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Michigan Prosecutors Drop All Pending Cases in Flint Water Crisis

The Michigan Attorney General’s office said the cases were built on a ‘flawed foundation.’

All pending criminal cases involving the ongoing Flint water crisis have been dropped, although the investigation into the crisis is far from over.

The office of Michigan’s Attorney General Dana Nessel said Thursday that the office has dismissed all pending cases brought by the former Office of the Special Counsel, without prejudice, so that they can “conduct a full and complete investigation.”

Solicitor General Fadwa Hammoud and Wayne County Prosecutor Kym L. Worthy issued a statement saying the previous cases were built on a “flawed foundation.” Additionally, the statement said “all available evidence was not pursued” and that the OSC gave private firms discretion over what information would be turned over to law enforcement. The office also claimed they are “now in the best possible position to find the answers the citizens of Flint deserve.”

The case dismissals do not prevent investigators from refiling charges against defendants, prosecutors further said, and they should not be seen as a “determination of any defendant’s criminal responsibility.”