LANSING (WWJ/AP) — The Michigan Supreme Court said a judge had no power to issue indictments against nine officials in the Flint water scandal, including Michigan's former governor.
The unanimous ruling, made on Tuesday morning, affectively dismissed charges against Snyder, his health director and seven other people, the Associated Press reported.
WWJ legal analyst Charlie Langton explained the court had ruled that "a one judge grand jury cannot be used to issue criminal charges until Michigan law."
"That decision is a victory for the republican governor," Langton told WWJ's Brooke Allen.
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Snyder was charged with misdemeanors counts for neglect of duty for his alleged role in the Flint water crisis.
The water crisis began in 2014 after officials authorized switching from the Detroit water system to the Flint River as a water source for Flint in a money-saving move, the AP reported. Lead infiltrated the system through aging pipes, leading dangerously high lead levels in drinking water in the city. The issue was then blamed for an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease that left 12 Genesee County residents dead.
A public health emergency was finally declared in Flint in 2016.
Tuesday's announcement strikes a major blow to Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, Langton said, who took office in 2019 and put together a new team to investigate whether crimes were committed when lead contaminated Flint's water system.
"It is uncertain if Dana Nessel will be able or will bring charges back again," Langton said.
Snyder's attorneys were not immediately available for comment.
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