Eight Years Later There is Still No Accountability for the Flint Water Crisis

The Michigan Supreme Court concluded the criminal charges against the state’s former governor, Rick Snyder, and other high-ranking state officials in relation to the Flint water crisis must be dropped.

The Flint River became Flint’s new water source in 2014 under the Snyder administration, which claimed the water did not require treatment. Tens of thousands of people in Genesee County were exposed to lead through their water for a period of 18 months. Lead exposure can cause a higher risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, memory loss, kidney disease, reduce fertility as well as neurological effects and intellectual disabilities, particularly in children.  

Some of the top-ranking state officials being prosecuted is Nick Lyon, the state’s former health director as well as the former chief medical executive were both charged with involuntary manslaughter for the death of nine flint residents related to Legionnaires’ disease. Additionally, two misdemeanor counts of willful neglect of duty, were brought against Snyder.  

The indictments against the state officials were issued by a judge serving as a single-member grand jury, but the Michigan Supreme Court decided 6-0 that this was not how single-member grand juries may be used.  

This is not the first-time charges have been brought against these state officials. Prior to the current Attorney General, Dana Nessel, was appointed, her Republican predecessor oversaw cases against 15 state and local officials with the severity of involuntary manslaughter. However, those cases were dismissed by Nessel’s administration and then brought new charges against a number of the same authorities.  

Residents of Flint and Genesee County are angry and frustrated over the court ruling. Former Mayor, Karen Weaver, said “One of the things we had been told over and over was justice delayed has not been justice denied. But that’s not true for the people of Flint,” in response to the ruling.  https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/michigan-supreme-court-throws-out-flint-water-charges-against-ex-governor

But more than six years after the initial accusations, it’s still not apparent whether anyone will ever go to trial.

This is a CIMA Law Group blog entry. CIMA Law Group is located in Arizona and specializes in Immigration Law, Criminal Defense, Personal Injury, and Government Relations. If you live in Arizona and need legal assistance CIMA Law Group can help.