Posted July 23, 2008 – If Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick has to cough up some more cash, gets booted out of office or winds up in jail behind the scandals swirling around him these days, it certainly won’t be due to a lack of legal representation.
The Detroit News reports that the embattled city chief, who is “confronting legal challenges on at least six fronts, has assembled a huge team of attorneys to fight an array of civil lawsuits and attempts to remove him from office without compromising job one – defending Kilpatrick on felony charges.”
Such a seemingly humongous effort, according to the News, requires at least 17 public and private attorneys. Referring to the mayor’s legal team, former Wayne County assistant prosecutor Gary M. Wilson said, "It's inordinately large. Kilpatrick's other legal battles are enormously complicated by the criminal charges." Among Kilpatrick’s defenders are major legal firms from Illinois, Alabama and Michigan, which are representing him on perjury and other criminal charges, according to the News.
“City Hall attorneys have toiled to help Kilpatrick keep crucial documents secret. Outside legal expertise has been tapped to fight civil lawsuits, repel grassroots recall efforts and to deep-six City Council members' efforts to boot the mayor from office or have the governor do it for them.”
Adding to the potency of the team is Judy A. Smith, who is running Kilpatrick’s PR efforts. Her clients include some other seriously high-profile image-sufferers, including Monica Lewinsky and former President George H.W. Bush. Now, whether the Motor City ’s “Hip-Hop Mayor” – known for his diamond earring and tailored suits – can afford his legal A-team is another story.
According to the News, “His legal defense fund last week reported having $20,000 after paying three attorneys $165,000.” Before it’s all over, his defense will run into the millions, experts told the newspaper.
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