Ex-Mayor of Detroit Will Be Back in Court Again

Kwame Kilpatrick was voted in as the youngest African-American mayor back in January of 2002. At the age of 30, he held people's respect as he spoke with such reverence for a city he said he loved. Everyone was so drawn to him, not only for his size, but also the charm he so graciously reigned over the people of Detroit. After his first term he was re-elected, even when there were rumors of a wild party that was held at the Manoogian mansion where he resided, and allegations that he had family members working quietly under him, making $100,000.00 per year handing out forms. Personally, I had been keeping up with all the news on him. I had hoped that the city would finally be getting a mayor who was honest and forthright in their actions. But when election time came around, I seriously had my doubts in him while other Detroiters' couldn't get enough of him. Election day, he was voted in for a second time. Rumors of lies, allegations and the death of a stripper started circulating quickly around water coolers. People began questioning themselves on how they could be so wrong. Detroiters' started rationalizing his actions by blaming it on his immaturity. That maybe being Mayor granted him a stay of being a moral and upstanding citizen, that his acts needn't be accounted for.

Just a few months after the voters elected him as Mayor again, two Detroit police officer's went to court to sue the city of Detroit for wrongful firing. They explained how they were called to investigate a party at the Mayor's mansion. Then they were told to hush up about the events. The two cops had started the wheels turning for the demise of the young Detroit Mayor. Rumor had it that, a young stripper was at the party. Her name was Tamara Green. I say was, because a few months later, she was gunned down in front of house and her three kids and killed. Alledgedly the Mayor's wife had come home, found her giving the Mayor a lap dance and attacked her. But, all of that had been hushed up until the Detroit Freepress disclosed secret texts between the Mayor and his Chief of Staff Christine Beatty.

Over 14,000 texts came out, revealing an affair between the Mayor and Beatty, but also, corruption, payoffs and so on. Enough evidence was taken from the texts which landed both the Mayor and Beatty in Oakland County Jail for 120 days. On his arraignment day, the Mayor disclosed that he was relinquishing his title of Mayor but would be back to help the people of Detroit. He had been ordered to pay a restitution fine of $1 million dollars besides his jail time. When he was released, him and his family moved to Texas, where he stated a company wanted to hire him.

Meanwhile, his mother Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, was beginning her campaign for another term as U. S. representative.Former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick was ordered back to Michigan in violation of his probation. The judge ordered him to prison on violations that he did not take care of his restitution to the city of Detroit. Meanwhile, pictures of his sprawling gated 4,555 ft. home in Texas were being shown as like a slap in the face to Detroiters'. Now, people were remembering, the man whom sat in court snickering over arguments brought on by the prosecution. They had denied the fact that the former Mayor had shown any kind of remorse, or that the name Tamara Greene, even captured a flicker in his eye.

The family of Tamara Greene have filed a wrongful death suit against the city of Detroit. The suit names the City of Detroit, Kilpatrick and other city officials saying the police investigation into her death had been hindered. The former Mayor's father and wife Carlitta are both expected to give depositions in Texas. Although, we've heard she'll probably use her spousal privileges so she won't have to testify against Kwame. All in all, the road still leads to more court appearances for the former Mayor. It's so tough to realize that, a man of such demeanor would evoke such an egotistical attitude as to taint the City of Detroit and the people who both loved and trusted him.