Governor to hold hearing on Detroit mayor's fate

Michigan Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm announced Tuesday that she will hold a hearing to decide whether Kwame M. Kilpatrick should be forced from office, denying the beleaguered Detroit mayor's appeal to have the hearing delayed or canceled.

Granholm, who, like Kilpatrick, is a Democrat, signed an order Monday night scheduling the hearing into allegations of official misconduct and released it Tuesday.

Granholm was responding to a request by the Detroit City Council to begin the process of removing Kilpatrick from office. If, after the hearing, the governor determines there is enough evidence to replace the mayor, she can do so.

Granholm's hearing will precede the mayor's upcoming criminal trials. He faces 10 felony charges, including perjury and misconduct in office.