News, Culture and NPR for Central & Northern Michigan
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
91.7FM Alpena and WCML-TV Channel 6 Alpena have been restored. Click here to learn more.

Federal Judge decides former Governor Rick Snyder and four others will take the stand in Flint water crisis civil trial

A task force concluded in 2016 that Michigan's environmental agency bore primary responsibility for the water crisis in Flint. The state is now agreeing to pay $600 million to resolve lawsuits over the crisis.
Emily Elconin
/
Bloomberg via Getty Images
A task force concluded in 2016 that Michigan's environmental agency bore primary responsibility for the water crisis in Flint. The state is now agreeing to pay $600 million to resolve lawsuits over the crisis.

On Monday, a federal judge has decided former Governor Rick Snyder and four others will have to take the stand in a Flint water crisis civil trial.

Governor Snyder, former Emergency Managers Darnell Early and Gerald Ambrose, former Snyder aide Rich Baird, and Flint city employee Howard Croft all asked for the court to quash their subpoenas to testify in the case.

All five are facing criminal charges in the water crisis.

U.S. District Judge Judith Levy says Snyder and the others can be called to testify, even if that means what they may say will likely be limited, as each is expected to invoke their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.

The civil trial involves damages being sought against two engineering companies that consulted on the Flint water system during the crisis.