Four ousted traffic court judges in Philadelphia have been convicted of lying to authorities but cleared of most charges in a sweeping ticket-fixing case.
Two other judges and a businessman were acquitted in federal court Wednesday.
The indictment last year portrayed the city's traffic court as a patronage pit, and said judges routinely fixed tickets for friends and allies. Several judges pleaded guilty before trial.
The jury then convicted ex-judges Michael Lowry, Robert Mulgrew and Thomasine Tynes of perjury, and Willie Singletary of lying to the FBI.
Defense lawyers had argued that giving insiders "consideration" was long a tradition — and not deemed illegal.
All of the trial defendants were acquitted of the lead conspiracy and fraud charges.
Philadelphia traffic cases are now handled by the city's municipal court.
