LANSING, Mich. —  Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's legal team filed an appeal Wednesday with the Michigan Supreme Court trying to halt a hearing before Gov. Jennifer Granholm that could result in his removal from office.

The appeal was filed shortly after Granholm convened the extraordinary hearing in Detroit.

It was not immediately clear whether the Supreme Court would hear the appeal, or whether the request from Kilpatrick's legal team would have any effect on the hearing that continued at midday Wednesday.

The Detroit City Council wants Granholm to remove Kilpatrick for misconduct related to an $8.4 million settlement with fired police officers.

Council members say they didn't know the deal also covered up steamy text messages between Kilpatrick and his top aide.

Kilpatrick failed to persuade lower courts to stop the hearing.

Besides the removal hearing, Kilpatrick faces 10 felonies in two criminal cases.