Corinne Miller is a star witness for the Michigan Attorney General in the first high stakes criminal cases in the Flint Water Crisis.
Miller was originally charged with Misconduct in Office, a five-year felony. She pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor of Willful Neglect of Duty and testified on Friday how her former boss failed to inform people of a deadly outbreak of Legionnaires Disease in 2014 and 2015.
91 people would contract the disease and 12 died.
Miller testified how she met with Nick Lyon, the director of the Department of Health and Human Services in January 2015, a full year before Miller and Governor Rick Snyder would issue a health warning.
She testified how this would be “difficult” for the governor because of how the switch of Flint water from Detroit to the Flint River may be related.
And it was done under the Snyder-appointed emergency manager running Flint.
She also testified she “felt relieved” that she went to the director with her report about the outbreak that it “was going to the governor’s office.”
Lyon and the governor did not issue any public warning until January 2016.
The case against Lyon is before Flint District Judge David Goggins to determine if there is enough evidence to have a trial by jury.
Lyon is charged with Involuntary Manslaughter and Misconduct and facing up to 15 years in prison.
This case is on hold until sometime next month. Several more witnesses are expected to testify.
