VIDEO: Former Cox Aide to Testify in Greene Case?
A woman who used to work in the Attorney General’s office may have to testify in the Tammy Greene lawsuit. The lawyer for the murdered stripper’s family says that attorney could have “significant” information for his case. Action News Investigator Heather Catallo has the details.
Court documents that were accidentally publicly filed give us an inside look at who’s about to give testimony in this controversial case. Because of this motion, we now know that attorney for Greene’s family wants to depose a new potential witness – but the other lawyers in this case are trying to stop him.
Action News has obtained a court document we were never supposed to see. It’s an attempt by Mayer Morganroth – the lawyer representing Christine Beatty – to prevent certain witnesses from having to give testimony in the Tamara Greene lawsuit.
Greene has long been linked to the rumored party that Kwame Kilpatrick allegedly held at the Manoogian Mansion back in 2002. The exotic dancer was shot to death in Detroit in 2003. Attorney General Mike Cox cleared Kilpatrick of criminal wrong-doing in the case and called the party simply an urban legend.
On behalf of Greene’s family, Birmingham attorney Norman Yatooma is suing Kilpatrick, Beatty and other former city officials for allegedly obstructing the investigation into Greene’s murder.
Norman Yatooma/Lawyer for Greene’s Family: Bottom line, we’re trying to find out how and why Tammy Greene’s murder investigation was covered up. It would seem that any attempt to obstruct our discovery is an attempt to keep us finding answers to those questions.
Because this motion was accidentally filed “unsealed,” we now know that Yatooma was trying to take testimony from 4 people next week:Carlita Kilpatrick, Bernard Kilpatrick, former Police Chief Jerry Oliver, and now a new name has emerged: Brooke Jordan, whose maiden name was Brooke Liszak.
Jordan was an attorney who worked for Mike Cox from 2004 to 2006. Yatooma says the judge’s rules don’t allow him to tell us exactly what he wants to ask her in the deposition.
Norman Yatooma/Lawyer for Greene’s Family: We believe that she would have significant information as to whether and why Mike Cox’s investigation into Kwame Kilpatrick was compromised.
Catallo: What kind of information might she have?
Yatooma: Significant.
Catallo: But you can’t tell us what?
Yatooma: I can’t, no.
According to this motion, Morganroth says Yatooma is violating agreements to limit the number of depositions in the case. Yatooma had been scheduled to take testimony from the former mayor’s wife and father in Texas on Monday. Those depositions will now be postponed.
Norman Yatooma/Lawyer for Greene’s Family: The reasons for which we want to depose them are as obvious as the day is long. Of course, Carlita Kilpatrick is alleged to have assaulted Tammy Green at this never-proven much-talked-about party. And the way a party goes from never-proven to proven is well, going to the proofs. And one of the proofs is Carlita Kilpatrick. The fact that she hasn’t been interviewed yet is insane.”
Jordan and her husband, who also used to work for Cox, have since moved to Arizona. So far they are not returning messages to comment on why her name has emerged in this case.
We also contacted Mr. Morganroth to find out how this document was accidentally made public, but we have not heard back from him. As for the attorney general, his spokesman says they can’t really talk about this case because so much of it is being done under seal.
