Dr. Marc Edwards expected to testify at Michigan health director's preliminary hearing

Nick Lyon accused of failing to alert the public on Legionnaires' outbreak

Nick Lyon in court.

FLINT, Mich. – The preliminary hearing for Michigan's health director resumes Monday in Flint as a judge decides whether the he should go to trial for the death of a man who had Legionnaires' disease during the city's water crisis and one of the experts who first shed light on the water quality is expected to testify.

Nick Lyon is charged with involuntary manslaughter and misconduct in office. Michigan's former director of disease control believes a spike in Legionnaires' in Genesee County in 2014 and 2015 was related to a switch in Flint's water supply.

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A judge must decide whether there's enough evidence to send Lyon to trial in the death of an 85-year-old man. Robert Skidmore was diagnosed with Legionnaires' six months before his death from congestive heart failure. Lyon's attorney notes Skidmore's home didn't use Flint water.

Gov. Rick Snyder named Lyon to the Michigan health department director position in September 2014. 

This hearing started in September and was expected to last for weeks. 

Virginia Tech Professor Dr. Marc Edwards is expected to take the stand Monday, according to NBC affiliate WEYI.

Flint water crisis: Several officials charged

Lyon is one of several people charged with involuntary manslaughter as part of in an investigation into Flint's lead-contaminated water. 

Darnell Earley, who was Flint's emergency manager when the city used the river, Howard Croft, who ran Flint's public works department, Liane Shekter Smith and Stephen Busch all face involuntary manslaughter charges, too. Shekter Smith and Busch were state environmental regulators.

The state's chief medical officer, Dr. Eden Wells, is charged with obstruction of justice and lying to an investigator.

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