A $61-million award against NEC was thrown out.

The jury award for libel, breach of contract and fraud against NEC Electronics was thrown out by a judge who said he made two erroneous rulings during the trial. He ordered a new trial. The award was to John David Haun, 45, of Los Altos, Calif., who at one time was the top salesman of integrated circuits for NEC, the American subsidiary of NEC Corp. of Japan. In tossing out the verdict, Santa Clara Superior Court Judge Taketsugu Takei said evidence presented at the four-week trial in April did not sustain the large money award.