In a unanimous decision, the Michigan Supreme Court dismissed charges against former Republican Governor Rick Snyder and his aides relating to the increased amounts of lead in the water supply of Flint, Michigan, the Associated Press reports.
The Court ruled that the indictments were obtained in a highly unusual way, through a “single judge grand jury,” that are not authorized to issue indictments. In Michigan, such orders from judges–who typically act as a de facto grand jury in cases where witnesses’ safety are at risk–are limited “to investigate, subpoena witnesses, and issue arrest warrants.”
The ruling automatically drops cases against Snyder, former state health director Nick Lyon; Snyder’s longtime fixer, Rich Baird; former senior aide Jarrod Agen; former Flint managers Gerald Ambrose and Darnell Earley; former Flint public works chief Howard Croft; and Nancy Peeler, a state health department manager. All played a role in the decision that changed the source of the drinking water supply for Flint, which caused the drinking water supply to become contaminated with lead.