Kwame Kilpatrick was ordered to jail by a judge today for violating his bond terms of his perjury case when he took a city business trip to Canada without informing the court. The Detroit mayor made the trip last month without telling the court ahead of time. Despite Kilpatrick’s apology for “living in an incredible state of pressure and scrutiny” over the last seven months, both the county prosecutor’s office and District Court Judge Ronald Giles have come to the conclusion that Kwame should be accountable and not get any special treatment.
“What matters to me though is how the court overall is perceived and how if it was not Kwame Kilpatrick sitting in that seat,” Giles answers, “if it was John Six-Pack sitting in that seat, what would I do? And that answer is simple.”
Kilpatrick is on trial for lying under oath in a civil case and is charged with eight counts that includes perjury, misconduct, and obstruction of justice. He denied ever having an affair with former Chief of Staff Christine Beatty in 2002 and 2003. However, sexually explicit messages between the two was published from the Detroit Free Press this January — contradicting their statements.
According to mayoral spokeswoman, Denise Tolliver, Kilpatrick’s chief of staff, Kandia Milton, will be in charge of the Motor City while Kwame spends the night in jail. Kilpatrick gave his rights to a preliminary hearing earlier today, and will go to court on perjury and several more charges. The criminal case will now reside at the Wayne County Circuit Court for trial. If found guilty and convicted, Kwame could be sentenced for up to 15 years.
Source: Associated Press
