Kwame Kilpatrick Loses His Federal Appeal for a New Trial

Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick lost his federal appeals bid for a new trial Friday, according to a Detroit News report.

»Via The Detroit News

Kilpatrick, 45, is currently serving a 28-year prison sentence for a 2013 racketeering conviction. The one-time rising political star is locked up in an Oklahoma City federal prison and won’t be released until Aug. 1, 2037. He will be 67 at that time.

The three-judge panel that heard Kilpatrick’s appeal said he didn’t show a conflict of interest with his lawyers nor could he prove his lawyers were ineffective, the report stated. The panel also said Kilpatrick couldn’t prove he was prejudiced by trial testimony from federal agents, the report added.

Related Patch Stories:

• Ex Mayor, Serving 28 Years on Federal Racketeering Conviction, Asks Obama for Pardon
• Kwame Kilpatrick Put on Tether After Trip to Chesterfield Walmart

The ruling did have one bright spot for Kilpatrick: The judges vacated a $4.5 million restitution payment to the Detroit Water and Sewage Department and sent it back to U.S. District Court, the report stated.

In 2010, Kilpatrick faced faced bid-rigging and extortion accusations and was indicted on federal corruption charges. Prosecutors claimed Bobby W. Ferguson, a Kilpatrick friend, received $73 million worth of city contracts as a result of an extortion scheme involving the former mayor, netting a $9.6 million profit.

Recently, Kilpatrick has been busy either trying to overturn his conviction or mitigate his sentence. Earlier this year, he asked President Barack Obama for a presidential pardon.