Critics demand rejection of $ 641 million deal with Flint

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DETROIT (AP) A federal judge on Tuesday listened to residents of Flint who were victims of the city’s lead-tainted water, a step in determining whether it should sign a $ 641 million deal that would settle claims against the state from Michigan.

More than a dozen people without a lawyer have registered to speak, all in opposition. Thousands more are represented by attorneys who negotiated the settlement with Michigan and other parties and sought approval a day earlier.

It’s a little unusual, said U.S. District Judge Judith Levy, who left her Ann Arbor courthouse for a courtroom 90 miles in Genesee County. The hearing was broadcast live on YouTube.

The settlement fund includes $ 600 million from Michigan and $ 20 million from Flint. The lawyers are asking for $ 200 million in fees, so the amount of money available to residents of Flint is well below $ 641 million.

Lawyers kiss like fat rats, Audrey Young-Muhammed complained to the judge.

The money would be available for every Flint child who was exposed to water, adults who may show an injury, homeowners, business owners, and anyone who paid water bills. More than 50,000 people have filed complaints in a town of about 95,000 inhabitants. Children are supposed to get 80% of the money.

Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a written statement that the deal brings relief and prevents a prolonged legal back-and-forth.

But Reverend Freelon Threlkeld, speaking to the judge, described the settlement as crumbs.

You can’t overrule this settlement, but at the end of the day you and all the other lawyers are going to pay for what you’ve done to the needy, the Baptist minister said.

In 2014, the state-appointed managers who manage Flint switched to the Flint River water. But the water has not been treated to reduce corrosion, causing lead to be released inside old pipes. Water has also been blamed for a spike in Legionnaires’ disease.

Former mayor Karen Weaver, who was elected in response to the crisis, said the regulations were inadequate, especially given the number of victims and the $ 500 million set aside in a sexual assault scandal at Michigan State University.

It’s not justice for Flint, Weaver said. We ask you today to become the government and the justice system that we can begin to trust.

Levy said earlier that she could only approve or reject the settlement, not veto specific provisions.

Separately, a state prosecutor responded to criticism from doctors that some lawyers for Flint residents were using a risky handheld device to scan people’s bones for lead. The results can lead to higher compensation for victims.

State regulators have inspected the site but do not have the authority to declare whether a scanner is safe or unsafe, Deputy Attorney General Margaret Bettenhausen told the judge.

They are working to ensure that bone scans will be performed according to state laws and regulations, and that is exactly what happened, she said.

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Follow Ed White at http://twitter.com/edwritez

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