Mayor must release dancer’s text messages

DETROIT, Aug. 25 (UPI) — A federal judge has ruled in favor of releasing text messages exchanged between a slain exotic dancer and Detroit’s mayor and other city officials.

U.S. District Judge Gerald Rosen held the attorney representing the family of Tamara Greene can resubmit a request that would force the city of Detroit to produce the text messages under rules of discovery.

Greene’s family is suing Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and other city and police officials on charges of obstructing an investigation into her unsolved killing in 2003.

Greene’s name was linked to rumors of a party held at the mayor’s residence.
“The city has gone through such pains to hide these text messages. It puts the greatest emphasis on how important these text messages must be,” said Norman Yatooma, the Greene family attorney.

Curt Benson, a professor at Cooley Law School in Grand Rapids, called Rosen’s ruling “an unappealable order.”

“The judge’s decision in this area is final,” said Benson.