Indicted Detroit mayor jailed for violating bond

By David Bailey and Soyoung Kim

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.