DETROIT (WWJ/AP)  -- Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's chief lawyer says he agreed to plead guilty after weighing the impact on his family and deciding he no longer could effectively govern.

Dan Webb spoke to reporters later Thursday afternoon, hours after Kilpatrick pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice and agreed to resign. Kilpatrick will spend four months in jail.

And Kilpatrick's final decision to accept any deal and plead guilty "was not made until this morning," shortly before his already scheduled court date, Webb said.

"This was an extraordinarily difficult decision to make," he said. "He wanted his day in court and he wanted to continue to be mayor." Webb said he was on the phone with Kilpatrick at midnight.

WATCH VIDEO OF WEB'S STATEMENT