"The mayor has to understand with the hearing going forward, his biggest bargaining chip -- his resignation -- could disappear at any time, especially if the hearing is not going in his favor," said Peter Henning, a Wayne State University law professor.
With historic hearing, Granholm sends clear message to Kilpatrick
Pressure on mayor to get plea deal quickly
BY ZACHARY GORCHOW, BEN SCHMITT and SUZETTE HACKNEY • FREE PRESS STAFF WRITERS •
August 27, 2008
Gov. Jennifer Granholm has designed the removal hearing she ordered for next week against Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick in a way that makes it difficult for Kilpatrick to survive in office, legal experts say.
"It's a clear message to Kwame that he's going to lose," said Maurice Kelman, a retired Wayne State University law professor. "There's no way she can exonerate him."
Granholm's decision, reached Tuesday, sets up a historic Sept. 3 hearing at the Cadillac Place Building in Detroit in which the mayor will have to convince the governor that his handling of police whistle-blower settlements did not amount to official misconduct.
Her decision to proceed also puts pressure on Kilpatrick to reach a plea deal quickly in his perjury and assault cases or risk losing what leverage he still holds with prosecutors: his willingness to leave office.
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