LOS ANGELES - A federal judge late Friday released the Los Angeles Police Department from an eight-year settlement to reduce corruption and police brutality, finding that it had made substantial reforms.

Under the decision, a federally appointed monitor would be phased out over three years as the judge, Gary A. Feess, assumed direct oversight of final reforms at the department including reducing racial bias in searches and arrests, a financial disclosure policy for certain kinds of investigators, a better system to track problem officers and closer monitoring of antigang enforcement.

The consent decree was initiated in 2001 after a decade that included episodes like the Rodney King beating in 1991 and the Rampart corruption scandal, which involved police officers stealing illegal drugs, framing gang members and committing extortion.

Chief William J. Bratton had pushed for the end of the consent decree, which he argued had become unnecessary and financially burdensome.

A spokeswoman for the chief, Mary Brady, said Chief Bratton was "very pleased with the judge's decision and agrees that primary oversight of the department should now be the responsibility of the police commission and the office of the inspector general."

Despite Chief Bratton's criticism of the duration of the consent decree, Ms. Brady said, he recognized that the federal monitoring program had restored improved relations between the department and the public.

Judge Feess extended the consent decree twice in the last month. The decision on Friday followed testimony last month by Michael G. Cherkasky, the federally appointed monitor, in which he urged the judge to lift the consent decree as a recognition of the department's success so far and as an encouragement to other departments under similar reform agreements with the Justice Department.

Critics including the American Civil Liberties Union argued that the department had improved its record but was not yet ready to emerge from the consent decree.

Recent studies by the department showed that minorities were still more likely to be stopped and searched by Los Angeles police officers and that officers used force against black people and Latinos more frequently than against white people.

The sweeping monitoring agreement spanned three police chiefs and three mayors. Studies conducted under the consent decree determined that the department had engaged in pattern of false arrests, unreasonable searches and use of excessive force especially in minority communities.

The court mandated more training for officers and revamped police procedures.