A federal magistrate judge is to hear arguments today that the family of slain exotic dancer Tamara “Strawberry” Greene should be awarded judgment in their lawsuit because of repeated foot-dragging in producing records by the city of Detroit and former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick.
“There is clearly a pattern of disregard concerning the city’s duties to gather, preserve and produce relevant evidence to the court and to plaintiffs,” Greene family attorney Norman Yatooma said in a January court filing asking that the city and Kilpatrick be found in default.
The city filed a response to the motion in February, but the response was filed under seal, so its contents are not known.
Greene, who was linked to a rumored party at the mayor’s Manoogian Mansion in the fall of 2002, was shot to death in Detroit on April 30, 2003.
Her family is suing the city, Kilpatrick and top city and police officials, alleging they obstructed the investigation into Greene’s still unsolved killing for political reasons. The defendants deny the allegations. The suit was filed in 2005.
In his motion, Yatooma said the city has missed deadlines for producing records sought in the case, and Kilpatrick has filed late responses that were “incomplete and untruthful.”
Among the records sought are e-mails and records related to Detroit police and fire responses to emergency calls.
U.S. Magistrate Judge R. Steven Whalen is to hear arguments today.
Whalen is also to hear arguments on a sealed motion from Yatooma seeking certain telephone records.
Attorney General Mike Cox, who was deposed in the lawsuit but is not a defendant, has filed a brief in opposition of the motion for telephone records. Cox’s brief is also sealed.
Cox’s office in 2003 investigated the rumored party at the Manoogian and Cox declared it an “urban legend.”
From The Detroit News:
