Judge Says Detroit Mayor Can See Sis

Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick dodged another visit to jail this morning when a judge ruled that his weekend contact with his sister was not a violation of the terms of his bond, even though she was present at the incident that got him into trouble in the first place. The mayor attended a family dinner at his mother's house with his sister and his bodyguard, both of whom he is forbidden to discuss the case with.

The prosecuter argued the gathering violated the terms of bond because there's no telling if they discussed the case. "I don't see a violation," said the same judge who threw Kilpatrick in jail Thursday for traveling without court permission. "You want the mayor to have the support of his family during these trying times," his lawyer argued. Kilpatrick is accused of assaulting a cop and his partner. His wife, Carlita Kilpatrick, accompanied him to court today, and, after the hearing, "wrapped her left arm around the mayor and rubbed his back," reports the Detroit News. (More Kwame Kilpatrick stories.)