DETROIT -- With a picture of Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's face next to it, "No More” read the headline of the well-respected African American Detroit newspaper, the Michigan Chronicle.

Newspaper Editorial Asks Mayor To Resign

"If (Kilpatrick's) love of Detroit is as strong as he professes, he will make the right decision, which we believe, is to step down," the paper wrote in Wednesday's morning edition.

Soundoff: On The Michigan Chronicle's Call For Mayor's Resignation

The paper said it has supported Kilpatrick throughout the years and has refrained from calling for his resignation as other Detroit media and political and religious leaders have done. However, they said after the world saw the Detroit mayor being thrown in jail, "like a common thug," they had to take action and be critical of "those we elect in office."

"The image of the mayor being jailed on Aug. 7 sent a very powerful, and damaging message around the world," said the paper.

Throughout Kilpatrick's term, the paper has supported him. When he was elected in January 2002, the Michigan Chronicle's headline read, "High Hopes."

The paper said it believes Kilpatrick's neighborhood development programs, negotiation skills and downtown restructuring has improved Detroit immensely throughout the years and the city will continue to reap the benefits.

However, the Michigan Chronicle said there is a point where the mayor's personal problems have started overshadowing anything he says or does.

The media parade around the mayor's legal woes have outshined recent major events in Detroit, such as the PGA Tour, the Woodward Dream Cruise and local athletes in the 2008 Olympics.

"Detroit's future is bigger than the mayor," said the paper.

The paper also said that they believe the legal restrictions placed on the mayor will hinder him from performing his job and further negotiating for the city.

A Wayne County judge banned the mayor from traveling and placed him on a tether after he spent the night in jail Thursday for violating his bond terms on perjury and obstruction of justice charges.

The paper said Kilpatrick should spare himself and the city the embarrassment from being forcibly removed from office through either a series of forfeiture hearings held by the Detroit City Council and Gov. Jennifer Granholm or by the Attorney General Mike Cox and Wayne County prosecutor Kym Worthy.

Kilpatrick and his former chief of staff, Christine Beatty, will be in court Thursday to face perjury obstruction of justice and conspiracy charges for their testimony in a whistle-blowers trial in 2007. They both denied an affair and the firing of Detroit police officers, but later published text messages contradicted their testimony.

Kilpatrick was charged last Friday with assault after a Wayne County Deputy accused him of shoving him when he came to serve a Kilpatrick friend a subpoena.

Friday morning, Kilpatrick will be back in court for a preliminary exam on assault charges.

Michigan Chronicle Senior Editor Bankole Thompson said they have been thinking about calling for his resignation since he first got in trouble, but said now this is the right time.

Nobody with the mayor's office has returned Local 4's calls to comment on the article.

Michigan Chronicle To Call For Mayor's Resignation