Some Detroit text messages to be released

DETROIT, July 15 (UPI) -- A Michigan judge said Tuesday he will make public only some of the text messages at the heart of the corruption case against Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick.

District Judge Ronald Giles, however, ruled that he will keep others of the "hundreds, if not thousands" of texts introduced into evidence at Kilpatrick's trial under seal at least temporarily, the Detroit News reported.

At a hearing Tuesday, Giles said he believes some of Kilpatrick's text messages may be inadmissible because they are personal, such as communications between the mayor and his wife. Others may remain sealed because they don't bear directly on the conspiracy, obstruction of justice, perjury and official misconduct charges against him, the newspaper said.

Lawyers for Kilpatrick and co-defendant Christine Beatty, the mayor's former chief of staff, have moved to have all the text messages thrown out as inadmissible. Kilpatrick and Beatty are charged with arranging secret payoffs to police whistle-blowers possessing incriminating text messages sent between the two.