A scathing report by the New Orleans Inspector General and a new lawsuit against the city’s judges rely heavily on a California Law Review article by Micah West ’13. Both assert that the New Orleans court system unfairly funds most of its operation—and creates conflicts of interest—by imposing fees on convicted defendants. West’s article detailed how the city’s courts have a financial incentive to detain and convict defendants, compromising judicial impartiality and defendants’ constitutional rights.