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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 21 augusT 2018

Michigan official faces manslaughter trial over Flint deaths

83-year-old John Snyder. decision was “mystifying.”
An additional 14 current or Goggins spent more than
former state and local of- two hours summarizing evi-
ficials have been charged dence from weeks of testi-
with crimes, either related mony, but he didn’t specifi-
to Legionnaires’ or lead in cally explain what swayed
the water. Four agreed to him to send Lyon to trial.
misdemeanor plea deals; “We had 20 pages of argu-
the other cases are moving ment in our legal brief that
slowly. he didn’t address,” Bursch
“Normally we don’t see said outside court. “He
government officials ac- didn’t talk about the law at
cused of manslaughter all.”
based on what they didn’t A trial would be many
do,” said Peter Henning, a months away after Snyder’s
professor at Wayne State term as governor ends on
University law school in De- Jan. 1. He said Lyon “has
troit. “That does make it an my full faith and confi-
unusual case, and it will dence” and will remain as
make government officials Michigan’s health director.
be much more cautious. A courtroom spectator,
Maybe that’s the message Karina Petri, 30, of Milwau-
here.” kee said sending a se-
Genesee District Judge David J. Goggins examines the case as he gives his decision during the Defense attorney John nior official to trial is “long
preliminary examination of Nick Lyon on Monday, Aug. 20, 2018 at Genesee District Court in Flint, Bursch said the judge’s overdue.”q
Mich.
Associated Press
By ED WHITE “Yes, yes, yes.” Human Services Depart-
Associated Press “It’s a long way from over,” ment.
FLINT, Mich. (AP) — A judge Lyon told The Associated Nonetheless, he denies
on Monday ordered Michi- Press. He declined further wrongdoing. Lyon’s attor-
gan’s health director to comment. neys said there was much
stand trial for involuntary Some experts have blamed speculation about the ex-
manslaughter in two deaths Legionnaires’ on Flint’s wa- act cause of Legionnaires’
linked to Legionnaires’ dis- ter, which wasn’t properly and not enough solid infor-
ease in the Flint area, the treated when it was drawn mation to share earlier with
highest-ranking official to from the Flint River in 2014 the public.
face criminal charges as a and 2015. Legionella bac- The investigation by state
result of the city’s tainted teria can emerge through Attorney General Bill
water scandal. misting and cooling sys- Schuette’s office is part of
Nick Lyon is accused of fail- tems, triggering a severe a larger probe into how
ing to issue a timely alert form of pneumonia, espe- Flint’s water system be-
about the outbreak. District cially in people with weak- came contaminated when
Court Judge David Gog- ened immune systems. the city used Flint River wa-
gins said deaths likely could At least 90 cases of Legion- ter for 18 months. The water
have been prevented if the naires’ occurred in Gen- wasn’t treated to reduce
outbreak had been public- esee County, including 12 corrosion. As a result, lead
ly known. He said keeping deaths. More than half of leached from old pipes.
the public in the dark was the people had a common “We’re not looking at to-
“corrupt.” thread: They spent time at day as a win or a loss.
Goggins found probable McLaren Hospital, which We’re looking at today
cause for a trial in Gen- was on the Flint water sys- as the first step and the
esee County court, a legal tem. next step for justice for the
standard that isn’t as high The outbreak was an- moms, dads and kids of
as beyond a reasonable nounced by Gov. Rick Sny- Flint,” said Schuette spokes-
doubt. Lyon also faces a der and Lyon in January woman Andrea Bitely, who
charge of misconduct in 2016, although Lyon con- specifically mentioned the
office. cedes that he knew that families of two men whose
When the judge an- cases were being reported deaths the prosecution
nounced his decision, a many months earlier. He is blames on Lyon — 85-year-
woman in the gallery said, director of the Health and old Robert Skidmore and