Truemors
Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick is under increasing pressure to resign or face being removed from office. But perhaps with his impressive defense “dream team,” Kilpatrick is right to holds his ground.
The mayor and his former chief of staff, Christine Beatty, face a total of 15 felony charges between them: fallout from accusations of an illicit love affair that the couple allegedly committed various crimes to keep secret. On May 13, 2008, the Detroit City Council approved a resolution to request that Michigan's governor, Jennifer Granholm, remove Kwame Kilpatrick from office, but Kilpatrick is determined to remain mayor. In fact, he filed suit yesterday against Gov. Granholm to stop a removal hearing scheduled for September 3. Kilpatrick’s lawsuit alleges that Gov. Granholm is just plain biased against him.
Detroit News reports Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy charged Kilpatrick and Beatty with firing a deputy police chief in order to hide their guilt and lying under oath to cover their affair. The couple was charged March 24 with perjury, conspiracy, misconduct in office, and obstruction of justice. They face a maximum 15-year sentence if found guilty. When the City of Detroit was sued for wrongful firing under the Whistleblowers’ Protection Act, Kilpatrick and Beatty allegedly misled the City Council into paying an $8.4 million settlement with a secret side agreement to hide incriminating, romantic text messages between the couple.
Perhaps Kilpatrick’s tenacity in holding on to his mayoral seat comes from advice by his legal “dream team,” complete with a noted (Johnny) Cochran Firm lawyer. No wonder Kilpatrick is so bold! In April, Kilpatrick added Cochran Firm attorney James W. Parkman, III to his growing list of defense attorneys (pictured). Parkman joined former Illinois U. S. Attorney Dan Webb, Detroit attorney James C. Thomas and five other lawyers on Kilpatrick’s defense team.
The city's legal fees related to the romantic scandal are now close to $1.15 million. Detroit News reported today that the city auditor has found $335,000 in legal contracts that Kilpatrick’ administration initiated without City Counsel approval. It comes as no surprise to this writer, but some Detroit officials are shocked that lawyers such as Kilpatrick hired are willing to participate in this.
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The Detroit News
Friday, August 29, 2008
Christine MacDonald and David Josar
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080829/METRO/808290366
LEGAL FEES DIDN'T GET COUNCIL OK
City auditor general finds Kilpatrick issued $335K in attorney contracts
Councilwoman Sheila Cockrel said she believes all of the contracts required City Council approval because they were submitted after the City Council required legal contracts, even those below $25,000, get council approval. Cockrel said if the City Council doesn't approve the contracts, the lawyers would have to try and make their case to a judge to get paid.
"People are proceeding at their own risk," Cockrel said. "It is shocking that lawyers of this caliber are willing to make a mockery of the process."
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Council members and others may be amazed at Kilpatrick’s resolve to obstinately remain in office and rack up legal fees the council did not approve. Folks might be less astonished at the audacity of Kilpatrick’s administration if they knew more about Kilpatrick’s legal advisors, particularly The Cochran Firm.
The Cochran Firm attorneys are known to be very savvy litigators, able to perform enormous legal feats in the face of undeniable evidence. In fact, when this writer sued The Cochran Firm for committing deliberate legal malpractice and fraud against its own clients in order to protect defendants in wrongful death and negligence matters, the law firm’s successful defense was completely incredible. The Cochran Firm simply had my family’s lawsuit against it dismissed on the basis that the Atlanta law office at 127 Peachtree Street (where our suit was served) is no part of The Cochran Firm at all. An order granting the Atlanta law office nonexistence under its widely advertised identity was issued by Georgia Superior Court Judge Wendy Shoob in May 2006. Therefore, our lawsuit (to which The Cochran Firm apparently had no defense) was simply dismissed without trial. See the OpEdNews article entitled “Mental Patient’s Secret Incarceration and Wrongful Death Coverup” (published August 2, 2008) at this link:
http://www.opednews.com/articles/Mentally-Ill-Patient-s-Sec-by-Mary-Neal-080802-527.html
It appears that no defense is too outrageous for some attorneys to present in court – and win. Kilpatrick is therefore absolutely right to continue to plead not guilty, stand his ground regardless of any evidence or testimony that may be presented against him, and hold on to his mayoral office despite mounting damages against the city or growing public sentiment against him. Like all defendants in America , Kilpatrick and Beatty are to be deemed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. And if all else fails, Kilpatrick’s Cochran Firm attorneys just may be able to have him declared nonexistent and bring a speedy end to his legal troubles.
More background information on the case against Kilpatrick and Beatty is available at this link:
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=999970826026&template=theme&theme=KILPATRICK082007
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Pictured left, top:
Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick speaks at a recent press conference with his top lawyer, Dan Webb of Chicago , standing a few feet away. (Clarence Tabb, Jr. / The Detroit News)
Cochran Firm attorney James W. Parkman, III
Collage of Kilpatrick photos
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Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause. Exodus 23:6
Mary Neal
Website : http://wrongfuldeathoflarryneal.com
Assistance to the Incarcerated Mentally Ill
Visit online at: http://www.care2.com/c2c/group/AIMI
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