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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowA Michigan judge has ruled in favor of Flint residents who sued the state over the city's man-made lead-tainted water crisis, rejecting a motion to dismiss the lawsuit entirely.
In an order made public Thursday, Court of Claims Judge Mark Boonstra said the plaintiffs can proceed on two counts: injury to bodily integrity; and inverse condemnation, which lets people seek compensation for property damage and reduced home values. He tossed two others counts.
Boonstra says the residents' allegations of mismanagement and a cover-up "shock the conscience" and represent a constitutional violation. He rejected a contention that state-appointed emergency managers didn't act as state officials in Flint.
Boonstra says the state alone would be accountable for any damages because Gov. Rick Snyder and the managers were sued in their official capacity.
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