DETROIT – A federal judge will rule on Detroit's Chapter 9 municipal bankruptcy eligibility at 10 a.m. Dec. 3.
Detroit's state-appointed emergency manager, Kevyn Orr, officially filed for bankruptcy on July 18.
The filing went before Judge Stephen Rhodes who has to rule whether Detroit would be allowed to move forward under the court's protection.
The judge's ruling will end a long and often dramatic bankruptcy battle that caused outrage from union leaders, while those who supported the move like Orr and Snyder said the move is necessary for Detroit to succeed.
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The judge heard a nine-day trial during which the city made its case for bankruptcy and creditors, including city unions and retirees, challenged the city's bid.
The city's retirees, unions and two pension funds have blasted the bankruptcy filing, claiming the emergency manager purposely drove the city into bankruptcy court, refused to hammer out any deals and knew before even coming to town that Detroit was on the road to bankruptcy.
Not only will Detroiters be watching this ruling very closely, but so will those across the country. The decision handed down next week will not only be historic for the city, but will impact other large cities facing an uncertain financial future.
The city of Detroit has roughly $18.5 billion in debt. Detroit is the largest American city to file for bankruptcy.