ERIE, Pa. -- A federal judge wants to hear more arguments for a motion to dismiss criminal charges against Dr. Cyril Wecht, Allegheny County's former medical examiner.

U.S. District Judge Sean McLaughlin has set a teleconference for March 20. McLaughlin has not ruled since he held a hearing on the motion in January.

If McLaughlin feels there's a need to hear more arguments, it suggests he's seriously considering the defense's motion to reconsider rulings by a judge who presided over Wecht's first trial and toss out most or all of the government's case.

Fourteen fraud-related charges remain against Wecht, the 77-year-old Pittsburgh pathologist and former Allegheny County medical examiner.

Federal prosecutors say Wecht used his county staff and resources to benefit his lucrative private practice.

But Wecht's attorneys say the charges are, at best, minor abuses that the government is wrongly combining to reach the threshold for federal crimes.

Wecht's first trial ended with a hung jury and mistrial before U.S. District Judge Arthur Schwab in Pittsburgh.

U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan's office requested a retrial, which was assigned to McLaughlin in Erie.

Because the upcoming conference will be held by phone, Wecht's Pittsburgh-based attorneys won't have to travel to Erie to make their arguments.

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Transcript Of Court Document Ordering Teleconference:

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA UNITED STATES OF AMERICA )
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v. ) 2:06-cr-26
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CYRIL H. WECHT )
O R D E R
AND NOW, to wit, this 9th day of March, 2009, this Court having previously held argument on the Defendant's pending Motion [1008] for Reconsideration of Denial of Rule 29 Motions, Denial of Motion to Dismiss Under 18 U.S.C. Section 666 and Denial of Suppression Motions, and finding now that supplemental argument would materially assist the Court in the proper disposition of said motion, IT IS HEREBY ORDERED THAT a supplemental argument shall be held telephonically on March 20, 2009 at 2:00 pm. Counsel for the Defendant is hereby instructed to initiate the call by contacting opposing counsel and then calling the Court's conference line at (814) 464-9615.
IT IS SO ORDERED.
s/ Sean J. McLaughlin
SEAN J. McLAUGHLIN
United States District Judge
cm: All counsel of record.