Detroit Mayor, Kwame Kilpatrick Scandal
Kwame Malik Kilpatrick, (born June 6, 1970) is the mayor of Detroit, Michigan. Elected at the age of 31, he is the youngest mayor in the history of Detroit. Kilpatrick served as the leader of the Democratic Caucus when elected to the Michigan State House of Representatives, making him the first African American to hold a leadership position in Michigan's Legislature. He is currently Vice President of the National Conference of Democratic Mayors and its representative to the Democratic National Committee. Kilpatrick briefly addressed the 2004 Democratic National Convention.
The mayoral terms of Kilpatrick have been plagued with controversies which have included allegations of marital infidelity, conspiracy, perjury, and murder. Kilpatrick is the only mayor in the history of Detroit and the only current mayor of any major U.S. city to be charged with a felony while in office.
On March 24, 2008, Kilpatrick was charged with eight felony counts, including perjury, misconduct in office, and obstruction of justice. If found guilty of felony perjury, Kilpatrick could be disbarred and could be jailed for up to 15 years per count. He may also lose his mayoralty. The recent controversies have prompted calls for his resignation, an ethics probe, and a recall election campaign to have Kilpatrick removed from office.
On May 13, 2008, the Detroit City Council approved a resolution to request that Michigan's governor, Jennifer Granholm, remove Kwame Kilpatrick from office.
On August 7, 2008, Mayor Kilpatrick was incarcerated in the Wayne County Jail upon an order issued by Judge Ronald Giles for violating the terms of his bond (by traveling to Canada and failing to notify the court), becoming the first mayor in Detroit's history to be ordered to jail while in office. On August 8, 2008, Michigan's Attorney General, Mike Cox, announced two new felony counts had been filed against Kilpatrick for assaulting and interfering with a law officer.
On August 26, 2008, Gov. Jennifer Granholm announced that she will subject Kilpatrick to a hearing September 3 on whether to remove him from office.
Resource...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kwame_Kilpatrick
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09/04/09 Update
Kilpatrick Pleads Guilty
Embattled Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick pleaded guilty Thursday to charges resulting from a sex scandal and submitted his resignation to the governor -- effective in two weeks.
Prompted by the judge to recount his wrongdoing, Kilpatrick admitted Thursday, "I lied under oath in the case of Gary Brown and Harold Nelthrope versus the city of Detroit. ... I did so with the intent to mislead the court and the jury and to impede and obstruct the fair administration of justice."
Kilpatrick had faced eight felony counts. As part of the agreement, six counts related to misconduct in office were dropped, and a perjury count was changed to a second obstruction of justice charge.
Read full article details here...
http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/09/04/detroit.mayor/index.html
09/04/08
Plea deal in the works?
Mayor of detroit wrestles with decision
A plea deal is expected soon in the case of Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick.
The Wayne County prosecutor's office, which has charged Kilpatrick with eight felonies in the perjury case, said the plea would take place during a scheduled docket conference before Circuit Court Judge David Groner Thursday morning. A hearing expected late Wednesday afternoon was abruptly canceled.
And while the mayor's lawyers later insisted that no deal had been struck, Kilpatrick spokesman Chris Garrett confirmed negotiations toward a plea were continuing.
Gov. Granholm heard evidence Wednesday over allegations that Mr. Kilpatrick deliberately concealed information from the City Council in an $8.4 million settlement of whistleblower lawsuits.
As it stood Wednesday night, the deal, according to a source familiar with the negotiations, calls for the mayor pleading guilty to two felonies -- both counts dealing with obstruction of justice by committing perjury, four months in jail, $1 million in restitution, and five years' probation during which he would not run for office. The mayor also would turn over his state pension to the City of Detroit. The source stressed the situation remained fluid. James Thomas, one of Kilpatrick's attorneys, said Wednesday evening that the mayor was negotiating jail time, which would be a change in Kilpatrick's earlier reported stance that he would not agree to any deal that would put him behind bars.
Meanwhile, the Michigan attorney general's office, which is prosecuting the mayor on the assault charges, said it has no deal with Kilpatrick to close that case.
"We are ready to proceed to trial," spokesman Rusty Hills said. "These are serious offenses the mayor is charged with that involved officers in the performance of their duty."
Resources...
http://www.woodtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=8947298&nav=0Rcedls9
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080903/ap_on_re_us/detroit_mayor
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122047491612696351.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080904/NEWS01/809040373&imw=Y