Detroit Mayor Pleads Not Guilty

Kwame Kilpatrick Under Pressure To Resign After Perjury Charges For Alleged Affair

(CBS/AP)  Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick began his journey through the legal process on Tuesday, offering a not guilty plea during a brief arraignment hearing in a downtown courtroom.

The mayor and former Chief of Staff Christine Beatty appeared for separate hearings, neither of which lasted more than 10 minutes.

Not guilty pleas were entered on charges of perjury, conspiracy, obstruction of justice and misconduct in office in a scandal that is threatening to prematurely end Kilpatrick's second term.

Both were released on personal bonds, but would have to pay $75,000 if they break them.

District Court Magistrate Steve Lockhart set June 9 as the date for their preliminary examinations.

When asked by one of his defense attorneys if he would agree to waive the 14-day rule for holding a preliminary exam, Kilpatrick shrugged his shoulders and said "Sure." It was the only word he or Beatty uttered in the courtroom.

Beatty kept her eyes focused down for much of her six-minute appearance, turning quickly at its conclusion to grab a bag and rush out of the room.

Six years after being sworn into office with hopes of revitalizing his troubled city, Kilpatrick is under increasing pressure to resign now that he's been booked on charges of lying about steamy text messages with his former chief of staff.

Both were accused of multiple counts of perjury, conspiracy, obstruction of justice and misconduct in a scandal that is threatening to prematurely end Kilpatrick's second term as mayor of Detroit, a city of 900,000 with deeply entrenched poverty made worse by the downturn in the auto industry.

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy announced the charges after an investigation began in late January after the Detroit Free Press published excerpts from 14,000 text messages that were sent or received in 2002-03 from Beatty's city-issued pager.

The messages called into question testimony Kilpatrick and Beatty gave last August in a lawsuit filed by two police officers who said they were fired for investigating claims that the mayor used his security unit to cover up extramarital affairs.

In court, Kilpatrick and Beatty strongly denied having an intimate relationship. But the text messages revealed a flirty, sometimes sexually explicit, dialogue about where to meet and how to conceal their trysts.

Kilpatrick, 37, is married with three children. Beatty, also 37, was married at the time and has two children.

The city eventually agreed to pay $8.4 million to the two officers and a third former officer. Some of the charges brought against the mayor accuse him of agreeing to the settlement in an effort to keep the text messages from becoming public.

"I'm madly in love with you," Kilpatrick wrote on Oct. 3, 2002.

"I hope you feel that way for a long time," Beatty replied. "In case you haven't noticed, I am madly in love with you, too!"

On Oct. 16, 2002, Kilpatrick wrote: "I've been dreaming all day about having you all to myself for 3 days. Relaxing, laughing, talking, sleeping and making love."

All of the charges against the mayor are felonies. Under the city charter, a felony conviction would mean the mayor's immediate expulsion.

Worthy said her investigation was about violations of the public trust, and not "focused on lying about sex."

"I want to point out how important truthful witnesses are in the criminal justice system, how important it is not to breach the public trust and how important it is not to ruin people's lives who are simply doing their jobs," Worthy told the CBS News' The Early Show. "I wanted to point out how important it is not to mock the justice system."

"This investigation is about whether public dollars were used unlawfully, and more," she said.

Kilpatrick said Worthy's actions were disappointing, but not unexpected.

"This has been a very flawed process from the very beginning," he said. "However, at the same time, I recognize that this is merely a first step in a process that I believe in, that's grounded in a presumption of innocence that is guaranteed to each and every American."

Worthy said the investigation was ongoing and other people could be charged. She said she has had conversations with the U.S. attorney, but would not elaborate.

In announcing the charges, Worthy delivered a 14-minute lecture on the oath that all witnesses take before testifying in court.

"Even children understand that lying is wrong," she said. "If a witness lies, innocent people can go to jail or prison, people can literally get away with murder, civil litigants who deserve money may not get it or may get money they don't deserve.

"And lying cannot be tolerated even if a judge or jury sees through it."

Mayer Morganroth, Beatty's attorney, called Worthy's comments full of "assertions and conjecture."

"I was sort of stunned by the prosecutor laying out the charges in the way that she did," he said, noting Beatty's right to a fair and unbiased trial. "It sounded more like a closing argument to a jury."

[unbiased]

Hmmm...lets see, mayor black, girl friend black, prosecutor black...if we could just find some vanilla to put in the mix then we could get Al Sharpton and Jessie Jackson to start screaming.

[jersupporter]

You would not understand it - It is a Culture thing.

[stn_sage]

I dunno! It sounds like he''s a pretty crooked politician to me. If they got the evidence on him, he ought to resign. Period.

[walker1209]

Folks, please let''s not make this racial. This is just another example of someone getting caught with his pants down (pun intended) and trying to use whatever excuse is necessary. As I said in the past, if he used the government''s resources to engage in this relationship, then he should not only resign, but be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. If he is found not guilty - he will walk. If he is found guilty he should have to pay the price. I am really quite surprised that these guys think they can get away with it. When you text someone, use your cell phone, go through escort services, you''re leaving a trail. Don''t do the deed - and you won''t have to worry about the fallout.

[advanceus]

Coming from the state of Michigan (not Detroit), we have been financially hurting for quite some time so any money diverted to something like this is unexcusable. These two people, especially coming from Detroit, should know that even better. Now, not only did they lie and give 8 million selfishly, they are still lying the city and state is going to have to spent even more money to prove it. This guy is so arrogant that he thinks he can get out of this and still be mayor!!! Wow!!!!!!!

[honestabe8]

JER: What is a culture thing? Stepping out on your woman? Lying under oath?

[newsnut123]

***? Why is he even mayor again after what he did during his first term? The idiots that elected him deserve what they got.

[jersupporter]

JER: What is a culture thing? Stepping out on your woman? Lying under oath? Posted by honestabe8
----------------------------------
Just poking fun as that is all I heard during the Michael Vick ordeal.

[hoosiermoon]

With a black prosecutor going after the mayor like this, it can''t be called a racial thing. Notice that the mayor and his girlfriend are not denying the authenicity of the text messages. They just don''t want them used as evidence. Safe to say the text messaging of such volatile subject matter was not a bright move in the first place. All over the media now we are hearing theories about why husbands are unfaithful. The one component that we don''t hear anything about is why the wives of these men are not working hard to satisfy their husband''s sexual idiosyncracies. Almost all men have them. Strange things that turn them on. What often happens is the wife satisfies those idiosyncracies up until marriage and then maybe the first year of marriage. Then she retires from such activity, believing that he no longer requires having those needs met. Either that or just doesn''t want to put forth the effort. So the husband is either frustrated or he gets the needs met elsewhere by a new admirer. So I guess my point is that a lazy, asexual, unaccommodating wife bears some responsibility when a husband must find another source for getting his needs met.

[aaabee-2009]

Cool! Election year is really cleaning up our party.

Isn''t it great how the media and reporters and other people "just doing their jobs" have woken up now, after their 7 year nap.

I love this. Too bad the Republican party didn''t have the same hounds on them, their party wouldn''t be hurt by getting the same types of snakes out of their grass.

America doesn''t need any of them.

[mudrose-2009]

Cool! Election year is really cleaning up our party.

Isn''''t it great how the media and reporters and other people "just doing their jobs" have woken up now, after their 7 year nap.

I love this. Too bad the Republican party didn''''t have the same hounds on them, their party wouldn''''t be hurt by getting the same types of snakes out of their grass.

America doesn''''t need any of them.
Posted by AaaBee

Ridiculous post. No Dimnowit ever volunteers to clean up his/her act. They were either caught in the act or exposed. And quite honestly it doesn''t matter which party affiliation one belongs to. You do things that are illegal, you should be ousted and gone.

[aaabee-2009]

Ridiculous post. No Dimnowit ever volunteers to clean up his/her act. Posted by mudrose at 11:50 AM : Mar 25, 2008

You are so like Newt Gringrich voting for impeachment of Clinton, with his own little tart on the side egg.

Yes, Mudrose, same garbage as yesterday. Democrats 100% evil. And Newt Gingrich is your patron saint. Got it.

Bwahahahahahahah.

[jjarden]

He ought to be run out of town on a rail! The fact that the people are not storming down the Mayors office is a sign of totally complacency and hopelessness. Those people need to step up and take back their corrupt government. He is one Arrogant and Narcicistic Dude to think he even has a choice to resign or not. GET OUT!

[apprxam]

This man is a joke and his adminstration''s action pure jacka*sedness. When are they going to indict the *** police cheif for obstruction. She couldn''t stress to the Mayor that his actions, especially the ones concerning her police officer would be ill-advised. She as big a loser as he is.

The cultural issue is ghetto. Mr. Kilpatrick is just as poor in judgment as Michael Vick, Allen Iverson, Ray Lewis. Instead of hiring people better than he, Kilpatrick continued to live the street thug model. Stupid people breed stupidity.

The sad thing is that the peolpe of Detroit had the opportunity to chuck this punk and didn''t, lending him the chance the further screw up the lives of the people of Detroit. Nothing this guy has done has improved the staus of anyone beyond his friend and cronies.

Detroit resident deserve better and Kym Worthy should be installed as the next Mayor of that troubled city. At least four decades of bad governance, black and white; public and private; internat and external. Isn''t time the good folks of Detroit put in charge someone of substance, someone not of fluff, but someone with the public''s interest at heart. There is no way that Kwame ever could have been that type of person. Spoiled rich kid who does with people as he pleases. The he** with him and Mrs. Beatty for neglecting public care for all these many years.

[apprxam]

Yes, Advanceus. He not only lost the case, but offered a higher settlement just to keep this quiet. WHAT WAS HE THINKING? Not at all apparently. Not realizing that public owned pagers and phones were just that..PUBLIC. So the intelligence to use public funds to hide public records from the public is the height of stupidity.

[apprxam]

Beatty''s attorney, called Worthy''s comments full of "assertions and conjecture."

Well, isn''t that what prosecutor do? Law 101: accuse and explain.
Kwame''s defense isn''t that he didn''t do it, but that the text messages weren''t obtain leagally and that "selective prosecution" is wrong. Well, all prosecutions are selective, as is the law itself.

It''s called the "letter of the law" principle in which a police officer can in some instances refuse to enforce the law or effect arrest under certain circumstances. The same applies to district/state''s attornies that in the interest of justice, may require them not to prosecute. This ain''t that case; in fact, prosecution is in order and just, even to facilitate political removal in its effect. Too bad, Kwame didn''t think to be just when that stripper got killed.

By the way, I hope that case is next in the train wreck of a bad actor in the game of politics.

[patriotic9]

When are we going to learn living in 21st century. People don''t have problem with current administration lying about WMDs and getting us into war which only benifited Oil rich Arabs and their terrorist allies and hurt only America and American allies. What''s up with Detroit Mayor having affair with a women which any man tends to do because of the Testosterone running in the body.

[slaphappy86]

Oxymoron- Black Politicians

[apprxam]

What''''s up with Detroit Mayor having affair with a women which any man tends to do.
---------Posted by patriotic9

It''s not the ***, it''s the cover-up which cost the people of Detroit nearly nine million dollars. Money for this *** when they''ve been laying off teachers, police officers and other municipal employees. Service cuts are sometimes necessary, but legal settlement payments for being stupid and hiding the truth isn''t. This jack*ss should go to jail just for being a big-*ss failure. Maybe his mother will ask Hillary to grant a Presidential pardon for him.

[mudrose-2009]

Posted by SHURCH4TRUTH

Did you hear about Carvelle calling Richardson Judas and Judas saying that the Clintoons are Gutter politicians and a general supporting Obama is calling Bill Clintoon McCarthy. Did you hear about that? Only the first part. How about the rest. And if CBS has it, it''s because Fox had it first.

[mudrose-2009]

He''s been indicted, I suppose whether he resign or not is no longer the issue. Good grief!

[apprxam]

Washington, D.C.''s Fenty; Newark''s Booker; Nutter of Philadelphia. These are three of the new, but all-too-few, movement in black politicians. Well spoken, well educated men who happen to be black and who, unlike Mugabe of Zimbawe, Shape of Newark, J. Street of Philly and Marion'' the crakhead'' Barry and yes, Kwame Kilpatrick of Detroit, don''t play identity politics and actually service their cities.

Deval Patrick & Obama are the new paradigm of good governance.

It''s time to move beyond 1968 and get our sh*t 2gether. Bye, Kwame...loser.

[infidel_us]

''Hey, where all da white women at?'' :)

[infidel_us]

Deval Patrick & Obama are the new paradigm of good governance.
Posted by apprxam at 01:48 PM : Mar 25, 2008

BLAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!! :)

[robstrck]

For all you good folks who listen to these right wing radio talkers they are conning you...they are nothing more than their own info-mercial. They don''''''''t respect you because they treat you like an idiot by only ever giving you their side of an issue....they are not objective and what they put into your head ends up making you seem ignorant, stubburn and close-minded by an average person who at least tries to be objective in their thinking.

...start expanding your mind...read books


Posted by SHURCH4TRUTH

~~~~~
~~~~~~~`

Air America, Daily Kos, Huffington Post, Keith Olbermann, Moveon.org, etc.

[robstrck]

For all you good folks who listen to these right wing radio talkers they are conning you...they are nothing more than their own info-mercial. They don''''''''t respect you because they treat you like an idiot by only ever giving you their side of an issue....they are not objective and what they put into your head ends up making you seem ignorant, stubburn and close-minded by an average person who at least tries to be objective in their thinking.

...start expanding your mind...read books


Posted by SHURCH4TRUTH

~~~~~
~~~~~~~`

Air America, Daily Kos, Huffington Post, Keith Olbermann, Moveon.org, etc.

[krenz4]

Infidel: to use your vernacular






Infidel: Deys all unda neeth basketball players you azz!

[downsteamjim]

To SHURCH4TRUTH: Where in this article does it give the mayor''s party? Sloppy journalism or bias.

[rushlimpdrug]

"Detroit Mayor Under Pressure To Resign"

If they''d let him see his mistress he could "release" some of the pressure.

[downsteamjim]

If they''''d let him see his mistress he could "release" some of the pressure.
Posted by rushlimpdrug

Usually I disagree with you, but that was a good comment.

[lochlan-2009]

"Both were accused of multiple counts of perjury, conspiracy, obstruction of justice and misconduct in a scandal"

Take him out of office and give him three times the penalty for the average citizen, since he was in a position of authority. Are we cleaning house yet in this country, or are we letting these people lie, cheat and steal still?

[jersupporter]

When are we going to learn living in 21st century. People don''''t have problem with current administration lying about WMDs and getting us into war which only benifited Oil rich Arabs and their terrorist allies and hurt only America and American allies. What''''s up with Detroit Mayor having affair with a women which any man tends to do because of the Testosterone running in the body. Posted by patriotic9
---------------------------------------
Yes, George W Bush sent the text and set-up Kilpatrick. ***, how come I didnt think of that? LMAO LOSER POST OF THE DAY

[apprxam]

Stop crying Infidel

[apprxam]

Democrats accept mediocrity far too much.

[xlib]

Of course he''s not guitly. He''s a black democratic politican and that shields him from anything. Just holler racism and watch everyone squirm. He''s about as not guilty as jefferson and his freezer money.
Say, where''s the story on the new New York state governor and all his confessions?? Maybe I missed them. Oh yea, he''s a black democrat too so we wouldn''t want to look like we''re picking on them.

[infidel_us]

Hey, where all da white women at? I''m out on bond so lets get together! LOL

This is just the ''typical'' white folk racist KKK-USA keepin'' da man down! See, if America weren''t a racist nation going back 350 years, Swame would not be in trouble now. He would be a Harvard educated lawyer who is running for.......oh, wait a minute.....MY BAD! :)

[infidel_us]

Judge: ''Mr. Mayor, how do you plead?''

Swame: ''Well yo honor, mostly like dis.....OH PLEASE LET ME GO!!!! IT WAS ALL HER FAULT!!! OH, AND IT WAS MY WHITE GRANDMOTHER''S FAULT, TOO!''

[tbweb]

A persons Text Messages and Emails are private and no ones business! People interested in private matters like this are a bunch of perverts who need to get a life! But such is the society here in the U.S. with its insatiable appetite for smut and dirt and who will spend big money to obtain it! If there was no market for it, it would not exist, and anything that makes money in a Capitalist society will be with us! Society finally realizes that drugs and guns are not the problem, its the demand for them, the customers of drugs and guns are the problem and its the same with invading peoples privacy! But even with that said, the Mayor is still guilty for not knowing what time it is and I know he can relate to that!

[keithle1]

"..madly in love.." Excuse me while I puke.

You can''t keep anything secret when you''re a public figure. It all comes out.

Who would want to be mayor of Detroit? Thankless job. City going nowhere fast. Lots of poor people.

Would she have been interested in him if he wasn''t Mayor? What if he delivered packages for FedEx?

[honestabe8]

give him a gun with one bullet and leave him alone in a room for as long as it takes

[strellnikov]

What can you expect from a "hip hop mayor"? Detroit deserves exactly what they voted for. Yet another reason why Detroit is America''s Beruit.

[kailumego1]

Keithle1, this has become the forum for putrid commentaries by useless spineless and inept human beings, such as yourself.

Stop making this about race, considering the sordid mess white politicians, etc. constantly find themselves, this is about a egoistic arrogant self-aggrandized individual that placed his infantile impulses above the needs of the citizens of Detroit, and F.Y.I. another inept comment, all Detroiters are not "poor".

Stop with the white folks "stewing" every time so stupid moronic black man/woman makes a foooool of him/herself.

[guysdigdirt]

give him a gun with one bullet and leave him alone in a room for as long as it takes
Posted by honestabe8

A novel, and somewhat apealing idea.

I wonder why he was not on the floor looking up at his wife through the blood as she yelled "how do you reload this *** thing!!"

[keithle1]

So there aren''t "lots of poor people" in Detroit? That was an inaccurate statement I made? You want to call the mayor & see if he disagrees? Did I say EVERY person in Detroit was poor?

CHICAGO TRIBUNE Oct 16, 2005 In an article by
Stephen Franklin, a Tribune staff reporter, who
called Detroit "the nation''s poorest and most shrunken big city..."

I jump on the white politicians too. Believe me.

[cbville-2009]

Stop with the white folks "stewing" every time so stupid moronic black man/woman makes a foooool of him/herself.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by kailumego1 at 02:34 PM : Mar 26, 2008

He should never have been mayor in the first place. He had no credentials for the job. He was black however and in the "blue" cities (Wash., Phila., Detroit, etc) that is all that matters. Take a look at the crime rate of these cities and it comes as no shock. Where''s Al Sharpton at. I am waiting to hear Al come to bat for the "Hip Hop Mayor"
Scumb@gs.

[keithle1]

Dig the stupid expression on his face.

"Kwame..." Please. Lose the ridiculous first name. You don''t live in Africa. You wouldn''t last a weekend there. Not enough food for ya.

Never criticize black people. You''ll be called a racist. Part of the white conspiracy that holds black people back.

Detroit''s population has declined by more than 27,300. It has lost more than three times as many people as any other metro area.