Fresh Loaf

A lawsuit against Kai Franklin Graham, who was supposed to go on trial Monday in federal bankruptcy court, has been settled, according to documents filed today in federal bankruptcy court.

Free At Last Bail Bonds had sued Graham in late 2005 to recover $185,000 the company lost after her then-husband, major cocaine trafficker Tremayne “Kiki” Graham, cut his ankle monitor and went on the run. Kai Franklin Graham, the daughter of Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, had filed for bankruptcy in early 2005 to avoid having to repay the bond.

According to court documents, Free At Last settled for a fraction of what it sought — just $6,000.

As of last month, it had appeared all but certain that the case would go to trial. “We’ve talked about [a settlement] many times,” Cameron McCord, an attorney for Free At Last Bail Bonds, said during an October hearing. “I just think we’re too far apart.”

Free At Last had claimed Graham misled authorities about her financial situation and her knowledge of her then-husband’s whereabouts, and therefore shouldn’t be allowed to receive bankruptcy protection.

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UPDATE: Case settled.

A lawsuit against Kai Franklin Graham, who was supposed to go on trial yesterday in federal bankruptcy court, might have been resolved.

Free At Last Bail Bonds sued Graham in 2005 to recover $185,000 the company lost after her then-husband, major cocaine trafficker Tremayne “Kiki” Graham, cut his ankle monitor and went on the run. Kai Franklin Graham, the daughter of Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, filed for bankruptcy to avoid having to repay his bond.

In court documents, Free At Last has claimed Graham misled authorities about her financial situation and her knowledge of her then-husband’s whereabouts, and therefore shouldn’t be allowed to receive bankruptcy protection.

The most recent hearing and filings in the lawsuit indicated that the case couldn’t be resolved.

“We’ve talked about [a settlement] many times,” Cameron McCord, an attorney for Free At Last Bail Bonds, said during a hearing last month. “I just think we’re too far apart.”

But considering that the trial didn’t start as scheduled — and that no new date has been set — it’s likely that Free At Last and Graham reached some sort of agreement.

“The only other possibility is that the matter was settled,” says bankruptcy attorney Howard Rothbloom, who is not involved in the case. He adds that if the lawsuit did in fact settle, it might take several days for the settlement to show up in the court file. “Ultimately, there has to be something on the docket.”

Attorneys for Graham and Free At Last did not return phone calls.

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UPDATE: Case settled.

When Kai Franklin Graham, daughter of Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, goes on trial next month on civil charges, the case could shed light on allegations that a recent criminal investigation only hinted at.

The plaintiff, Free At Last Bail Bonds, is suing Graham in an attempt to hold her accountable for $185,000 she owes the company after her then-husband jumped bond and became a fugitive. Kai Franklin Graham filed for bankruptcy in 2005 in an attempt to avoid paying the bond.

The reason she shouldn’t be allowed to use the federal bankruptcy statute to free herself from the debt? According to Free At Last, Graham deceived both the bondsman and the bankruptcy court about her financial situation and the whereabouts of Tremayne “Kiki” Graham, whom she divorced the year after he went on the lam.

Documents filed in the case allege that Kai Franklin Graham “blatantly lied under oath” and tried to hide contentious sources of income.

In court documents, Graham’s attorney, James Dearing, denied Free At Last’s allegations. Dearing didn’t return CL’s phone calls seeking comment.

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