Michigan "closes the door" on Flint water probe prosecutions with no convictions

Driving the news: The state Supreme Court declined to hear appeals of a lower court order dismissing the misdemeanor charges against Snyder.

• The ruling "effectively closes the door" on criminal prosecutions of government officials, prosecutors said in a statement, adding that they were not permitted to admit any item of evidence in court.

"The residents of Flint deserved their day in court," the prosecution said. "If a jury decided that the defendants were not guilty of the charged offenses, so be it. To deny the opportunity to present the evidence and to let the victims tell their story is truly heartbreaking."

Catch up quick: Snyder was previously charged with two counts of willful neglect of duty in an investigation into the Flint water crisis.

• But he, along with his health director and seven others, were cleared of charges last year after the state Supreme Court found issues with the indictment process that was used.

Zoom out: Flint residents were exposed to lead-contaminated water in 2014 and 2015 after the city switched its water source to the Flint River without treating it to reduce the corrosion of lead pipes.

• The exposure contributed to an outbreak of Legionnaires disease and fetal death rates jumped 58% as lead levels in children's blood spiked.
• The state reached a settlement with the victims in 2021, agreeing to pay $626 million.

Go deeper: Jury can't reach verdict in trial of Flint engineering companies