WDET News
- Kilpatrick Resigns As Part Of Plea Deal
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Sep 4, 2008General
Detroit Mayor Kwame KilpatrickDetroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick agreed Thursday to leave office as part of a plea deal, ending a legal drama that has consumed Detroit for nearly a year. Kilpatrick faced eight felonies ranging from perjury to misconduct in office. As Detroit Public Radio’s Noah Ovshinsky reports…the Mayor now admits to lying under oath during a whistleblowers trial.
SOQ
When Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick took office six years ago at age 31, he was heralded by many as the future of Michigan’s Democratic Party. He made in his name as a state lawmaker and many here expected him to breathe new life into this struggling city. That was then. This was today.
“I lied under oath in the case of Gary Brown and Harold Ne lthrope versus the city of Detroit case numbers 03317557NZ...”
Mayor Kilpatrick admitted today that he lied under oath, twice. The mayor pled guilty to two counts of obstruction of justice. Six other charges, including perjury, were dismissed. Although the case was officially resolved Thursday, the Mayor said in court that he believes the outcome was predetermined. Here’s an exchange between Kilpatrick and Judge David Groner.
“Mr. Kilpatrick…you understand by pleading guilty your gonna give up certain constitutional rights. One is the right to tried by a jury. Do you understand that?"
Under the plea deal reached with prosecutors, Kilpatrick must serve up to four months in jail, resign his office…surrender his law license…and pay a significant fine. Peter Henning teaches criminal law at Wayne State University. He says given the charges…it was a fair resolution.
“You can’t say he got off light given the amount of the restitution of million dollars and having to serve jail time. That’s always the toughest thing or a white collar defendant is…will they agree to go to jail.
Outside the courthouse, reaction was mixed. Kilpatrick’s critics say it was long past time for him to go. They say his criminal case put the city in a kind of political limbo -- damaging its image. But supporters like J. Renee Stevenson say Kilpatrick was treated unfairly.
“If we want a man that is without sin to be in office…you better try and get Jesus Christ to be mayor. Any man, any human being is gonna make some mistakes. There is a lot of corruption that did not start with the Mayor.”
No matter where they stood on the issue, most metro Detroiters are breathing a sigh of relief today. This case began in March and has dominated headlines ever since. The stalemate between prosecutors and the Mayor’s defense team may have ended because Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm conducted her own hearing on behalf of the Detroit City Council, aimed at removing Kilpatrick from office. Legal experts say the hearing pressured the Mayor’s lawyers to resolve the case. If Granholm did oust Kilpatrick, it’s argued the defense would have lost an important bargaining chip -- that is the mayor’s job itself. After the plea agreement was announced, the Governor adjourned her hearing. She says she hopes Kilpatrick’s exit will lead to a period of healing for a region increasingly polarized.
“I would ask all of us to pray for this city…to uplift this community and its citizens and to see this as an opportunity to build a great city and region together, city and suburb, east and west, north and south.”
With Kilpatrick leaving office, many wonder who will fill the vacuum. For now, Ken Cockrel, Junior -- who heads the City Council -- will take over as Mayor and serve until an election is held. Several prominent business leaders, clergy, and Cockrel himself have expressed interest in running. But for today, the city is absorbing the final blow in what has been a long and bruising legal and political flight.