Rick Snyder, other Flint defendants begin to fight new charges Joe Guillen, Detroit Free Press
Using various legal tactics, former Gov. Rick Snyder and other defendants in the Flint water crisis case are now battling back against a raft of serious charges against them filed by the state s chief law enforcement officer.
Snyder’s legal team is trying to get his case thrown out because the former Republican governor argues he was charged in the wrong place. The misdemeanor charges for alleged willful neglect of duty were filed in Flint’s Genesee County, but they should have been brought in Lansing, where Snyder worked in the governor’s office, according to a motion filed Jan. 25.
January 14, 2021
Former Governor Rick Snyder has officially been arraigned on two misdemeanor charges of willful neglect of duty in connection with the Flint water crisis. Attorney Brian Lennon spoke on Snyder’s behalf in court.
“This is the first former governor since William Milliken to remain in the state of Michigan. He is not a risk of flight or a danger to the community and he’s facing two misdemeanor charges,” said Lennon.
Bond was set at $10,000 for each charge. Snyder does not have to surrender his passport, but will have to get permission of the court to travel outside of the state. Former Michigan Health Department Director Nick Lyon was also arraigned on nine counts of involuntary manslaughter.
Why convene a Grand Jury to indict Former Governor Rick Snyder? To me, Grand Juries, I call them star chambers, they re super secret,â West Michigan attorney Ven Johnson said.
and last updated 2021-01-14 17:30:28-05
GENESEE COUNTY, Mich. â A West Michigan attorney says AG Dana Nessel s office may have chosen to convene a Grand Jury to indict Former Governor Rick Snyder because their case against him isn t as strong as they would like.
Former Governor Rick Snyder was formally charged Thursday with 2 counts of willful neglect of duty for his role in the Flint Water Crisis. He face a year behind bars and a $1,000 fine for each of the misdemeanor counts.
They were arraigned Thursday morning on charges ranging from willful neglect of duty to involuntary manslaughter.
State Solicitor General Fadwa Hammoud stressed the importance of holding government officials accountable.
“When an entire city is victimized by the negligence and indifference by those in power, it deserves an uncompromising investigation that holds to account anyone who is criminally culpable,” she said.
Rick Snyder’s attorney describes the two misdemeanor charges against the former governor as “without merit.” If convicted, Snyder could face a year in jail.
Others charged this week could face several years in prison if they’re convicted on the most serious charges.
Former Governor Rick Snyder will fight criminal charges accusing him of being complicit in the contamination of Flint’s drinking water that poisoned thousands of residents.
Former Gov. Rick Snyder stays silent as a barrage of reporters asks questions after his arraignment on charges related to the Flint water crisis on Thursday outside the Genesee County Jail in downtown Flint. (Cody Scanla/ MLive.com via AP)
FLINT, Mich. (CN) Former Michigan Governor Rick Snyder appeared in court Thursday morning to plead not guilty to state charges of willful neglect stemming from the contaminated-water crisis in Flint that began during his time in office.