Democratic candidate Barack Obama doesn't want the embattled mayor of Detroit on hand when Obama accepts the party's presidential nomination in Denver.

A spokesman for Obama said Thursday that Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick would be a distraction if he goes to the convention as a superdelegate.

Kilpatrick faces eight felony charges in a perjury case and two felony charges in an assault case. A Michigan judge told Kilpatrick on Thursday that he could attend the convention. His lawyer, James Thomas, said high-ranking Democrats want Kilpatrick to attend.

But Obama spokesman Brent Colburn said in an e-mail that the focus of the convention should be on Obama and not on what Colburn called "the troubles of one individual."

"Many Michigan families are struggling as a result of the failed policies and old politics that John McCain wants to continue," Colburn said. "The focus of our convention to people back in Michigan should be on Barack Obama and how the party intends to get America back on track, not a distraction involving the troubles of one individual."