Federal Panel To Hear Ex-Detroit Mayor's Appeal
DETROIT (WWJ/AP) - A three-judge panel will hear former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's appeal for a new trial.
Documents show oral arguments are scheduled for Jan. 13 before the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati.
Kilpatrick wants his corruption conviction overturned. He is serving a 28-year sentence at a federal prison after a jury last year convicted him of two dozen crimes, from tax evasion to bribery. He appealed, saying there was a conflict involving his attorneys, among other reasons.
"Apparently, Kwame Kilpatrick's attorney Jim Thomas, that law firm represented somebody that sued Kwame Kilpatrick. The principal is that someone cannot both represent and sue the same person," said WWJ Legal Analyst Charlie Langton.
Kilpatrick's co-defendant and friend Bobby Ferguson also will have his appeal heard by the court.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Goetz has said in a filing that Kilpatrick can't prove his defense lawyers had a conflict of interest. Goetz also says the court should affirm the 21-year sentence given to Ferguson, a contractor.
"This whole argument has been set for January 13 in Cincinnati," said Langton. "Kwame Kilpatrick, if he's successful, will get a new trial."
Other than confessing to lying under oath about an affair with a staffer, Kilpatrick has repeatedly denied any legal wrongdoing.
[Click here to catch up on the corruption trial]
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