A former Michigan health official has been sentenced to a year's probation and must apologize to Flint-area residents for failing to tell the public about an outbreak of Legionnaires' disease during the city's water crisis. Former state health department official Corrine Miller pleaded no contest to a charge of willful neglect of duty in connection to the Flint water crisis. Two felony charges were dropped as part of a plea deal. The willful neglect of duty charge is a misdemeanor.
Court records show that Miller knew about a spike of 42 cases of Legionnaires' disease, and failed to issue public health warnings. Some experts blame Flint's water for an outbreak of nearly 100 Legionnaires' cases in the Flint area in 2014 and 2015. Twelve people died from the disease. Judge Jennifer Manley on Monday also told Miller to write a public letter of apology and perform 300 hours of community service.
Miller's attorney says the letter could hurt her in civil lawsuits.
