A judge ruled Friday that the Bengals' lease agreement for Paul Brown Stadium is legal.

        Common Pleas Judge Thomas Nurre threw out a lawsuit that claimed Hamilton County officials broke the law by giving the football team too much control over development around the $453 million stadium.

        The judge concluded that no state laws prohibit the county from making such a deal.

        The lawsuit was filed by Cincinnati attorney Tim Mara, who contends the county's deal with the Bengals is too lopsided in favor of the team.

        Mr. Mara has said the lease is nothing more than an expensive government subsidy of a private business.

        The judge's decision Friday focused only on the issue of development around the stadium. Mr. Mara's lawsuit included other complaints about the lease, but all of those were thrown out in earlier rulings by Judge Nurre.

        Mr. Mara had argued that the lease is illegal because it gives the Bengals the right to approve economic development around the stadium.

        He said Ohio law only gives county officials the authority to lease property to the team.

        The judge, however, said the law does not prohibit the county's deal with the team.

        Mr. Mara said he may appeal the judge's decision. “I think there is reason to believe these clauses violate state law,” Mr. Mara said.

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