White-Collar Crime
Detroit Ex-Mayor: $2,700 Rent, $900 Car Note + $6K Restitution Too Costly
Posted Sep 21, 2009 12:49 PM CST
By Martha Neil
After covering his $2,700 monthly rent on a Texas mansion and another $900 bill for his Cadillac lease, says Detroit's ex-mayor, he can't afford to pay another big bill. To be specific, that is the court-ordered $6,000-per-month payment on the $1 million he agreed to give the city in restitution last year when he settled criminal charges over his handling of Detroit police whistle-blower litigation.
But the Michigan Court of Appeals wasn't persuaded. It rejected last week for "lack of merit" Kwame Kilpatrick's request that it either eliminate entirely or reduce to $1,000, for now, his monthly restitution obligation in the obstruction-of-justice case, reports the National Law Journal in an article reprinted in New York Lawyer (reg. req.). Kilpatrick says he has just $6 per month left over after paying his bills; the article doesn't explain how he intended to cover the $1,000 restitution payments.
Kilpatrick, who served 99 days in jail and lost his license to practice law, now lives in Dallas and earns $120,000 annually selling health care software in Texas, according to court documents.
His lawyer, Alan Schwartz of Schwartz, Kelly & Oltarz-Schwartz in Farmington Hills, Mich., contends that the court-ordered five-year repayment schedule imposed on Kilpatrick violates his due process rights because he wasn't told up front that paying the $1 million restitution would be a condition of his probation.
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Comments
Esq.
Sep 21, 2009 1:55 PM CST
It seems that Mr. Kilpatrick is living far beyond his current means. $2700 seems an awful lot of rent to be paying in Texas. Ditto for the $900/mo Cadillac lease.
Kilpatrick sould be forced to downgrade to a $1350/mo apartment and a $450/mo lease to free up some funds for his penalty obligation.
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B. McLeod
Sep 21, 2009 2:11 PM CST
What unmitigated gall.
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PB Coleman
Sep 21, 2009 3:07 PM CST
Ridiculous. I’m a Dallas resident, and I know for a fact that Kwame and his family could move to Oak Cliff or East Dallas and get an apartment for $900 or less per month. Plus, why the Cadillac? Does his wife work? If not, why?
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zekethewonderdog
Sep 22, 2009 8:56 PM CST
Kwame. You gotta love it. Once a crook, always a crook.
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Rufus
Sep 23, 2009 6:14 AM CST
The State Bar of Michigan has yet to disbar this guy! Why? He works for Compuserve, which has strong ties to Detroit. I wonder if any favor is being repaid.
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pjsolarz
Sep 23, 2009 6:45 AM CST
Kwame works for Compuware which has located it’s world headuaters in downtown Detroit and the deal was struck while Kwame was mayor, so I’m sure Peter Karmanos got the property and services from the city at a rock bottom bargin rate.
Kwame’s mother is a US Congresswoman and I’m sure that has some bearing in this case and either Karmanos has received payola or is saving it for a rainy day.
I see no reason for Kwame to live the life of Riley when he could do wuth a smaller home and a good used car.
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NativeNewYorker
Sep 23, 2009 9:21 AM CST
Kwame, move to a smaller home, get a used car and a second job, maybe a paper route. It’s called downsizing which is what a lot of folks in Detroit have had to do. And I am certain very few of them make $120,000 a year.
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Lee
Sep 23, 2009 9:42 AM CST
May It Please This Honorable Court: My name is Kwame Kilpatrick and I move this court to allow me to do whatever I want to, spend whatever I want to, and not obey the law if I want to. For as it is clear to all, I am ENTITLED. I am ENTITLED to live in a mansion, drive a Cadillac, and live spend money as lavishly as I see fit. It all makes sense, your honors, because I am ENTITLED. Please grant me all of the legal and equitable relief to which I am ENTITLED. Thank you.
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joe
Sep 23, 2009 12:41 PM CST
He is a black democrat. You can’t disbar him. Half of Detroit would vote for him or conyers all over again. Being a crook in Detroit is like being a crook in Chicago.
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ProfRaymond
Sep 25, 2009 4:58 AM CST
The article says he “lost his license to practice law.” The website of the State Bar of Michigan shows that his license was revoked. Kilpatrick’s offense & refusal to pay restitution are bad enough—there’s no need to assert that he can still practice law because “he is a black democrat.”
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LHS
Sep 25, 2009 7:20 AM CST
Good grief, $2,700 gets you a mansion in Texas? In NY, we’ve been paying $2,500/mo for a studio apartment.
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former detroiter
Sep 25, 2009 7:29 AM CST
5 - you might want to check your facts. He was disbarred some time ago, and it was reported in the Michigan Bar Journal
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Chris in Detroit
Sep 25, 2009 7:34 AM CST
It is another part of the on-going shame of Detroit. We have clearly passed New Orleans and Chicago in corruption, the general attitude in the city is that the government owes the residents an easy job with good pay and benefits and that it’s ok to steal and scam, and that every white is a racist. It’s a great model, and Obama is following it almost exactly for the whole nation.
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Tony
Sep 25, 2009 7:54 AM CST
The guy is obviuosly ridiculous.
BUT, $6,000 a month is not possible on a $120,000 salary. After paying taxes, he’ll have what, $7,000 a month maybe. $1,000 / month to liveis probably not possible.
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Vir
Sep 25, 2009 7:54 AM CST
Comment removed by moderator.
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Kim
Sep 25, 2009 8:52 AM CST
Go onto wdiv news channel 4 to view video on the murder of a stripper in Detroit and the investigation linking Kwame to a hit man. I’m from Detroit originally and no one in Detroit wants him back. Detroit is in shambles and good people are trying to clean it up!
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Screwbini
Sep 25, 2009 9:53 AM CST
I figured some of you wouldn’t be able to resist the urge to make this about race (Joe) or President Obama (Chris). Let’s stop the nonsense, people. This is about an arrogant, corrupt individual, Kwame Kilpatrick, who got what he deserved and whose plea for relief was correctly rejected by the court. That’s it.
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Lifestyle
Sep 25, 2009 11:33 AM CST
Kwame’s a man of stature—-he needs all this bling to keep his ladies happy and his posse content! Now get him the cash he needs—he’s on a comeback to big things in Detroit politics!
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Tim
Sep 25, 2009 1:01 PM CST
Kwame. You spoiled punk. You disgrace the legal profession and the hardworking City of Detroit with your conduct and lies in Court. Now take your lumps like a big boy, recognize the error of your ways and downsize like everyone has had to do and pay your bills. And, if you really love Detroit, try refrain from conduct resulting in news articles which harm the city’s image for just one year.
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Joe
Sep 25, 2009 2:57 PM CST
#17
You must not be from Detroit. Everything here is about race. We see things in terms of black v. white and N or S of 8 mile.
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A.G.
Sep 28, 2009 3:03 PM CST
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