Attorney hired to oppose mayor's removal

DETROIT, June 11 (UPI) -- A special counsel has been retained to fight Detroit City Council efforts to remove Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick from office.

The mayor and his former chief of staff Christine Beatty face conspiracy, obstruction of justice, perjury and official misconduct charges related to a 2007 police whistle-blower trial.

Now civil rights attorney and Wayne State University law Professor Robert A. Sedler has been hired to represent Kilpatrick in the City Council's trial-like proceedings, called forfeiture, intended to remove him from office, The Detroit News reported Wednesday.

"The City Council should not institute forfeiture proceedings, because that would annul the will of the voters," Sedler said, previewing his legal case. "The voters elected the mayor. There is a process for removal. They could have a recall. I believe this is simply an end-run around the process provided for in the state Constitution for recalling officials."