It was as if something magical was in the air, as if everyone had taken a gulp of love potion.
On Thursday afternoon, defense attorneys, prosecutors and U.S. District Judge Nancy G. Edmunds gathered on the eighth floor of the federal courthouse in downtown Detroit to talk about delaying sentencing for Kwame Kilpatrick and his co-defednants, Bobby Ferguson, a close friend, and Kilpatrick's dad, Bernard Kilpatrick.
And guess what. Everyone was in agreement. No one opposed the request by the defense for the delay, not the judge, not the prosecutors. Up until now, it wasn't so common for everyone to agree, not during trial and certainly not after when the defense asked for a new trial and wanted Kilpatrick and Ferguson to be free pending sentencing. Both Kilpatrick and Ferguson are behind bars awaiting sentencing. Bernard Kilpatrick is free while he awaits his sentencing. None of the defendants were in court for the hearing.
The defendants were scheduled to be sentenced in early September. But Edmunds rescheduled Kilpatrick's sentencing for Oct. 10 at 10 a.m. and Bobby Ferguson's for 2 p.m. on the same day. Bernard Kilpatrick will be sentenced on Oct. 17 at 2 p.m.
The big push to delay sentencing came primarily from Kilpatrick's attorneys, Margaret Sind Raben and Harold Gurewitz, who were recently assigned, post-conviction, to replace attorney Jim Thomas. Raben said Thursday that they needed more time to review transcripts of the trial so they could contest a presentence report on Kilpatrick, which is likely to recommend serious prison time, perhaps 20 years or more.
Prosecutor Michael Bullotta walked up to the podium and told the judge that, while he wanted to wrap up the case, he had no objection to a delay.
Judge Edmunds said because Kilpatrick and Ferguson are already behind bars there was little pressure to serve up their punishment as soon as possible.
.
