Judge Dismisses Charges Against Hot Dog Vendor

In the interest of justice--if not indigestion--a judge on Monday threw out all charges against hot dog vendor Michael Mikhail after a public defender cited evidence of improprieties involving prosecution witnesses and coercion inside the jury room.

The 59-year-old Egyptian immigrant, whose Tasty Hasty Dogs have attracted a loyal following to his cart outside the Paramount Building in the Mid-Wilshire area, was found guilty last month of chopping and grilling fresh onions and ladling chili onto his Tasty Hasties. But after much deliberation, the jury voted to acquit him of operating a dirty cart. It was unable to agree on whether he habitually left the lids off his condiment containers.

A jubilant Mikhail vowed to kiss the ground and hoist a brand-new American flag on his cart when he resumes serving up the sizzling dogs today--minus, alas, both freshly chopped onion and chili.