Judge Orders Kilpatrick Book Publisher to Court

DETROIT (AP) - The publisher of ex-Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's memoirs has been ordered to court to explain why no profits from the book have been sent to a court-ordered escrow account.

Creative Publishing Consultants, Inc., also must explain why it should not be held in contempt of court, Wayne County Circuit Judge David Groner wrote Friday in an order.

The order said Creative Publishing Consultants should appear Nov. 16 in Groner's courtroom.

It is in response to a motion by the Wayne County prosecutor's office that claims a partial accounting on Oct. 14 showed "Surrendered! The Rise, Fall and Revelation of Kwame Kilpatrick" had about $56,400 in total sales.

The book sold for $26.95 a copy and pre-orders were taken earlier this summer. The book hit stores on Aug. 9.

Aktion Enterprises, a company run by Kilpatrick's sister, Ayanna, was to receive about $19,200 after expenses.

Groner ordered Creative Publishing in June not to pay any money to Aktion Enterprises, Kwame Kilpatrick or anyone acting as an agent on behalf of the former mayor.

But as of Friday "no funds have been sent to the escrow agent and Creative is in violation of the court's orders," according to the prosecutor's motion filed with Groner.

Calls by The Associated Press rang unanswered late Friday afternoon at the office of Creative Publishing's attorney.

Kwame Kilpatrick's book profits are to be entered into the escrow account to help pay restitution he owes the city of Detroit as part of a 2008 plea to criminal charges. More than $800,000 in restitution remains owed.

He was released from a Michigan prison in August after serving just over a year for violating probation in the 2008 criminal case.