Lawyers push for dismissal of charges for former Michigan governor

FLINT, Mich. – The attorney for former governor Rick Snyder is asking that charges against him be dismissed

Snyder is one of nine people charged in a new investigation into the Flint water crisis.

The former Michigan governor is facing two misdemeanor counts of willful neglect of duty.

If convicted he faces up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine.

His attorney said Snyder worked in Ingham County, not Genesee County, so the indictment returned by a one–man grand jury in Flint should not stand.

“But the final thing, the government can make it very easy on us, said Snyder’s attorney Brian Lennon.” As we said at the arraignment, we can just dismiss and walk over to Lansing and file it like they do thousands of other misdemeanor cases so we can save the both the people and my client a lot of money. If they just it’s a misdemeanor case. If they just simply dismiss a year and walk over to Ingham county.”

Genesee County Chief Circuit Judge Duncan Beagle also considered whether he should recuse himself from deciding on Snyder’s motion.
Beagle is a resident of Flint, and therefore a claimant in the class action lawsuit he is presiding over.