Jury gets corruption case of former Detroit mayor

Jury gets corruption case of former Detroit mayor

DETROIT (AP) — Jurors who sat through a five-month trial now have the corruption case of former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick.

But a judge says formal deliberations won’t start until Tuesday, at the jury’s request. Monday is a public holiday.

Prosecutor Mark Chutkow had the final word today, giving a blistering rebuttal to defense lawyers’ closing remarks. He says Kilpatrick engaged in “breathtaking” corruption that robbed Detroit residents of honest government.

Kilpatrick, his father Bernard and construction contractor Bobby Ferguson are accused of widespread corruption through bribery and extortion. The Kilpatricks also are charged with tax crimes.

The prosecutor displayed a chart to show jurors large spikes in cash deposits when Kilpatrick was mayor. Chutkow called it a “tidal wave of green.”

Kwame Kilpatrick’s lawyer says his client got cash gifts from supporters.