Kwame Kilpatrick leaves court on 9/21
The fancy suits and smug smiles that were ever so present during the corruption trial of Kwame Kilpatrick and his buddy Bobby Ferguson were no where to be seen at a hearing in federal court in Detroit on Thursday.
Instead, Kwame Kilpatrick looked rather somber, clad in khahki prison garb. His buddy, co-defendant Bobby Ferguson, was also in khakis, but was able to squeeze out a few smiles as he chatted with his attorney Gerald Evelyn.
Both defendants appeared before U.S. District Judge Nancy G. Edmunds, asking for an acquittal or at least a new trial. As expected, Edmunds denied those requests at the end of the hearing. Kilpatrick's dad, who was not present, was also denied a new trial.
Afterwards, Kilpatrick looked at a couple supporters in the audience, including his uncle, Marvel Cheeks, and gave a nod and a fist over the heart. A deputy U.S. Marshal then cuffed Kilpatrick, who winced and said: "That's too tight."
Evelyn, Ferguson's attorney, said afterwards that he expects all the lawyers to appeal.
The appearance in court was another of many failed attempts by Kilpatrick and Ferguson to get a favorable ruling from the judge. Judge Edmunds has repeatedly denied requests that they remain free pending sentencing or get a new trial.
After the hearing, outside the courthouse, Kilpatrick's uncle Marvel Cheeks, the brother of Carolyn Cheeks-Kilpatrick, said he wasn't surprised by the judge's ruling, saying his nephew has gotten no justice.
"None of this has been fair," he said.
Asked about Kilpatrick acknowledging him after the hearing, he said: "That's my man. I raised him."
He said his sister has been visiting Kilpatrick on a regular basis.
Tobias Smith, a documentary filmmaker, who is working on a Kilpatrick film, sat in on the hearing and said afterwards of the judge: "She came with her mind made up."
That conclusion may be pretty accurate.
The judge, after hearing arguments, and having already read briefs filed by attorneys, quickly denied the requests and said she had an opinion written out that just needed a little tweaking.
Harold Gurewitz, Kilpatrick's attorney, had argued that his client didn't get a fair trial because his previous attorney, Jim Thomas, had a conflict of interest. The issue came up before trial, but the judge ruled that she saw no problem. Gurewitz felt that he had provided additional evidence of a conflict, but apparently it didn't matter.
Kilpatrick, Ferguson and his dad Bernard Kilpatrick are also set to be sentenced in September. Many observers have speculated that Kilpatrick could get 15 to 20 years in prison, or possibly more.
