[JURIST] The tax fraud trial of former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi [BBC profile; JURIST news archive] and British lawyer David Mills [Guardian profile] was adjourned Tuesday after the defense applied to have one of the judges taken off the case. Judge Edoardo d'Avossa was involved in other Berlusconi trials, including the "Medusa" case, which resulted in the former prime minister's acquittal on false accounting charges. Proceedings will get underway again Monday.

In July, an Italian judge ruled [JURIST report] that Berlusconi should stand trial on charges of embezzlement, false accounting, tax fraud and money laundering in connection with a TV rights deal involving Berlusconi's company, Mediaset [corporate website]. In October, an Italian court ordered [JURIST report] Berlusconi and Mills to face an additional trial to begin in March 2007. AFP has more.