A New York magistrate judge has said that the government can’t compel Apple to unlock an iPhone involved in a criminal investigation.

In a ruling filed today, Judge James Orenstein has said that he must “reject the government’s interpretation that the [All Writs Act] empowers a court to grant any relief not outright prohibited by law.” This decision is the latest development in a months-long case that may serve as a precursor to the iPhone maker’s larger confrontation with the FBI.

Judge Lucy Koh handed Apple an injunction against Samsung selling their Galaxy Tab 10.1 in the US in the latest round of legal warfare between the two companies. Her decision comes after her previous denial of Apple’s request as well as a federal appeals court ruling for her to reconsider the request.

A US judge today set a trial date for the US government’s lawsuit that accuses Apple and book publishers of conspiracy to fix the price of e-books. The case will begin June 3, 2013 and is based in part on antitrust charges, with the US Justice Department claiming that Apple colluded with five book publishers to artificially inflate electronic book prices in early 2010, when Apple was releasing the iPad.