Former Detroit Mayor Kwame
Kilpatrick along side his attorneys, listens during his
sentencing hearing in Detroit, Tuesday, May 25, 2010.
Kilpatrick was sentenced to one-and-a-half to five years in
prison for violating the terms of his probation on an
obstruction of justice conviction. (Photo by HB
Meeks/Tell Us Detroit)
DETROIT
(Tell Us
Det) -
By his
own
deeds,
the
storied
and
tarnished
behavior
of
former
Detroit
Mayor
Kwame
Kilpatrick
will
land him
in
prison
for up
to five
years.
Audible
gasps
were
heard
from the
courtroom
as Wayne
County
Circuit
Judge
David
Groner
issued a
maximum
five
year
sentence
for
probation
violations
related
to
paying
the city
$1
million
in
restitution
and
fully
disclosing
personal
assets.
Prosecutor
Kym
Worthy
had
recommended
exceeding
the
sentencing
guidelines
in a
memorandum
to the
Court.
Continued
lying,
no
evidence
of
rehabilitation,
thwarting
court
orders
and
blatant
disregard
of the
law were
all
ticked
off by
Judge
Groner
as he
reprimanded
Kilpatrick
before
imposing
sentence.
The
defense
attorney
for
Kilpatrick
asked
the
court
for no
prison
time and
stricter
probation
to allow
payment
of
restitution.
Judge
Groner
said
“Probation
is no
longer
an
option
that
ship has
sailed”.
Since
being
released
from
jail 15
months
ago,
Judge
Groner
said
Kilpatrick’s
behavior
had been
intentional
and
malicious
in
obstructing
the
terms of
probation;
it was
the very
type
behavior
the
Judge
said
which
first
landed
Kilpatrick
in
trouble:
obstruction
of
justice
and
perjury.
A
subdued
Kilpatrick
addressed
the
court
prior to
sentencing
saying
“There
was no
willful
violation,
it was
stupidity”.
Kilpatrick
admitted
to
cheating
on his
wife and
appealed
to the
court on
emotional
terms.
Referring
to
conviction
of
perjury,
for
lying
about an
affair
that was
revealed
in text
messages,
Kilpatrick
said his
thoughts
then
were
“Would I
still
have a
marriage,
would my
kids
respect
me?”
The
former
Mayor
said he
was a
changed
man but
that his
past
image
was
“Frozen
in
time.”
He is a
man,
Kilpatrick
said
your
never
have to
worry
about
commuting
a crime
or doing
harm to
the
community.
“I want
go home
your
honor,
where I
belong”.
Wayne
County
Prosecutor
Kym
Worthy
said in
a
statement,
"The
former
mayor
was
given an
inch and
he took
a mile.
Being on
probation
is a
privilege;
it is a
chance
to serve
your
sentence
outside
of bars.
A strong
message
was sent
today
that if
you take
that
opportunity
lightly,
or for
granted
and
violate
the
terms of
your
probation
– there
are
severe
consequences."
Kwame
Kilpatrick
has been
remanded
to the
Southern
Michigan
Correctional
facility
in
Jackson
to start
serving
a prison
term of
one and
a half
to five
years.
The
former
Mayor
has been
given an
inmate
number702408,
by the
Michigan
Department
of
Corrections.
His
attorney
has 42
days to
appeal
the
sentence.
Timeline
•
September
4, 2008
Kilpatrick
is
placed
on 5
years
probation
after
pleading
guilty
to two
counts
of
obstruction
of
justice.
These
convictions
centered
on the
Kilpatrick
committing
perjury
in open
court
and in
related
judicial
proceedings
during
the Gary
Brown et
al v.
City of
Detroit
litigation
•
October
28, 2008
Kilpatrick
is
placed
on five
years’
probation
and
sentenced
to serve
120 days
in jail.
The
payment
of
restitution
to the
City of
Detroit,
in the
amount
of one
million
dollars
($1,000,000.00),
was a
key
condition
of
Defendant’s
probation.
• April
20, 2010
Kilpatrick
is found
guilty
of
violating
his
probation.
• May
25, 2010
Kilpatrick
is
sentenced
to a
maximum
of five
years in
prison
for
violating
his
probation.
