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CASS COUNTY — A special prosecutor is being sought to review incidents related to parties hosted at Diamond Lake.

Tuesday afternoon, the Cass County Prosecutor’s Office announced that it had requested Michigan Department of Attorney General for the appointment of a special prosecutor to review the matter due to a standing conflict of interest. According to Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Thomas Hubbert, the Cass County prosecutor has a longstanding affiliation with one of the impacted lake associations.

The request comes after a video featuring a Fourth of July party on Diamond Lake went viral. The video appeared to show hundreds of partygoers neglecting to take COVID-19 precautions such as wearing masks and social distancing.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reported Monday they were forwarding all possible charges to the prosecutor’s office.

Cass County Sheriff Richard Behnke said the party has grown over the years to become “a hardship for the community.” He said concerns include partygoers parking on private property, excessive drinking, underaged drinking, public indecency, unsafe boating, public order, and the lake’s public access becoming “overwhelmed with cars, trash and human defecation.”