Court clears France’s justice minister of conflict of interest

PARIS (AP) — A special court has cleared France’s justice minister of conflict of interest, ruling he was not guilty of having used his office to settle personal scores. Once a high-profile lawyer, Eric Dupond-Moretti was accused of abusing his position to order probes targeting magistrates who investigated him, his friends and his former clients. Wednesday’s ruling marked a victory for Dupond-Moretti, who had denied wrongdoing and refused to resign. He was tried in a court for alleged wrongdoing by the government, the Court of Justice of the Republic. The proceedings marked the first time in modern France that a government minister was put on trial while still in office, according to legal historians.