METRO DATELINES; Charges Are Severed In the Steinberg Trial

METRO DATELINES; Charges Are Severed In the Steinberg Trial

LEAD: Drug and weapon charges were ordered severed yesterday from the trial of Joel B. Steinberg, who is accused of second-degree murder in the death of Lisa Steinberg, the 6-year-old girl he and his companion, Hedda Nussbaum, illegally adopted.

Drug and weapon charges were ordered severed yesterday from the trial of Joel B. Steinberg, who is accused of second-degree murder in the death of Lisa Steinberg, the 6-year-old girl he and his companion, Hedda Nussbaum, illegally adopted.

In putting aside these charges for a separate trial, Acting Justice Harold J. Rothwax ruled in State Supreme Court in Manhattan that there was no evidence that they had a strong bearing on the murder charge. Mr. Steinberg's lawyer, Ira D. London, had requested the severance.

Mr. Steinberg is charged with illegal possession of a .45-caliber revolver and the criminal possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia.

Robert M. Morgenthau, the Manhattan District Attorney, previously had dropped drug charges against Ms. Nussbaum, who is recovering from severe beatings, which he said were inflicted by Mr. Steinberg. Mr. Morgenthau is also considering dropping murder charges against her in the hope that she will become a prosecution witness in the murder trial, which is scheduled to begin this fall.