Along with the resignation, Kilpatrick pled guilty to two counts of obstruction of justice and pled no contest to assaulting or obstructing a public officer. This all came as part of a plea deal with prosecutors.
As part of the deal, Kilpatrick will serve two concurrent four-month sentences at the Wayne County Jail and also pay the city $1 million over the next five years. Kilpatrick also will lose his law license, his pension, and be ineligible to run for any elected office during that same five-year period.
Kilpatrick, who was once a rising star in the Democratic party and had been praised by none other than current Democrat presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama, has had a lurid and highly public fall from grace.
Kilpatrick had been hearing calls to resign for months now, as his guilt became increasingly apparent. Much like what happened with Richard Nixon, the cover-up became worse than the crime and eventually led to Kilpatrick's downfall.
The plea deal was increasingly necessary, as it came under the wire for Kilpatrick. Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm, a fellow Democrat, had been forced to start proceedings to have Kilpatrick removed from office by legal means. And if that had happened, there likely would have been no plea deal available at all for the former mayor.
Kilpatrick has been succeeded as mayor by Ken Cockrel, Jr., head of the city council, until a special interim election can be held.
