Indicted Detroit mayor jailed for violating bond

DETROIT (Reuters) - A judge on Thursday jailed indicted Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick for violating the conditions of his bond by crossing the Canadian border without permission.

The 38-year-old mayor, once seen as a rising star in the Democratic Party, faces a trial on charges of perjury, obstruction of justice and official misconduct stemming from a sex scandal and his handling of a whistle-blower lawsuit.

He went to neighboring Windsor, Canada, in July without informing authorities, a breach of a condition of his $75,000 bond that allowed him his freedom before trial.

The mayor's jailing adds another layer of uncertainty to Detroit, the 11th largest U.S. city that is headquarters to the nation's struggling auto industry.

Lawyers for Kilpatrick appealed the ruling by Michigan District Court Judge Ronald Giles to another state court.

Circuit Court Judge Thomas Jackson was expected to hear the appeal on Friday morning, meaning that Kilpatrick was likely to spend at least one night in the Wayne County jail.

Kilpatrick has steadfastly refused calls to step down. Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm, also a Democrat, has the power to remove him but has not stepped into the case.

The mayor may face additional charges stemming from an incident last month in which he shoved a sheriff's deputy serving a subpoena on one of Kilpatrick's friends.

A statement from Kilpatrick's office said Deputy Mayor Kandia Milton, who was appointed last week, would oversee city operations in the mayor's absence.

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy, who announced the eight-count indictment against Kilpatrick in March, said the mayor was treated justly, "considering his most recent behavior."

Kilpatrick apologized to Judge Giles and admitted violating the conditions of the bond by going to Windsor in what he said was a bid to preserve jobs, according to remarks posted on the Detroit Free Press Web site.

Kilpatrick's former chief of staff, Christine Beatty, also faces perjury and obstruction of justice charges.

The two exchanged text messages that appear to show they lied when they testified in a police whistle-blower lawsuit that they had not had a sexual relationship or discussed the firing of a police official.

The city agreed to settle the whistle-blower lawsuit without knowing of the arrangement with defense lawyers to keep the text messages private. The messages were disclosed by the Free Press in January.

Kilpatrick has waived his right to a preliminary hearing on the perjury and misconduct charges and opted to go directly to trial, with his arraignment set for August 14. He faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted.

(Additional reporting by Andrew Stern in Chicago; Editing by Xavier Briand)