John Shea's Big Case

continued

Shea is on his cell phone, talking as he drives back to Ann Arbor after what the media are calling "Day Forty-Nine" of the trial of former Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick. Kilpatrick, who's already served time for obstruction of justice in the "text message" scandal, now faces corruption charges over a $1.2 billion sludge-hauling contract. His co-defendants include his father, Bernard Kilpatrick. Shea is Bernard's court-appointed lawyer.

Today's testimony was from "a pretty critical witness for the government," Shea says, "which means a critical witness for us, as well." Derrick Miller "was indicted with us, and then pleaded guilty about six months later and has been cooperating [with the federal prosecutors], so he's their administration insider, so to speak. He's not done yet--the government's not done with him."

Among other things, Miller testified that he met with the Kilpatricks, father and son, at Bernard's condo to discuss steering city work to a third defendant, contractor Bobby Ferguson. "So far, [the testimony] hasn't been great," Shea says, "but it hasn't been horrible."