In arguments Friday morning before Wayne County Circuit Judge Thomas Jackson, attorneys for Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick argued that Judge Ronald Jiles had been guilty of judicial misconduct in overstepping the law in revoking the mayor's bond.
Speaking with an affected southern drawl, James Parkman, a resident of New Jersey, argued that the Michigan Constitution provides for remand without bail for only capital crimes. After hearing arguments from both the Prosecution and the Defense, Judge Jackson rejected the motion.
Judge Jackson then reprimanded the mayor for his behavior, saying it was "designed almost to defy the court's orders."
The judge opened the hearing with a surprising tale of two telephone calls to his office last evening. Two lawyers, the first described as a former Detroit City Council Member now working for the Kilpatrick defense team could only point to Sharon McPhail. Judge Jackson described the second lawyer as a former Michigan State Supreme Court Justice now working for Kilpatrick's defense.
Such Ex Parte communications between the mayor's legal team and the judge about to adjudicate a case before the court would appear to be unethical, if not illegal. The judge stating, "I assume they did not call me to ask a happy day or a happy Friday morning," refused to take either call.
The mayor's travails were not over, however, as immediately following the hearing, State Attorney General Steve Cox announced that charges had been filed in Wayne County stemming from a shoving match between the mayor and police officers, as described above. In explaining the charges brought by the state, Cox called the police officer and investigator "victims" of assault by the mayor.
"These officers were victims of an assault themselves, but really our criminal justice system is no less a victim," he explained.
The mayor, with his attorneys, appeared before Magistrate Renee McDuffee Friday afternoon for the arraignment on the assault charges and was released after posting $2500 cash on a $25,000 bond. After processing, the mayor returned to his office.
A release from the mayor's office said, in part; "Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick is still the Mayor of our city and will continue to do the work the residents of Detroit elected him to do."
Did the release also say that he was going to continue to be one of the worst mayor’s in the country feeding on racial prejudices?
This guy is a joke. All the crap surrounding him and no one has tried to toss him out yet?
Fighting for conservatism one day at a time.