Hearing set over text messages

DETROIT — A hearing is set for federal court Monday related to the volume of city text messages sought as possible evidence in a lawsuit brought by the family of slain exotic dancer Tamara “Strawberry” Greene.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Steven Whalen is seeking to reduce the number of text messages sought by Norman Yatooma, a Birmingham lawyer representing Greene’s family. Whalen also will consider a request from pager company SkyTel to have more time to produce the messages.

Greene was linked to a long-rumored but never substantiated stripper party at the mayor’s official residence in the fall of 2002. Her family is suing the city, former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, and top city and police officials, alleging the investigation into Greene’s unsolved drive-by shooting on April 30, 2003, was obstructed for political reasons.

Lawyers for the defendants have denied the allegations.

At Monday’s hearing, Whalen wants Yatooma to describe what evidence he expects to get for messages from 39 different city pagers he has requested.

In a filing late Thursday, Yatooma said he wants messages sent from the pager marked “First Lady,” because he alleges Kilpatrick’s wife, Carlita Kilpatrick may have “assaulted Tamara Greene at the Manoogian Mansion party.”

In a new affidavit in the case, city paramedic Cenobio Chapa claims he saw an injured woman at Detroit Receiving Hospital in fall 2002 who claimed to have been assaulted by the former mayor’s wife. Carlita Kilpatrick could not be reached for comment.

Yatooma said he also wanted text messages from a pager marked “Bernard K” because he believes those were sent and received by Bernard Kilpatrick, the father of the former mayor.

“There is information to believe he was at the party where Ms. Greene was assaulted, and that he communicated regularly about all matters with his son,” Yatooma said about Bernard Kilpatrick.