Jury Seated In Kilpatrick Corruption Trial
DETROIT (WWJ/AP) - After nine days, a jury has been selected in the corruption trial of former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick.
Opening statements are set for Friday in federal court. The judge plans to hear arguments Thursday about moving the trial outside of Detroit, but that defense request likely will be denied.
Five of the 12 jurors picked Wednesday are black. The 12 jury now includes four black women, one black man, one Hispanic woman, two white men and four white women.
There also are six alternate jurors. The day began with more than 60 final candidates. He's on trial, along with his father Bernard Kilpatrick, city contractor Bobby Ferguson, and former Detroit water boss Victor Mercado.
On Thursday the defense will ask for a change of venue, but WWJ Legal Analyst and Talk Radio 1270 morning show host Charlie Langton doesn't believe this trial is going anywhere.
"I think that based on what the makeup of the jury is today and based on the extensive questionings and the fact that the judge allowed the jurors to have all kinds of opinions with regard to this, and the jurors said they can be fair, I think that this case is saying right here in Detroit," Langton said.
The government claims Kwame Kilpatrick enriched himself for years through bribery and extortion involving contractors that did business with Detroit. He resigned as mayor in 2008 and served time for a parole violation in the unrelated text-messaging case.
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