Ex Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick Back In Court; Questioned In Tamara Greene Murder Case

DETROIT — Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick told a federal court  that he is not tech-savvy and would not know how to purge e-mails from the city's server, countering suggestions that he deliberately deleted evidence that could prove he hindered an investigation into a stripper's murder.



Kilpatrick and the city are being sued by the family of Tamara Greene who was killed in a drive-by shooting in 2003. The family claims he obstructed the murder probe because she danced for him at a party months earlier. He denies that accusation, says there was no party and calls the case "frivolous."


Wearing a business shirt and tie, Kilpatrick was transported from prison to answer questions about what may have happened to e-mail written and received in 2002 and 2003. Greene family lawyers believe his e-mail may provide clues, but the hard drive is missing and city staff have said e-mail that old wasn't backed up.


Kilpatrick said he couldn't recall how many e-mails he would send or receive each day, but he denied ever writing or receiving any that involved Greene's death. He said he had three computers when he was mayor, from 2002 to fall 2008, but typically used only his City Hall computer.


"Unfortunately I'm not a computer guy. I rarely did computer work at all at home," Kilpatrick said.


He said the mail in his inbox ranged from "'Happy birthday' to 'We need to cut grass at X park,' and everything in between."


As he questioned Kilpatrick, lawyer Norman Yatooma was repeatedly reined in by U.S. Magistrate Judge R. Steven Whalen, who stopped him from asking about a confidential FBI report and limited the inquiry to e-mail from 2002 and 2003.


"What you're doing with your questioning, you're testifying. ... I don't want speeches," Whalen told Yatooma at one point.


Kilpatrick, 40, is in prison for violating probation in a state criminal case that forced him out of office. He's also awaiting trial on federal tax and fraud charges.


The city and Kilpatrick are asking that the Greene family's lawsuit be dismissed. No one has been charged in Greene's death, but the city has said her killer is in prison in an unrelated case.