NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A federal court has ruled that officials in a Louisiana city do not have a conflict of interest involving fines and fees collected by a city court.

A 2017 lawsuit claimed the “Mayor's Court” in Gretna collects fines and fees that go into the city's general fund.

The suit claimed that's an incentive for officials to prosecute minor crimes.

But a federal magistrate judge says the system is structured so that the court officials would not be tempted to prosecute or convict for financial reasons.

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