21.   Other lawyers said the prosecutors, too, might be emboldened by the mistrial to up the ante in any plea negotiations.

22.   So lawyers were saying Wednesday that, despite new suggestions of plea negotiations, the mistrial may encourage Kelly to take his chances with another jury.

23.   Sources familiar with the case say that the airing of such criticisms may have damaged the ongoing plea negotiations.

24.   The documents show that a prosecutor, Kenneth M. Karas, wrote regularly to Peck, asking that he maintain the secrecy because Mohamed was in plea negotiations.

25.   The evidence they offered was then used as the basis for the plea negotiations.

26.   The ruling will not necessarily block plea negotiations.

27.   They have been consulted for some time by prosecutors about the progress of plea negotiations with Pang, according to lawyers familiar with the case.

28.   But plea negotiations broke down a few weeks ago because Fortier was not offering enough information, a federal law enforcement source has said on condition of anonymity.

29.   Caravaggio was the last holdout in plea negotiations, which began several months ago.

30.   Government officials said they also have the option of resuming plea bargain negotiations or of dropping the charge and trying to deport al-Sayegh to Saudi Arabia.