Sound_Off's Blog

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FROM DETROIT (AP) -- A judge has ruled that the Detroit City Council
cannot hold a hearing to remove Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick from office.

Wayne County Circuit Judge Robert Ziolkowski (Zill-KOW'-ski)
said Monday afternoon that the city charter does not give the
council power to force out Kilpatrick.

The council accuses the mayor of violating the charter by not
revealing a confidentiality agreement linked to an $8.4 million
settlement in a civil case.

A second removal effort by the council rests with Governor
Jennifer Granholm, who will preside at a Sept. 3 misconduct hearing
targeting Kilpatrick.

The mayor also faces 10 felony counts in two criminal cases.

FROM SOUND OFF:

The City Council's attorney's will appeal this ruling. Their ability to remove Mayor Kilpatrick now rests in Governor Granholm's hands. You have to wonder if today's ruling will effect her decision on September 3rd. If the Mayor is eventually convicted of the one of the felonies he faces, the city charter does allow for him to be removed from office.

Right now it looks like the only way the Mayor gets out out office is if he resigns... is convicted of a felony... is forced out by the Governor... or loses an election.

Which one of these do you think will happen, if any?

SOUND OFF AND BE HEARD. SOME OF YOUR COMMENTS MAY GET USED ON THE AIR.

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UPDATE:  Hours after being told to remove his electronic
tether, Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick was ordered Thursday to put it back
on, a result of the legal pingpong occurring in his two separate
criminal cases.
  
A judge overseeing Kilpatrick's arraignment on perjury and other
charges said the mayor could get rid of the tether around his ankle
and also attend the Democratic National Convention later this
month.
  
But by afternoon another judge handling assault charges against
the mayor reinstated the tether as a condition of his release in
that case. Those terms were first set Aug. 8.

(THIS WAS THE ORIGINAL POST FROM THIS MORNING)

(Detroit AP) -- A judge says Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick will
be allowed to travel to the Democratic National Convention in
Denver and go without a tether that had been ordered in his perjury
case.

Kilpatrick and his former top aide were in Wayne County Circuit
Court on Thursday morning for an arraignment on perjury and other
charges stemming from a text-messaging sex scandal. Not guilty
pleas were entered on their behalf.

Judge Leonard Townsend raised the question about whether
Kilpatrick should be allowed to travel to the convention, where he
is a superdelegate. Prosecutors objected to the judge's decision.

Kilpatrick and Christine Beatty were charged in March with
conspiracy, perjury, obstruction of justice and misconduct in
office, all tied to their testimony in a civil trial.

No tether. No travel restrictions.

Is this fair? Would "John Six-Pack" get the same deal? Judge Townsend has decided to ignore Judge Giles and Judge Jackson rulings that stipulated the travel restrictions. He refers to the tether and restrictions as silly. Were the judges wrong? Kilpatrick did violate the condition of his bond, did he not?

Perhaps Judge Townsend is right. He says we are all presumed innocent until proven guilty, not the other way around. The perjury and obstruction of justice trial has only just begun. Nothing has been proven yet.

So what do you think? Sound Off and be Heard. Some of your comments may get used on the air.

DETROIT -- A judge has ruled that Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick didn't violate bond conditions in an assault case by visiting his sister, who is one of the witnesses listed by authorities.

Judge Ronald Giles presided Tuesday morning when a prosecutor argued that Kilpatrick violated his bond conditions by spending time with his sister last weekend.

Giles had sent the mayor to jail last week in a separate perjury case. Giles agreed with the mayor's attorneys that the no-contact order didn't include Ayanna Kilpatrick.

A few things to comment on here:

Was Judge Giles correct in his ruling?
Was the AG's office splitting hairs in bringing this to court in the first place?
Did anyone else notice the mayor's wife made an appearance in court?

Sound Off below on the latest in the mayor's legal troubles. Some of your comments could be used on-air.

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It's Dream Cruise week around metro Detroit and this 'Sound Off' blog is curious...

Are gas prices going to change the way you cruise the strip? Or is it business as usual?

Michigan's attorney general says he's bringing assault charges against Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick after the mayor had a physical confrontation with a detective trying to deliver a subpoena.

The mayor faces two counts of assaulting or obstructing a police officer in the furtherance of their duties. Each felony count brings up to 2 years in prison or a fine of $2,000.

Attorney General Mike Cox made the announcement on Friday. He also stated that he sees no reason why this case shouldn't be brought to trial within 90 days.

What do you think?

1. Is Cox making the right decision?
2. Do you see this trial taking place within the 90-day period?

Sound Off your thoughts here.

A judge has ruled that Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick be released from jail, pay a $50,000 cash bond, wear an electronic tether and not be allowed to travel.

Wayne County Circuit Judge Thomas Jackson made the decision Friday, altering the ruling of a Detroit district court judge who ordered the mayor to jail a day earlier for violating the terms of his bond.

Do you think the judge made the right decision?

Sound Off your thoughts below. Your comments could be used on-air.

Click here to read our Sound Off blog from yesterday's ruling.

Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick has been ordered to go to jail after a judge found that he violated his bond.  Do you think this was the right decision.

Sound Off with your thoughts.

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A Wayne County Sheriff's deputy says he was shoved by Mayor Kilpatrick while trying to serve a subpoena. We want to hear what you have to say about this situation. Add your comments below. Some of them may be used on-the-air in our newscasts:

LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- A new report warns that many Michigan roads and bridges will keep deteriorating and become less safe unless the state doubles what it spends on them.

So, take away the tax implications and think to yourself -- If you had the money to complete one road project in the state, where would it be?

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If you're a retired GM employee 65 and over, we want to hear from you. How will these cuts affect your life? Let us know, we would like to tell your story and share your thoughts on the air.

GM's plans further salaried headcount reductions in the U.S. and Canada in the 2008 calendar year, which will be achieved through normal attrition, early retirements, mutual separation programs and other separation tools. In addition, health care coverage for U.S. salaried retirees over 65 will be eliminated, effective January 1, 2009. Affected retirees and surviving spouses will receive a pension increase from GM's over funded U.S. salaried plan to help offset costs of Medicare and supplemental coverage. And there will be no new base compensation increases for U.S. and Canadian salaried employees for the remainder of 2008 and 2009.

Again -- If you're a retired GM employee 65 and over, we want to hear from you. How will these cuts affect your life? Let us know, we would like to tell your story and share your thoughts on the air.  You can also call 248-552-5117 to leave a voice mail.

Add a comment to the blog below.

READ DETAILS OF PLAN

What Waggoner Says

WASHINGTON (AP) -- In another push to deal with soaring gas prices, President Bush on Monday will lift an executive ban on offshore drilling that his stood since his father was president. But the move, by itself, will do nothing unless Congress acts as well.

The president plans to officially lift the ban and explain his actions in a Rose Garden statement, White House press secretary Dana Perino said.

What do you think?
Should we drill off our shores? Or not?

Sound Off here.
Some of your comments could be used on-air.

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A Problem Solver Investigation hits close to home. Scott Lewis uncovers new information about FOX 2 anchor Fanchon Stinger and her involvement with a controversial city sludge contract. He also digs deeper into Stinger's ties to Rayford Jackson, a man at the center of the FBI probe.

View the Lewis story CLICK HERE.

Add your comments in this blog. Fox 2 understands the sensitive nature of the situation involving Ms. Stinger, who is no longer an employee of Fox 2, but we welcome viewer feedback.

Could lower freeway speed limits be on the horizon in Michigan?

Governor Granholm hinted to reporters yesterday that lowering speed limits in order to conserve fuel might be something she would consider.

What do you think?
Can you drive 55?

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that Americans have a right to own guns for self-defense and hunting, the justices' first major pronouncement on gun rights in U.S. history.

The court's 5-4 ruling struck down the District of Columbia's 32-year-old ban on handguns as incompatible with gun rights under the Second Amendment. The decision went further than even the Bush administration wanted, but probably leaves most firearms laws intact.

What do you think?
Sound Off below and we could use some of your comments on-air.

Has the rising price of gas effected your spending habits?  Forced you to cut back on certain things?  Caused you to take the bus? Ride your bike?  Walk more?  Spend more or less at the grocery?  Not eat out as much?  Purchased a smaller car?

We want to know how the high price of gas has effected you?

ADD YOUR COMMENTS TO THIS BLOG.  SOME OF THEM MAY GET USED ON THE AIR DURING A FOX 2 NEWSCAST.