Seven people pleaded no contest to misdemeanors that were later scrubbed from their records. Since 2016, the attorney general's office, under a Republican and now a Democrat, has tried to hold people criminally responsible for Flint’s water disaster, but there have been no felony convictions or jail sentences. Ambrose live the rest of his life in peace.”Īnd Randall Levine said the state committed a “travesty” in charging Baird, who was accused of perjury, obstruction of justice, misconduct in office and extortion. William Swor said he hopes prosecutors now “will let Mr. It is a great injustice to allow politicians - acting in their own interests - to sacrifice government servants who are performing their roles in good faith under difficult circumstances,” said Lyon's lawyer, Chip Chamberlain. "The court’s decision is a victory for public service in Michigan. “The evidence supporting the felony charges remains sealed and the statutes involved make it a misdemeanor to release any of the information,” prosecutors said.įlint Mayor Sheldon Neeley said dismissal of the indictments was an “unfair victory” for the defendants “based on a technicality.” The attorney general's office released a statement, saying it would explore how to share evidence with the public “who most deserve to know the truth.” It didn't explicitly say what it would do next beyond that. But any effort to file charges in a more traditional way against some targets now could be barred by Michigan's six-year statute of limitations. Prosecutors could try to start from scratch. ![]() The former governor recently called it “political persecution.” But his lawyers deny his conduct rose to the level of a crime. Snyder, a Republican, acknowledged that state government botched the water switch, especially regulators who didn’t require certain treatments. Indictments were also thrown out against Snyder’s former chief of staff, Jarrod Agen another key aide, Rich Baird former Flint Managers Gerald Ambrose and Darnell Earley former city Public Works Director Howard Croft and former health official Nancy Peeler. They were accused of not warning the public in a timely manner. Some experts have attributed a fatal Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in 2014-15 to the water switch. Lyon and Wells were charged with involuntary manslaughter. As a result, lead contaminated the system for 18 months. Managers appointed by Snyder turned the Flint River into a source for Flint water in 2014, but the water wasn’t treated to reduce its corrosive impact on old pipes. ![]() The indictment against him has also been dismissed, though the Supreme Court did not address an appeal by prosecutors Wednesday only because that case is on a different timetable. Snyder was charged with willful neglect of duty, a misdemeanor. Orders were filed in cases against former state health director Nick Lyon, former state medical executive Eden Wells and five other people. “We are not persuaded that the question presented should be reviewed by this court,” the Supreme Court said in a series of one-sentence orders Wednesday. That position was repeatedly rejected all the way to the state's highest court. They returned to Flint courts and argued the charges could be easily revived with a simple refiling of documents. State prosecutors, however, were undeterred. But the Supreme Court last year said the process was unconstitutional, and it struck down the charges as invalid. The attorney general's office used an uncommon tool - a one-judge grand jury - to hear evidence and return indictments against nine people, including former Gov. (Jake May/The Flint Journal via AP, File) Jake May/AP Show More Show LessĭETROIT (AP) - The Michigan Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected a last-chance effort to revive criminal charges against seven people in the Flint water scandal, waving away an appeal by prosecutors who have desperately tried to get around a 2022 decision that gutted the cases. Orders were filed in cases against Lyon, former state medical executive Eden Wells and five other people. 20 2023 waved away an appeal by prosecutors who have tried to get around an earlier decision that gutted the cases. The Michigan Supreme Court has rejected a last-ditch effort to revive criminal charges against seven people in the Flint water scandal. Carlos Osorio/AP Show More Show Less 2 of2 FILE - Nick Lyon, former director of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, is seen in Flint, Mich., Aug. ![]() ![]() 1 of2 FILE - In this March 21, 2016, file photo, the Flint Water Plant water tower is seen in Flint, Mich.
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