Detroit council gets plan to oust mayor

DETROIT, May 27 (UPI) -- The Detroit City Council was presented with a plan Tuesday to oust embattled Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick from office, officials said.

Special attorney Bill Goodman, who was appointed by the council, said he would draft an official protocol to meet the June 13 date to begin the removal hearings, the Detroit Free Press reported.

He also will present the mayor with the appropriate charges and allow him to obtain legal representation for the hearings if he wishes.

Goodman said he expects the mayor's representatives will object to the hearings, which may prolong the removal proceedings.

"This has never been done before," Goodman said. "We do have a great deal of evidence already ... . There's no need to retill the soil."

The council is accusing Kilpatrick of violating the city charter, in part, because he didn't get the council's informed consent before approving $8.4 million to settle police whistle-blower cases, and that he used his public office for private gain by trying to keep details of the deal secret, The Detroit News reported.

The mayor faces felony perjury, obstruction of justice and misconduct charges that could put him in prison for up to 15 years.