Judge dismisses Flint water crisis charges against former Michigan governor

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: PBS/AP

FLINT, Mich. (AP) — A judge dismissed criminal charges against former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder in the Flint water crisis, months after the state Supreme Court said indictments returned by a one-person grand jury were invalid. Snyder, a Republican who left office in 2019, was charged with two misdemeanor counts of misconduct in office. He was the first person in state history to be charged for alleged crimes related to service as governor.

Snyder also is the eighth person to have a Flint water case thrown out after the Supreme Court’s unanimous June opinion. Genesee County Judge F. Kay Behm signed the order Wednesday, a day after the U.S. Senate approved her nomination to become a federal judge in eastern Michigan. “The charges against (Snyder) were not properly brought and must be dismissed at this time,” Behm wrote.

Only one case remains pending in the water scandal, which not only exposed children to toxic lead but was blamed for nine deaths linked to an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease. Activists who believe crimes were committed are frustrated that no one has been locked up.

The Michigan attorney general’s office has desperately tried to keep the cases alive but so far has lost at every turn. Prosecutors have argued that the indictments could simply be turned into common criminal complaints in district court, but Behm and another judge have rejected that approach.

Read more: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/judge-dismisses-flint-water-crisis-charges-against-former-michigan-governor

[MichMan]

1. Not very impressed with the way the Michigan AG prosecuted these cases

[peppertree]

2. Basically, the equivalent of letting the Nazis off at Nurnberg

Wouldn't want to be Snyder in the next life though.

[Midnight Writer]

3. Business as usual.

Charges were dropped not because of deficiency of evidence, but because of a new procedural hurdle put in place after an indictment.

I'm no legal scholar, but I have been around long enough to "know how things work". It's no surprise that the interest of a former Governor and his cronies would take precedence over the health and welfare of poor folks who were victimized by people who were supposed to serve them.

[MichMan]

7. Michigan SC ruled 6-0 the one man Grand Jury was illegal

When the current Michigan AG took office she inherited the active prosecution. She elected to dismiss all charges and start over for reasons I'm not clear about. Maybe there were good reasons.

The 8 defendents were then indicted based on a one man Grand Jury, which ultimately was ruled illegal by the Michigan SC on a 6-0 vote.

The Judge that just dismissed the charges against Snyder, based on that ruling, interestingly was just appointed as a Federal judge by President Biden and confirmed by the Senate earlier this week.

Now they are up against the statute of limitations running out.

[mountain grammy]

4. Not surprised but geeeeeze

can't the people get justice once in a blue moon?

[Ray Bruns]

5. I'm no lawyer but how do you have a one person grand jury?

[MichMan]

6. Michigan SC ruled 6-0 it was illegal

[Ray Bruns]

12. I know, but doesn't "jury" imply multiple people?

[MichMan]

13. One would think

I never heard of it before. Ended up backfiring on the prosecution

[Grins]

8. And once again they get away with it.

And by “they” I mean Republicans.

Use the courts to delay, and delay, and delay, and then - nothing.

[FredGarvin]

10. No one is surprised.

Money and connections always bends the arm of justice

[Delphinus]

15. 😢

Justice is not blind - “justice” is bought and paid for. 😢🤮

[FredGarvin]

9. At least they tried

[MOMFUDSKI]

11. Just more proof, as if we need it,

that there are 2 sets of rules of law in this country. George Carlin said it is a big Country Club and you aren't in it. Just gotta keep fighting the bastads.

[Lulu KC]

14. argh n/t

[dsc]

16. The article explains a bit about the one person grand jury

apparently it was used for witnesses that were being threatened or could be threatened. The AG decided to use it for this case, on assumes to keep this case secret until indictments issued. Since one person grand juries hadn't been challenged before, we had this happen.