A federal court judge on Friday granted Baltimore more time to file a new discrimination complaint against mortgage-lender Wells Fargo Bank, which city leaders had asked for in the hopes that they could instead reach a deal "without the need for further litigation."

An earlier lawsuit, alleging that the bank targeted minority borrowers for bad loans, was dismissed in January as too broad and "not plausible."

U.S. District Court Judge J. Frederick Motz left the door open for the city to file a narrower suit by March 12, however.

City attorneys filed a motion Thursday asking for an extension to April 9 "to permit the parties to undertake substantive communications," the document states.