Judge Orders Kilpatrick To Surrender Book Profits

DETROIT (WWJ) -  A judge has ordered a restitution escrow account created for any profits that imprisoned ex-Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick gets from the sale of his autobiography.

While in prison, Kilpatrick wrote a book -- and now Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy wants all profits from that book to be paid to Detroit as part of the $861,000 in restitution Kilpatrick still owes the city.

Circuit Court Judge David Groner on Wednesday approved Worthy's request for creation of the account. It was Judge David Groner who put Kilpatrick behind bars after a scandal forced him out of office.

Groner rejected a request by the ex-Mayor's attorney to dismiss the request.

Kilpatrick was in court but didn't speak. Although, speaking to the Associated Press from prison earlier this month, Kilpatrick did indicate that he did not intend to profit from book sales.

"Any money that I make – any dime, any penny I make – will go to pay restitution," Kilpatrick said. "One of the things I've learned over the past year is to be a man of my word."

WWJ and Fox 2 Legal Analyst Charlie Langton says all this court action regarding the book could help make it a best seller.

"I think this is actually pretty good publicity for Kwame and his book. In a weird way this could help the city of Detroit get back the restitution," said Langton.

"If Kwame makes money, theoretically Kwame would be profiting from his crime – law says you can't do that and Kym Worthy wants to make sure that if Kwame does write a book and there are profits from the book, the city of Detroit gets them," said Langton.

Bill Haney, founder of Royal Oak-based Momentum Books which publishes local author, says it's unlikely Kilpatrick will get rich of this book.

Speaking to WWJ, Haney said most authors only get about $1 dollar for every book sold. He said Kilpatrick might sell up to 10,000 copies, but  $4,000 to $5,000 is more like it.

"There is a certain curiosity factor. But I think less so with this book because there are such negative feelings about the author," Haney said, adding that, also, fewer people are buying books in these tough economic times.

According to the publisher's website, in this book, "Kilpatrick takes a vividly intimate, unashamed and honest look at the mental, physical and spiritual mettle required to hold steadfast in the midst of the personal hell that often accompanies public humiliation and private damnation." (More about the book, here).

The book is scheduled to be released August 1st and is available for pre-order now at this link.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.