Supreme Court leaves in place ruling reviving Flint lawsuits

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is leaving in place a ruling that revived two federal lawsuits stemming from the lead-tainted water crisis in Flint.

The Supreme Court declined Monday to get involved in the cases, leaving in place a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.

The appeals court ruled last summer that a federal trial court had improperly dismissed federal civil rights claims in the lawsuits, which were brought by Flint residents. The trial court ruled that a federal law called the Safe Drinking Water Act precluded those claims, but the appeals court disagreed.

The Supreme Court's decision not to get involved means the cases will return to the trial court to move forward. Other similar lawsuits are also at the trial court level.