Kwame Kilpatrick Sentenced For Parole Violation

Some people learn the hard way:

Ex-Detroit Mayor Gets 18 Months To Five Years In Prison For Violating Probation

Disgraced ex-Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick was sentenced today to 18 months to five years in prison for violating his probation by not disclosing assets as required under a plea deal.

Judge David Groner slammed Kilpatrick in court today, saying that "your testimony in this court amounted to perjury" and that "the initial 120 days incarceration did nothing to rehabilitate you."

"Probation is no longer an option," Groner said. "That ship has sailed."

TPMmuckraker's full coverage of Kilpatrick is available here.

Former Detroit Mayoral Aide Pleads Guilty

'I Lied Under Oath', Beatty Says

WDIV Channel 4 News:

Christine Beatty is headed to jail.

The former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick’s chief of staff has reached a plea deal with prosecutors. She pleaded guilty to two felony counts of obstruction of justice.

Beatty agreed to five years of probation and will serve 120 days in Wayne County Jail. She will pay $100,000 in restitution to the city of Detroit, which will be paid for during the five years of probation.

She will have until Jan. 5 to begin serving her time.

She will not be allowed to travel outside of Wayne, Macomb or Oakland counties during that time.

An emotional Beatty called a news conference Monday afternoon at her lawyers' office.

Beatty said while weighting her choices, she decided not to go to trial and take the chance of being away from her daughters longer than necessary. [...]

"We are very happy as to how this was settled. We are ready to move on as a city, as a region, as a state," Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said. "Come Jan. 5, when she is sentenced, we can truly move on and close the chapter on this."

Beatty, who has two young daughters was facing seven felony charges, had previously rejected a deal from Worthy in September that included a 150-day jail sentence.

Kilpatrick and Beatty were charged in March with perjury, misconduct and obstruction of justice. They're accused of lying under oath about an affair and their roles in the firing of three police officers.

Kilpatrick accepted a plea deal and began a 120-day jail sentence in October. His deal also called for him to resign as mayor, spend five years on probation, and pay $1 million to the city and surrender his law license.

Beatty Pleads Guilty

WWJ Newsradio 950:

A text-messaging sex scandal that gripped Detroit since January ended Monday when the last main figure, ex-mayoral aide Christine Beatty, pleaded guilty to two felonies and agreed to a 120-day jail sentence.

"I lied under oath,'' a tearful Beatty told Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Tim Kenny, the same words her former boss, ex-Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, uttered in a courtroom during his own guilty plea in September.

Beatty offered the pleas to a pair of obstruction of justice charges, and under a deal with prosecutors, on Jan. 5 will be sentenced to serve four months in jail and five years of probation and pay $100,000 in restitution to the city. [...]

Beatty was charged with perjury, misconduct and obstruction of justice. She and Kilpatrick were accused of lying during a whistle-blowers' trial about being romantically involved.

They also denied their roles in the firing of deputy police chief Gary Brown, but text messages between the two contradicted their statements.

Related WWJ articles.

Related NBF post.

Former Detroit Mayor Sentenced

Kilpatrick Sentenced to Jail

WXYZ.com:

Surrounded by his family and friends, former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick was sentenced to 120 days in jail. Wayne County Circuit Court Judge David Groner also ruled that Kilpatrick will not be eligible for an early release. [snip]

Kilpatrick is being sentenced after pleading to two counts of felony obstruction of justice in his perjury case, a deal that calls for 120 days in jail, paying the city $1 million in restitution and five years on probation during which he can’t run for office.

The sentence is part of his no-contest plea to the assault of two investigators.

Wayne County Circuit Court Judge David Groner is presiding. [snip] When Kilpatrick arrives at the jail, he will be processed just like any other inmate. That will include a strip search, after which he will be given a standard jail uniform.

Once he is processed, Kilpatrick will be placed in a segregated cell, away from the general population. However he will not receive any special treatment. Kilpatrick will spend 23 hours a day in the cell, eating meals that will be given to him through a slot in the doorway.

Kilpatrick will have one hour a day for recreation. If he is indoors, he will be allowed to walk or jog, shoot baskets on the basketball court, or lift weights. If he chooses to go outside, the recreation will take place in a secured open-air area. Choosing to go outside costs two days worth of recreation time, meaning the next day he would spend all 24 hours in his cell, and not receive the hour of recreation time.

Click here for a history of the scandal.

Motown Mayor Pleads Guilty, Resigns

From WXYZ.com:

Guilty Plea, Mayor Resigns

Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick has pleaded guilty to felony charges in Wayne County Circuit Court. He will be forced to resign immediately.

Kilpatrick pleaded guilty to two obstruction of justice felony charges.

In addition to his resignation, the Mayor will serve 120 days in jail, serve 5 years probation, pay one million dollars restitution, surrender his pension, surrender his law license and may not seek office for 5 years.

His sentencing is scheduled for October 28th.

The Mayor also pleaded no contest to assault charges as part of a settlement agreement under the conditions that he must resign. The second count in the case will be dismissed.

The Mayor entered Wayne County Circuit Court Judge David Groner's court room this morning at about 9:10 shaking hands and doling out hugs.

The mayor turned to Christine Beatty, his former chief of staff and shook her hand. That was just moments before his wife, Carlita, walked into the courtroom.

The court was packed with Kilpatrick's team of lawyers and public relations staff.

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy was present along with assistant prosecutors. Worthy charged the mayor and Beatty with several felonies, including perjury and obstruction of justice.

Special Assistant Attorney General Douglas Baker was in attendance on behalf of Attorney General Mike Cox, who charged the mayor with assault and obstruction.

Detroit Mayor: 'I Lied Under Oath'

Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick addressed the court admitting that he "lied under oath."

Kilpatrick pleaded guilty to two obstruction of justice felony charges.

In addition to his resignation, the Mayor will serve 120 days in jail, serve 5 years probation, pay one million dollars restitution, surrender his pension, surrender his law license and may not seek office for 5 years.

The Mayor also pleaded no contest to assault charges as part of a settlement agreement under the conditions that he must resign. The second count in the case will be dismissed.

COCKREL: The Man Who Would Be Mayor

With Kwame Kilpatrick set to resign as Mayor, Detroit City Council President Ken Cockrel Jr. will step into the city's top job. The city clerk’s office has prepared paperwork to allow for the transition of power between Kilpatrick and Cockrel.

A Detroit police officer has also delivered paperwork to Cockrel’s office to enable the setting up of an executive protection unit for the new mayor. Cockrel is still trying to determine the effective date of Kilpatrick's resignation and is speaking with city council lawyers about their interpretation of the plea agreement.

Cockrel says he is ready to become mayor, and that he is already putting together a potential staff. While he hasn't named any specific people, Cockrel says he will most likely name a new chief of staff and deputy mayor. Kandia Milton currently holds both of those position.

There are currently close to 160 mayoral appointee position in the city government. However, Cockrel says that not all of Kilpatrick's appointees and aides will have to leave their positions. But Cockrel has said, "There are some people who would definitely have to quit."

Prosecutor: 'I'm Glad He Resigned'

Though she said, “I’m glad he resigned,” Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy says Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick’s resignation was never a bargaining chip.

For the prosecutor, the most critical parts of the plea deal were jail time and restitution. Worthy called both, “Critically important.”

Worthy said the mayor took responsibility for himself, "finally."

"We did not give an inch," the prosecutor said.

"These were not the mayor's conditions," Worthy said. " This has been our deal all along."

The mayor's resignation will be effective in 14 days. But some in his administration are already leaving like Detroit Police Chief Ella Bully Cummings who resigned today, according to a statement issued this morning.

Governor, Cockrel to Speak

Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm has scheduled a 12:00 PM press conference to talk about Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's plea deal.

Immediately following that, Mayor to be Ken Cockrel Jr. will hold his own press conference.

Beatty Court Hearing Rescheduled

Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's former Chief of Staff, Christine Beatty, was is in court briefly to face a judge in her criminal case.

Her attorney, Mayor Morganroth asked for a Sept. 11 docket conference. Her case wil continue. That confernce date is exactly one year after a jury awarded police officers 6.5 million dollars in the whistle blower case.

So far, there has been no word of any plea negotiations in her case. Action News spoke with Attorney Morganroth on September 3. He said her perjury case may be headed to trial.

Morganroth said he is not involved in any plea negotiations for his client.

Earlier in the day on September 3, Beatty refused to answer several questions during a deposition, citing her 5th amendment rights against self incrimination. She arrived at Morganroth's office about 10 minutes late for a 10:00 a.m. deposition case in a Freedom of Information lawsuit, brought by the Detroit Free Press. The paper is seeking details about the $8.4 million settlement in the whistle blower lawsuit.

Police Chief Ella Bully-Cummings Retires

Action News has learned that Detroit Police Chief Ella Bully-Cummings announced her retirement to Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick earlier this week.

Chief Bully-Cummings’ retirement is effective immediately. She has agreed to assist her successor to help stabilize the transition of leadership within the Detroit Police Department if she is requested to do so.