Ex-Detroit mayor wants money to pay for appeal

DETROIT (AP) -- Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick is asking the public to pay $24,000 more for a second lawyer to appeal his corruption conviction and prison sentence. Kilpatrick filed the request last Friday with a federal appeals court. According to defense lawyer Harold Gurewitz, a second lawyer is needed to review more than 12,000 pages of trial transcripts and provide legal research. He wants the appeals court to appoint an $80-hour associate for up to 300 hours of work. The Detroit News recently reported on Kilpatrick's request. Last week, it was disclosed that Kilpatrick's total legal bill was $813,806, with 52 percent going to attorney James Thomas. A jury found Kilpatrick guilty of racketeering and other charges in March. The 43-year-old is serving a 28-year sentence at a federal prison in Oklahoma. Published: Wed, Feb 19, 2014