Da' King's Court Jester Still Whining

[Meddle]

Detroit — Contractor Bobby Ferguson asked a federal judge Friday to acquit him of nine charges, including racketeering conspiracy, saying prosecutors failed to prove their case during the City Hall corruption trial.

As an alternative, Ferguson asked U.S. District Judge Nancy Edmunds to order a new trial because of what he and his attorneys consider several errors committed during the six-month trial, which ended in March with guilty verdicts against the contractor and ex-Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and his father, Bernard.

Prosecutors deprived Ferguson of his constitutional right to a fair trial by using "inflammatory and prejudicial remarks" during closing arguments, the contractor's lawyers wrote in a filing Friday in federal court.

During closing arguments, Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Chutkow quoted Special Olympics founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver and urged jurors to speak for the community and convict the men of corruption.

"It is wholly improper for a prosecutor to appeal to the jurors' emotions, as happened here," Ferguson's lawyers wrote.

Ferguson's own defense featured an emotional closing argument.

Defense lawyer Gerald Evelyn capped a two-hour-long closing argument on the verge of tears and his voice cracked while quoting Martin Luther King Jr.

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2...336/1409/rss36



Dude, don't go away mad. Just go away.

[Wesley Mouch]

"It is wholly improper for a prosecutor to appeal to the jurors' emotions, as happened here," Ferguson's lawyers wrote.

Thought that the purpose of closing arguments was to allow such comments. [[Can a lawyer here enlighten us?)

Nothing wrong with Mr. Ferguson using our taxpayer-stolen money to defend himself. I just hope when all appeals are exhausted, that he will repay all the stolen money. You shouldn't be able to spend stolen money on lawyers then just say -- oh well, its gone. Get the cash.