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Kilpatricks smirks, familys fury add to drama in the court
Pic at the link. He looks like he's not worried about a thing...Kwame Kilpatrick was at it again Tuesday. If you didn't know that this was Kilpatrick's deadly serious sentencing hearing a time when most savvy criminal defendants act as humbly as possible you might have thought Detroit's disgraced former chief executive was attending a political rally or charity roast. Kilpatrick spent much of his three hours in court frowning, shaking his head, smirking, laughing and goofing around, at one point, even needling Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy and her assistants. As Kilpatrick carried on, Wayne County Circuit Judge David Groner slammed him for the arrogant way he had behaved Sept. 4, after he had agreed to plead guilty in a case that disrupted civic life for months and cost the city millions of dollars. This court questions your sincerity, Groner said. During the hearing, Kilpatrick reacted to criticism of his actions by sometimes turning around to look at the courtroom's middle seating section, where wife Carlita Kilpatrick, father Bernard Kilpatrick, sister Ayanna Kilpatrick and a couple of dozen allies offered friendly looks and mostly quiet encouragement. But supporters grew increasingly angry as the sentencing progressed, as they listened to the judge and prosecutors highlight Kilpatrick's lies and their consequences. Kilpatrick's body language also evolved, as he folded his arms in a defiant pose and began to frown. Afterward, when a seething Bernard Kilpatrick was asked what he felt while he watched his son led into custody, he replied: The anguish of thousands of black fathers for years who watched their sons being railroaded into jail. Sounds like he blames...THE MAN! Daniel Ferguson, the husband of Ayanna Kilpatrick, was visibly upset and talking loudly as he left the courtroom. Please don't speak to him, his wife told a reporter. I'm gonna get the cops that railroaded my boy! Speaking of the former mayor's Sept. 4 news conference, Groner described Kilpatrick's words as those of an arrogant and defiant man. Whaddya ya mean "arrogant and defiant"? Fuck you, ya honor. Earlier, during a break in the hearing, Fox 2 legal analyst Charlie Langton walked over and chatted briefly with the former mayor, and said Kilpatrick had referred to the sentencing hearing as silly. Kilpatrick entered the hearing smiling and embracing his friends with backslaps that echoed through the crowded courtroom. Before the judge took the bench, he sat next to his wife, with his arm around her shoulder, caressing her arm. Yeah. Sorry I screwed around on ya, baby. It's just my way... At the end, as deputies escorted Kilpatrick to jail deputies allowed him to hand Carlita Kilpatrick his wedding ring, which she attached to her necklace. They refused to let the Kilpatricks embrace, and the former mayor challenged them, asking why he could hand her things, but I can't kiss her? ...and if ya hear of me screwing around in prison, it's just my way. Supporters yelled encouragement. Stand tall! someone shouted.We got your back, said Malik Shabazz, a community activist. ...as long as the checks keep rolling in. Shabazz later agreed with Bernard Kilpatrick that Kwame Kilpatrick had been railroaded. This mayor, Shabazz said, was never really given a fair chance. They must be so glad that THE MAN! is always around to blame... Posted by: tu3031 2008-10-29 |
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