Flint Water Crisis: Criminal Investigation Starts Over, Path Clear For Civil Suit
As the City of Flint, MI, struggles to recover from potential health impacts and fundamental infrastructure issues following the revelation that its drinking water was tainted with high levels of lead, it’s become clear that the judicial ramifications of the crisis are still being sorted out as well.
Two major developments in pending court cases regarding the crisis illustrate just how deeply in limbo final accountability still is.
The ongoing investigation into fault for the crisis by the Michigan Attorney General’s Office is back to square one after it realized there were issues with the original investigation.
“The Michigan Attorney General’s Office has dismissed all pending criminal charges arising from the Flint drinking water crisis, saying it has instead started over with an expanded investigation,” per USA Today. “The office … announced the dismissal of charges against all eight remaining defendants, including an involuntary manslaughter charge against Nick Lyon, the former director of the Department of Health and Human Services. Charges were also dismissed against other officials from the health department, plus two former Flint emergency managers and current or former employees of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and the City of Flint.”
While Flint residents were reportedly upset by the dismissals, the attorney general’s official clarified that it did not preclude these officials from being recharged once a more comprehensive investigation is completed.
A day later, the U.S. Supreme Court denied a request from four Flint officials who asked that it block rulings that determined they could be sued over the lead contamination.
“The officials involved in the water crisis argued that they should be immune from a liability suit brought by a Flint woman, Shari Guetrin, who said she and her minor daughter suffered injuries from drinking and bathing in water contaminated with lead,” NBC News reported. “After a federal judge refused to throw a lawsuit out, the officials appealed.”
This civil lawsuit is separate from the Michigan Attorney General’s Office’s criminal case.
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