Detroit Mayor Jailed

Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrik is to spend time in a Michigan jail. Due to a prior charge the mayor was to inform the Michigan courts before he left the state. However, he crossed the Detroit River into Canada without the court's permission. The mayor crossed the border during a trip to Windsor, Ontario, on business.

Mayor Kwame Kilpatrik was originally also charged with lying under oath in a civil case. He was facing eight court felonies and was released on bond. After the mayor's trip to Ontario the country prosecutor requested to the courts that he face punishment.

The mayor does not have a perfect past in office either. He had already gotten in trouble when he was accused of having a long term sexual relationship with a government paid assistant on government time. The mayor has also been found to have sent thousands of sexual text messages to his executive assistant. This is all while the mayor is already been married.

Kwame waved his right to a preliminary examination today. This is an act that could lead to criminal charges, charges which have a possible penalty of fifteen years of jail time.

While the mayor is absent his chief of staff will be running the city of 900,000 people. Kandia Milton, the mayor's chief of staff, was hired six days ago. There is controversy over whether or not she should run the city in the absence of a mayor.

The mayor has been quoted on saying: "I've been living in an incredible state of pressure and scrutiny." Other political officials have been making statements in response to this. The generally accepted opinion is that Mayor Kilpatrik has been abusing his position of mayor and partaking in activities that are unbecoming of anyone in a political position as strong as being the mayor of the city of Detroit.