declared a mistrial in the Notorious B.I.G. wrongful death case, setting the stage for the rap star's family to file a new lawsuit seeking to link his unsolved 1997 killing to the Los Angles Police Department's Rampart corruption scandal.

U.S. District Judge Florence-Marie Cooper's ruling came after she expressed concern at a hearing Tuesday that the LAPD had deliberately withheld evidence. Her clerk and attorneys on both sides confirmed the ruling; a written order was to be issued Thursday.

There were only three days of testimony in the trial, which began June 21 but was interrupted when an anonymous tip led to the discovery of large numbers of LAPD documents that hadn't been turned over to family attorneys.

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