Jennifer Hudson’s bro-in-law awaits formal charges. The estranged brother-in-law of Jennifer Hudson, arrested Monday, is in a Chicago jail this morning, awaiting formal charges in the slaying of the singer/actress’s mother, brother and nephew. William Balfour went from person of interest to prime suspect Monday when police arrested him in connection with the Oct. 24 shooting deaths of the Dreamgirls star’s relatives. Read the rest here.

Giants star faces weapons charges. The attorney for star NFL receiver Plaxico Burress says his client will turn himself in to police this morning to be charged with a weapons violation two days after accidentally shooting himself in a New York night spot, The Associated Press is reporting. The lawyer, Benjamin Brafman told The Associated Press on Sunday that he was advised the New York Giants’ star receiver will be charged after accidentally shooting himself in the right thigh, Sport Illustrated reports. “I do not expect that Mr. Burress will make a statement,” Brafman wrote. Read the rest here.

Barry Bonds faces 12 charges in perjury case. Baseball’s home run record-holder will face three less counts of lying while under oath after a judge dismissed the charges Monday. Barry Bonds is still up against 10 counts of perjury and one count of obstruction of justice related to his 2003 testimony, denying that he used steroids before a grand jury. Judge Susan Illston dropped one count of perjury that she considered duplicitous, another because Bonds’ answer was vague, and a third because she viewed a question as ambiguous. Bonds is expected to face a new jury in the perjury case next March.

An ex-Chicago cop is indicted on brutality charges

. Bail is set for an ex-Chicago police commander who was arrested on charges related to his alleged role in brutalizing Black suspects during the 1980s. The FBI arrested 60-year-old Jon Burge at his home near Tampa, Fla., on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice for allegedly lying about the physical abuse and torture of the suspects dating back to the 1980s.  The U.S. attorney’s office in Chicago said Burge was released on $25,000 bond in Tampa during a hearing at which he was also ordered to surrender his passport and gun. Burge was a supervisor in the Chicago Police Department’s Area Two and allegedly was aware of officers working over suspects, often employing beatings, electric shocks and suffocation, including one who later sued the department, authorities said in a statement. Burge, according to the feds, gave written statements in the civil case in which he said that he was unaware of any instances of physical abuse or threats in the interrogation of suspects. Prosecutors said Tuesday that Burge not only knew of the practices but had taken part in such incidents. Federal authorities say Burge could not be arrested for the actual abuse because the statute of limitation had run out.

Removal hearings for Kwame Kilpatrick scheduled for today

Barring a last-minute plea agreement, historic proceedings are set to begin this morning for the possible removal of Detroit’s mayor. Gov. Jennifer Granholm will preside over the hearings requested by Detroit City Council, in the wake of multiple felony charges leveled against Kwame Kilpatrick this spring. He’s accused of both lying in court about an extra-marital affair with his ex-chief of staff and hiding evidence of the affair by settling a multi-million-dollar lawsuit with ex-cops who could’ve exposed the romance. Kilpatrick’s lawyers worked through Labor Day weekend and on Tuesday trying to negotiate a plea that wouldn’t include jail time for and hoping to get a court order stopping Granholm’s hearings. The mayor reportedly sought to offer his resignation, surrender his law license and state pension, do community service and probation, all in exchange for no jail time. Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy is said to be unyielding on the question of Kilpatrick’s incarceration. The mayor enjoyed a small victory Tuesday when a court agreed to let him remove his ankle monitor at a bond hearing. But a second judge, followed by the Michigan Court of Appeals, ruled that the governor’s hearing can proceed. Granholm’s removal of Kilpatrick would leave him subject to prosecution without the chance to resign as part of any plea. About a dozen witnesses are expected to testify at the 9 a.m. hearing, which Granholm – former Michigan attorney general – plans to oversee.

Rapper’s hospitalization reportedly caused court absence.

Rapper DMX’s lawyer says the performer had an excuse for missing his latest court hearing. X reportedly checked into a Miami hospital Tuesday, preventing him from returning to Arizona for a scheduled appearance on drug charges. Meanwhile, the Arizona judge in the case issued a warrant for DMX’s arrest after he missed a court date on the charges. Details aren’t clear about the nature of X’s ailment, but the judge who issued the warrant hadn’t been told the rapper was hospitalized. His lawyer hopes DMX can return to Arizona without being taken into custody. Legal problems and arrests have plagued the artist for most of 2008. Attorney Charles Kozelka says X is “serious” about getting help for substance abuse.

Blacks are vanishing from cities.

Black folks are fleeing city life. In such disparate American cities as Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Houston and Atlanta, African Americans are evaporating as Whites are pouring back into the urban core, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal. San Francisco’s vanishing Black problem has gotten to the point where Mayor Gavin Newsome even established a special team to work on ways to convince African Americans from leaving. In that city, Black deaths are dramatically outpacing Black births. In D.C., between 2000 and 2006, the White population grew by 24,000 Whites, while the Black population declined by 21,000. What was a 72-percent Black city in the 1970s is now 60-percent African American. The report attributes the population shift to rising real estate costs and Black flight to the suburbs.

Florida driver faces race charges. The Florida driver who allegedly ran down a woman on a bicycle, just because she’s Black, is now facing two felony hate-crime charges. Earlier this month, police arrested Thomas Cosby after he allegedly crashed into 25-year-old Nekedia Cato, who was hospitalized with a broken leg and internal injuries. She had been riding her bike on the sidewalk along a state road when Cosby allegedly rode onto the sidewalk to hit her. Witnesses said Cosby ranted a slew of racial gibberish about wanting to kill Black folks. He has been charged with aggravated battery and battery.