A much-anticipated court hearing has been adjourned for former Gov. Rick Snyder where the defense was hoping to have charges against him dismissed in the Flint Water Crisis.
Instead, District Judge William Crawford asked both sides to submit in writing their arguments about whether he's the appropriate one to handle the case against Michigan's former governor. A status conference was set for next Tuesday.
At issue is whether Snyder should be tried in Genesee County. Crain's Detroit Reporter Chad Livengood tweeted that "Judge William Crawford is expressing misgivings about ruling on whether ex-Gov. Rick Snyder was properly indicted in Genesee County by a one-man grand jury investigation as a 7th Circuit Court judge is considering same issue in Jarrod Agen case."
Meanwhile, while questions about the location of a trial play out, Snyder's defense team is seeking to have charges dismissed because, they argue, neglecting a city is not a crime.
“Neglecting a city is not a crime — certainly not one with which Governor Snyder has been charged,” Snyder attorney Brian Lennon wrote in a court filing, per Metro Times. “Nor did Governor Snyder have any duties ‘owed specifically to Flint.'”
The 62-year-old is facing two counts of willful neglect of duty for the public health crisis spurred when an emergency manager approved by Snyder allowed Flint's water source to be switched to the Flint River. As residents complained of strange rashes and sicknesses and brown water pouring out of their taps, officials initially denied their claims.
Eventually, it was discovered that lead was leaching into the water system.
In addition to lingering illnesses, especially among children who were poisoned by lead, Flint had 12 deaths from Legionnaires Disease tied to the water system.
Yahoo News reports that Snyder’s legal team claims the misdemeanor indictment against him is “fatally flawed” because his “alleged crimes” occurred in Ingham County, “not in the city of Flint or anywhere else in Genesee County."
“It is clear the prosecution is desperate to keep this case in Genesee County. The State is now asking the Court to perform legal and logical gymnastics to cover for their fatal flaw of obtaining their charges in the wrong county," Snyder's team said in a statement to Metro Times. "Rather than own up to their error and refile these two misdemeanors in Ingham County, they are doubling down by twisting facts, distorting case holdings, and ignoring Michigan Supreme Court precedent and longstanding grand jury practice.”