Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy (center) with attorney Jennifer Grieco (left) and Heather Spielmaker, Director of Cooley's Center for Ethics, Service, and Professionalism. Worthy was the featured speaker at the Center, addressing “How does a public official stand up to intense political pressure and do the right thing?”
By Paul Janczewski
Legal News
The Cooley Law School Center for Ethics, Service and Professionalism didn’t have to look far for its featured speaker on “How does a public official stand up to intense political pressure and do the right thing?” She was right in their backyard.
The Center, along with the Oakland County Bar Association, called on Wayne County Prosecutor Kym L. Worthy to address the subject.
Not only for her successful 2008 prosecution of ex-Detroit Mayor Kwame M. Kilpatrick and his former Chief of Staff Christine Beatty, but for her entire body of work over the years, which featured honor, integrity and good character, a blueprint for any elected official.
From the start of her presentation, to the end of a short question-and-answer session, Worthy held the crowd captive, mixing in her upbringing, her professional background in law, and raising a daughter as a single mother, all in a folksy, conversational style. But the real meat of her speech came from twelve principles Worthy believes public officials should follow to maintain integrity and honor.
And most of that, Worthy said she learned growing up the daughter of an Army colonel and West Point graduate.
“To say that my life was rigid is probably an understatement,” she said. “My father was very much law and order…and that’s how I grew up.”
She said those life-lessons from her parents remained with her as she grew up, even hearing their voices in her head if she even thought of doing anything wrong.
“Everything you really learned about your life that you’re going to need the rest of your life you learned in kindergarten,” she said. And from the lessons she learned from her parents.
Worthy said those principles guided her throughout her life. And her career has been well documented.
After receiving her undergraduate degree in economics and political science from the University of Michigan, and a law degree from the University of Notre Dame School of Law, she became an assistant Wayne County Prosecutor in 1984, served nine years as a judge on what is now the Wayne County Circuit Court, and in 2004 became first female and first African-American to be elected Wayne County Prosecutor.
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