DETROIT – Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick has lost another appeal for a new trial.
A three-judge panel at the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals again upheld the corruption conviction and 28-year prison sentence for Kilpatrick.
Here's the latest statement from the court, dated Oct. 21, 2015:
"The original panel has reviewed the petition for rehearing and concludes that the issues raised in the petition were fully considered upon the original submission and decision of the case. The petition then was circulated to the full court. No judge has requested a vote on the suggestion for rehearing en banc. Therefore, the petition is denied."
The next step for Kilpatrick would be to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Kilpatrick was found guilty of two dozen crimes from tax evasion to bribery. His appeal has centered on an alleged conflict among his trial attorneys, among other very technical reasons.
After months of trial, a jury in 2013 found that Kilpatrick rigged contracts, took bribes and committed other corrupt acts, often with contractor Bobby Ferguson. Kilpatrick was doomed by his own text messages, which revealed efforts to fix deals for Ferguson.