The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund has revealed that in his latest ruling Judge Larry Salmon has further consolidated the number of counts brought against Georgia retailer Gordon Lee.  The judge had previously dismissed counts 1 and 2, the felony counts, and counts 6 & 7 (see 'Four of Seven Counts Dismissed'), and he has now ruled that the prosecutor must choose between counts 3 & 4, which he termed 'materially indistinguishable, and that count 5 can proceed to trial.

While the judge's rulings do not represent a complete victory for Mr. Lee and the CBLDF, the comic book retailer now faces trial on two misdemeanor counts rather than the original charges, which included two felonies and five misdemeanor counts.  The CBLDF, which has already spent more than $40,000 defending Mr. Lee, will need to spend the next few months accumulating funds for the trial, which probably won't take place until spring.