BREAKING: Flint Water Crisis Charges Dismissed Against Former MI Gov. Rick Snyder (AGAIN)
Corruption at its finest, here's more...
I’ve been covering the Flint water crisis for several years now, and it’s the story I feel closest to. The story I will never let go of. People are still sick and dying; the public should know that.
My friends are dead, you absolute bastards who were complicit.
Today, Judge F. Kay Behm dismissed Flint water crisis charges against former Michigan governor Rick Snyder. This is not the first time charges have been dismissed against him. It’s not due to lack of evidence or merit in charging, it’s due to 1) corruption and 2) poor procedure on the part of this second team of prosecutors.
Judge Behm said today, “The charges against [Snyder] were not properly brought and must be dismissed at this time.
This was not unexpected due to the way prosecutors approached this case, and I called it from the start.
Let’s get into it.
The prosecution team issued the following statement following Judge Behm’s order:
“This decision is not surprising, and the prosecution will appeal. We anticipated that this ruling would be similar to other outcomes that only considered process. Our team has been preparing for this and looks forward to addressing these issues in court. As we have reiterated time and time again, rulings up to this point have been on process alone — not on the merits of the case. We are confident that the evidence clearly supports the criminal charges against Rick Snyder, and we will not stop until we have exhausted all possible legal options to secure justice for the people of Flint.”
What the prosecution team is referencing regarding “rulings up to this point” is the ruling in October from a different judge, dropping charges against seven former officials, including (all titles former) MI health director Nick Lyon, MDHHS Medical Exec. Eden Wells, Gov. Snyder chief of staff Jarrod Agen, Emergency Manager Gerald Ambrose, Emergency Manager Darnell Earley, and MDHHS employee Nancy Peeler.
The problem with prosecutors’ procedure, according to Judge Kelly, who handled the above cases but not Snyder’s, is that the indictments were invalid and tainted due to the use of a one-man grand jury. Read more from what I wrote in October. It did not have to be done this way. The outcome was predictable because the methods used by the prosecution team were…strange and unconventional.
Had they gone a different route, we may have seen a different outcome. We have to ask ourselves, in any case, why it has taken EIGHT YEARS to hold ABSOLUTELY ZERO people accountable. The water crisis began in April 2014. It’s December 2022. People are dead and dying. Children are sick. This is madness, and I don’t understand why the public isn’t still demanding accountability.
It has taken EIGHT YEARS to hold ABSOLUTELY ZERO people accountable.
I do understand why, actually. It’s at least partially because the media, including many local Michigan outlets, are complicit in a conspiracy of silence. It is so difficult to get the media to pay attention to incredibly important reporting to do with Flint, even when I’ve literally knocked on their physical doors to try.
As a reminder, my reporting has shown that:
I’m disgusted by this turn of events, as always, even though it was expected. My hope is that people will pay attention and demand better even though it’s the holidays, everyone is busy, and the powers-that-be have told you the #FlintWaterCrisis is over. It's not–people are still sick and dying and public pressure matters to hold officials who caused this accountable. Reminder: NO ONE has been held accountable thus far.
People are still sick and dying & public pressure matters to hold officials who caused this accountable.
What do we do now? We keep fighting. Me, via reporting. The public, with their *attention.* Please, everyone, keep the pressure on. Check out Water You Fighting For.
Help me stay on this story by subscribing, free or paid (paid helps *a lot* as I’m completely independent and one of the last ones standing when it comes to Flint reporting).
Please, comment with your thoughts below!
~
Jenn Dize
Helluva job, Jenn ...
You resurrected an "old" news story in a very professional, dignified way ... your perspective on the prosecution's legal tactics is the real takeaway here ... I suspect the same thing will happen when Kari Lake files her suit today, DEC 9 ... call me crazy, but nowadays I believe WEF operatives actually have a hand these head-scratching legal rulings ... WTF can we do?
Awesome piece. Keep up the good work. Peeps are listening.