Michigan Supreme Court won’t revive Flint water charges

[KLAW Blog]

The Michigan Supreme Court Wednesday shot down the state attorney general’s high-profile effort to criminally prosecute seven former public officials for their role in the Flint water crisis.

In a series of orders, the court left in place lower court dismissals of the charges, which were thrown out after an earlier Supreme Court ruling found that a prosecution team appointed by Attorney General Dana Nessel had improperly relied on a one-person grand jury to bring charges in 2021.

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy, appointed by Nessel as co-lead of the state’s prosecution team along with Solicitor General Fadwa Hammoud, had used the unusual tactic, in which prosecutors presented evidence in secret to a single judge to secure charges against multiple former public officials.

Call Our Office for a Free Case Evaluation 248-357-2550

Flint Water Crisis Summary

The Flint Water Crisis was a public health crisis that started in 2014 after the drinking water for the city of Flint, Michigan was contaminated with lead and possibly Legionella bacteria. In April 2014, during a financial crisis, state-appointed emergency manager Darnell Earley changed Flint’s water source from the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (sourced from Lake Huron and the Detroit River) to the Flint River. Residents complained about the taste, smell, and appearance of the water, and many raised concerns about its safety.

However, state and local officials repeatedly assured residents that the water was safe to drink. It was not until 2015, after months of protests and pressure from activists and public health experts, that the state finally admitted that the water was contaminated with lead.

The Flint Water Crisis had a devastating impact on the city’s residents, particularly children. Lead poisoning is especially harmful to children, and can cause a range of health problems, including learning disabilities, behavioral problems, and reduced IQ. An estimated 6,000 to 12,000 children were exposed to lead-contaminated water during the crisis.

The Flint Water Crisis is a story of government negligence and environmental injustice. The city’s decision to switch to the Flint River was made in an effort to save money, but it came at a great cost to the city’s residents. The crisis also exposed the deep racial and economic inequality in Flint, as the city’s predominantly Black and low-income residents were disproportionately affected by the contamination.

Flint Water Crisis FAQs

What caused the Flint Water Crisis?

The Flint Water Crisis was caused by a combination of factors, including:

• The city’s decision to switch to the Flint River as its water source. The Flint River is more corrosive than the Detroit water system, and this caused the city’s lead pipes to corrode and leach lead into the water.
• The state’s failure to properly treat the Flint River water. The Flint River water is more acidic than the Detroit water system, and this required the state to add corrosion inhibitors to the water to prevent lead from leaching into the pipes. However, the state failed to add enough corrosion inhibitors, which allowed the lead to leach into the water.
• The state’s failure to listen to residents’ concerns about the water quality. Residents complained about the taste, smell, and appearance of the water from the beginning, but the state repeatedly assured them that the water was safe to drink.

Who was affected by the Flint Water Crisis?

The Flint Water Crisis affected all residents of Flint, but it was particularly harmful to children. Lead poisoning is especially harmful to children, and can cause a range of health problems, including learning disabilities, behavioral problems, and reduced IQ. An estimated 6,000 to 12,000 children were exposed to lead-contaminated water during the crisis.

• What has been done to address the Flint Water Crisis?
• The state has taken a number of steps to address the Flint Water Crisis, including:
• Switching Flint back to the Detroit water system.
• Replacing lead pipes in Flint homes.
• Providing bottled water and water filters to residents.
• Providing medical care and educational support to children who were exposed to lead-contaminated water.

More Posts

Michigan Supreme Court won’t revive Flint water charges

The Michigan Supreme Court Wednesday shot down the state attorney general’s high-profile effort to criminally prosecute seven former public officials for their role in the Flint water crisis. In a series of orders, the court left in place lower court dismissals of the...

read more

Probation and Sentencing Law Changes in Michigan

Recently, Michigan implemented significant reforms in their criminal justice system, impacting both misdemeanor and felony sentencing as well as probation.

read more

Michigan dropping marijuana drug testing for some new-hires on Oct. 1

(FOX 2) -September 24, 2023 11:22PM Next month marks the end of drug tests probing for marijuana use among some of the government's tens of thousands of employees who work for the state of Michigan.  Following a summer vote by members on the Michigan Civil Service...

read more

Take a look inside the MSP Forensic Science Lab

MARQUETTE, Mich. (WLUC) - The Michigan State Police Forensic Science Lab located at the 8th District Headquarters in Marquette is the only forensic science lab in the Upper Peninsula. The 10-person lab is made up of fingerprint examiners, controlled substance...

read more

Michigan Marijuana Dispensary Owner Convicted of Tax Evasion and Obstructing the IRS

A federal jury in Detroit found a Michigan man guilty of evading federal income taxes and obstructing the IRS, among other charges. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Ryan Richmond, of Bloomfield, owned and operated the marijuana dispensary...

read more

Cocaine Isomer Defense

CASE LAW Federal case list is long - See items after that list MICHIGAN UNITED STATES OF AMERICA v. IDRIS QUINTELL WILKES (2023) - Link Michigan law covered more cocaine-related substances than federal law. More specifically, he argued that Michigan law swept more...

read more

Oakland County Businessman Sentenced To 28 Months In Federal Prison For Paying Bribes To Rick Johnson

GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that John Dawood Dalaly, 71, of West Bloomfield, Michigan, was sentenced to serve 28 months in federal prison and fined $25,000 for paying bribes to Rick Vernon...

read more

Supreme Court Ruling Strengthens First Amendment Protections: Implications for Michigan’s Threat Speech Laws

In a significant legal development, the United States Supreme Court has recently issued a ruling that has far-reaching implications for individuals facing charges related to "threat speech" in Michigan. The case of Counterman v. Colorado, decided on June 27, 2023,...

read more

No Second Chances to Win in Court

Wrong Place, Wrong Attorney We had someone call the office the other day. They said they got into a situation with cannabis in an unfriendly part of the state and were being punished and drained financially to put the kibosh on their ability to fight. Here's a brief...

read more

Driver License Restoration in Michigan

Walking to work is fun. In fact very healthy and climate friendly. But sometimes wouldn't you rather just drive? Unfortunately if your not one of the privileged and had your drivers license suspended or revoked then you have to fight to get it back. Driver License...

read more

« Older Entries

The post Michigan Supreme Court won’t revive Flint water charges appeared first on Komorn Law.

View the full article