Audio: Political Prosecution Cases Around The County Suggest Lengthy Prison Term For Kilpatrick

DETROIT (WWJ/AP) - Ex-Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and his friend Bobby Ferguson are in federal prison, and the next question is how long they will spend behind bars.

Jurors convicted Kilpatrick of crimes including racketeering conspiracy on Monday.

"The former mayor was not focused on running the city," said U.S. Attorney Barb McQuade."

McQuade and prosecutors portrayed Kilpatrick as a corrupt politician who took bribes, rigged contracts and lived far beyond his means while in office until the fall of 2008.

"He was focused on using the mayor's office as a money making machine - for himself and his family and friends," she said. "He was grabbing money from the citizens that he was elected to serve."

McQuade hopes the sentence is significant, although she wouldn't say how long Kilpatrick and Ferguson could be behind bars.

"We'll be looking not only at the sentencing guidelines like other comparable cases around the country - certainly there is no case exactly like this," said McQuade, " But I can tell you that Governor Blagojevich in Illinois got 14 years, and a county commissioner in Cleveland recently got 28 years and so those will certainly be comparable that we will bring to the court's attention.

WWJ Newsradio 950 interviewed a panel of those closest to the case led by City Beat Reporter Vicki Thomas and WWJ Legal Analyst Charlie Langton:

The Verdict Segment 1

The Verdict Segment 2

The Verdict Segment 3

The Verdict Segment 4

The Verdict Segment 5

The Verdict Segment 6

A sentencing date for the three men convicted is still pending.

In:
• Bernard Kilpatrick