Tuesday marks the start of deliberations in the federal corruption case of former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, his father and longtime friend.
Jurors were given the case Friday after five months of testimony and arguments.
Blog: Jury gets Kilpatrick case, deliberations up next
The charges:
Kilpatrick, 42, is charged with 30 crimes, including racketeering conspiracy, bribery, extortion and tax evasion. His father, Bernard, is a co-defendant along with Bobby Ferguson. The conspiracy charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
LIST: Final charges against Kilpatrick
To convict on that count, the jury must find that at least one of them agreed to commit two crimes, such as extortion, bribery or fraud.
Kilpatrick, a Democrat, resigned as mayor in 2008 in another scandal. He pleaded guilty to obstructing justice by lying in a civil case about whether he had had sex with a top aide. He subsequently served 14 months in prison for violating his probation in that case.
The prosecution:
The main theme of the government's case is that Kwame Kilpatrick ensured that Ferguson got city excavation work and then enjoyed the cash spoils. But he also is accused of strong-arming other contractors to give public jobs to Ferguson and shaking down businesses.
--Kwame Kilpatrick and Bobby Ferguson
During the trial, prosecutors posted a graph for jurors that looked like the rising stock price of a high-flying company. It showed a major spike in Kilpatrick's cash deposits after he was elected in 2001.
Kilpatrick's defense lawyer said his client simply saved money and got cash gifts from supporters at holidays and at birthdays, including a hotel party called "Splash of Red."
It was "no splash of red," the prosecutor countered. "It was a tidal wave of green."
The defense:
Defense attorneys said the government was trying to turn the defendants' close relationships into criminal acts. They said Kilpatrick, who is black, wanted to help Ferguson, who is black, and other minority-owned businesses.
READ: Ferguson's attorney: I'm confident we're going to win
On Thursday, Ferguson attorney Gerald Evelyn held John F. Kennedy's book, "Profiles in Courage," as he urged jurors not to be afraid to return a verdict that could be unpopular with the public.
--Bernard Kilpatrick
SPECIAL COVERAGE: Kilpatrick on Trial
IMAGES: Kwame Kilpatrick at federal court
Kwame Kilpatrick has spent many days at federal court in Detroit these last 5 months. Check out some of his looks.
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