Pastor Will Morgan reflects on Flint’s Water Crisis.(click here)
“Is this economic racism?” (click here) asks Pastor Will Morgan, a lifelong Flint resident, General Motors retiree and reverend of the Apostolic Church, which has become a water distribution point for residents on Flint’s impoverished east side....
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By Ron Fonger
Flint - The jury in a civil Flint water crisis trial (click here) that started more than five months ago has told a federal judge it is deadlocked in its deliberations, creating the potential for a mistrial.
A source familiar with the case told MLive-The Flint Journal that the jury told U.S. District Judge Judith E. Levy about the stalemate in a note on Thursday, July 29, and that Levy instructed jurors to continue trying to reach a verdict.
The five-woman, three-man jury is scheduled to resume deliberations when it returns to court after a 12-day break on Tuesday, Aug. 9. If it remains divided, Levy could be faced with a mistrial in the case, which was brought by four Flint children who accuse two city of Flint water consultants of professional negligence.
A mistrial would be a setback for the children and their attorneys, who would be faced with the prospect of trying the case again in front of a different jury with no assurance that they recoup their upfront investment in another trial.
In addition to the years attorneys have spent preparing for the case, the four children and the companies -- Veolia North America and Lockwood, Andrews & Newnam -- have each invested in multiple expert witnesses and prepared scores of legal motions, costs that could be duplicated if the case is litigated again....
July 18, 2022
By Beth LeBlanc
The state has spent nearly $53 million since 2016 (click here) for both the prosecution and defense of Michigan's top officials in the Flint water criminal and civil litigation, with costs spanning four departments and at least 25 state employees, according to records obtained and reviewed by The Detroit News.
About $15.8 million of the $53 million total has been spent by the attorney general's office since 2016 to investigate the actions surrounding Flint's lead-tainted water, prosecute state and local officials, and defend against civil lawsuits.
About $37.1 million has been paid to at least two dozen firms for legal contracts associated with the defense of state employees and state departments since 2016, according to state records....
