Judge OK's Kilpatrick's move to Texas

DETROIT, March 11 (UPI) -- A Michigan judge has approved former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's request to transfer his probation to Texas, where he has a job lined up, observers said.

Wayne County Circuit Judge David Groner Tuesday granted Kilpatrick's request to move to Southlake, Texas, and start a six-figure job with Covisint, a division of software giant Compuware, which is based in Detroit, The Detroit News reported.

Groner, however, blasted Kilpatrick for being slow to pay a $1 million restitution penalty, which was imposed as part of his guilty plea last year to two felony obstruction of justice charges. Groner also criticized the former mayor for failing to report cash gifts that he used to buy a $35,000 Cadillac Escalade, the News said.

Meanwhile, newly released text messages between Kilpatrick and his father, business consultant Bernard Kilpatrick, indicated the two discussed Detroit city contracts, with the elder Kilpatrick at one point addressing his son as Michael Corleone, the son of "The Godfather" Mafia boss of the U.S. movie series, The Detroit Free Press reported.