DC District Court Judge Amit Mehta threw out some of the government's claims but ruled that a trial was still necessary.

Some of the government's claims were dismissed, including those put together by a consortium of state attorneys general that argued the way Google designed its search engine page was unfairly harming competitors like Yelp.

Judge Mehta said the allegations that Google's overall business practices constitute a monopoly that violates the 1890 Sherman Antitrust Act still deserve a trial.

The charges he threw out where only a slight victory for Google’s legal team.  It did narrow the DoJ’s case against the search engine outfit to just the strongest claims. If it wins Google would be a hot mess and be in big trouble.

The trial will be a significant test for Google and the massive business empire it has assembled over the past two decades. The company is still the dominant portal to the internet, exercising immense power over what people see online. The eventual ruling will also be seen as a test for the U.S. government's more aggressive posture on antitrust.