Ferguson attorney taken to hospital during cross examination

DETROIT (WXYZ) - The Kilpatrick Corruption Trial was cut short Monday after Bobby Ferguson’s lead attorney had to be taken to the hospital.

Gerald Evelyn is currently in fair condition.

Despite being ill, Evelyn made some very key points about his client with the jury before he had to stop for the day.

During his cross-examination of the owner of A&H Contractors, Evelyn grilled Thomas Hardiman.

On Friday, Hardiman told the jury in the Kilpatrick Corruption Trial that Ferguson had bullied him into getting nearly $1 million on a water department contract for work he didn’t do.

Former Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, his father Bernard Kilpatrick, Ferguson, and ex-water department director Victor Mercado are all on trial, accused of lining their pockets by extorting other contractors.

But today, Evelyn showed the jury that Hardiman and his one-time partner company Lakeshore Engineering Services, used Ferguson’s minority business status to help get the contract in the first place, but then Ferguson got pushed out of the deal – which is why he didn’t do the work.

During cross examination – Evelyn got Hardiman to admit that another contractor agreed to pay Ferguson Enterprises $900,000 in exchange for Ferguson giving up his portion of the project. Ferguson’s lawyers say that’s payment for a broken contract – not extortion.

It was at that point that Evelyn asked the judge for a break because he wasn’t feeling well – and ultimately had to be taken by ambulance to the hospital.

“It appears to be something that is obviously of concern to everybody, so our hopes and prayers are with him,” said attorney Jim Thomas.

“He was taken for treatment, and in the meantime, the attorneys all agreed, they would adjourn court for tomorrow,” said federal court spokesman Rod Hansen.

The jurors will call in Tuesday afternoon to see where things stand. Of course, everyone is hoping that Evelyn will recover quickly.