Politically connected Democrat Jonathan Kinloch avoided mandatory jail sentence after third drunk driving arrest

Wayne County Commissioner Jonathan Kinloch, a longtime political activist and Detroit Democrat, never served a 30-day jail sentence after getting busted for his third drunk driving in a little over three years in 2003, Metro Times has learned.

Records show that a judge and the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office mishandled Kinloch’s sentencing, allowing him to avoid jail even though state law required him to spend at least 30 days behind bars. From the beginning, the case was riddled with errors, eyebrow-raising decisions, and false promises.

While the arrest was 20 years ago, the case raises serious questions about whether political connections may have shielded Kinloch from consequences that ordinary defendants face.

Kinloch is the brother of Detroit mayoral candidate Solomon Kinloch,