(ONN) – The ACLU of Ohio has issued scathing criticism of the roughly 300 mayor’s courts in the state.

According to Cleveland.com, the ACLU has also called for the outright elimination of the courts in Cuyahoga, Summit, Franklin and Hamilton counties, citing “compelling evidence of racial disparities” in Ohio’s largest cities.

Overall, the civil rights group concludes that mayor’s courts, which handle traffic violations and minor misdemeanors that would otherwise be prosecuted in a municipal court, are largely discriminatory, profit-seeking and lacking in transparency.

Among their recommendations, the ACLU says the state should restore funding to municipalities so they are less reliant on fines and fees imposed by their mayor’s courts.