Defense seeks sanctions against state in Flint water case

By ED WHITE
Associated Press

DETROIT (AP) — Lawyers for Michigan’s former health director are asking a judge to sanction prosecutors. The move comes as prosecutors are trying to instantly turn invalid indictments into a fresh round of charges in the Flint water scandal. In June, the Michigan Supreme Court said a one-person grand jury had no authority under state law to return indictments against Nick Lyon, former Gov. Rick Snyder and seven others. The attorney general’s office insists the indictments can simply be reinstated as common criminal complaints in Genesee County. That request is pending. Lyon’s lawyers say this isn’t the “Harry Potter” series where wizards can wave a “magic wand.”