Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano last week said he would ensure that the county prosecutor had all resources necessary to prosecute charges against Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, who was indicted last week on eight felony counts stemming from testimony during a 2007 whistleblower trial.
Local news reports last week quoted Ficano as saying that despite the county’s budget crunch, he would make sure that prosecutor Kym Worthy had all the resources needed to move forward with her 12-count indictment against Kilpatrick and his former chief of staff, Christine Beatty.
Earlier in the week, vowing to stay in office, Kilpatrick named as one of his top priorities the passage of his bond-funded $330 million economic stimulus plan.
Meanwhile, a group of the mayor’s supporters formed the Detroit Justice Fund to help pay his legal expenses. Members reportedly include David Baker Lewis, a founder of Detroit-based public finance law firm Lewis & Munday, and Reginald Turner, an attorney with Clark Hill PLC.
Kilpatrick has hired prominent attorney Daniel Webb, the lead counsel for now-imprisoned former Illinois Gov. George Ryan.
