Detroit Mayor Jailed on Bond Violation
Updated: A judge has ordered that Detroit’s mayor, Kwame Kilpatrick, be jailed over a violation of his bond in an ongoing perjury prosecution.
Kilpatrick admittedly violated his bond by making an unauthorized trip to Canada, on city business, without first notifying the court, according to the Detroit Free Press. The mayor is a graduate of Detroit College of Law, notes a biography on the City Mayors website.
“Court officials said Kilpatrick would remain in jail until he either posts the full $75,000 bond or until his lawyers can persuade a Wayne County Circuit Court judge to overturn the decision,” the newspaper writes.
A subsequent New York Times article reported that a court hearing is now planned for Friday. In a written statement, the mayor’s office said that Kilpatrick’s chief of staff, Kandia Milton, is acting mayor while he is jailed and assured residents that “government will continue to operate as usual.”
Kilpatrick’s legal team released this statement today regarding his jailing: “We respectfully disagree with the judges’ decision to choose the most extreme option available to him, an option that wasn’t even requested by the prosecution. We are appealing this decision, and regret that this politically charged atmosphere has had such a profound impact on this case.”
As discussed in earlier ABAJournal.com posts, Kilpatrick and a former top aide are on the hot seat, along with a number of lawyers, concerning an $8.4 million settlement of a police whistle-blower lawsuit. Critics contend that concerns about keeping secret an apparent affair between the mayor and the aide were a significant factor in the settlement.
Earlier coverage:
ABAJournal.com: “10 Detroit Lawyers Probed Over $8.4M Claimed Sex Scandal Cover-up”
ABAJournal.com: “Sex, Lies and Text Messages: Mich. Judge Makes Legal Memo Public”
ABAJournal.com: “How is Detroit Mayor Paying $1M in Personal Legal Bills?”
Updated at 1 p.m., central time, to include New York Times coverage; updated at 2:10 p.m. to include the legal team’s statement.
