Ahh, the American justice system......

[marmar]

from the Star-Ledger (NJ):


This man, the King of Coal, belongs in jail


Donald Blankenship is the type of ruthless coal baron you'd expect to see in a James Bond movie, traveling around by black helicopter, counting wads of cash and twirling his dark mustache.

His company, Massey Energy, shamelessly flouted safety standards with all kinds of dirty tricks aimed at boosting profits. Then, when 29 of its workers in Appalachia were killed in 2010, in the worst U.S. mining disaster in 40 years, he called it "an act of God."

In fact, it was an act of greed. Blankenship knew his foremen were being told to cheat on safety standards. In the event of a surprise inspection, minors were tipped off with codes like, "It's a cloudy day," and had to cover up violations like excess coal dust or inadequate ventilation.

Blankenship kept this under wraps, ordering that a 2009 memo detailing the brazen deceptions be kept "privileged and confidential." In the event of a trial, he said, it would be "a terrible document to have in discovery."

As it turned out, it was. Yet this reptile still may walk away with little more than a fine. He faced much heavier penalties for lying to investigators and regulators, a charge on which he was ultimately acquitted, than for conspiring to break safety rules – for which he was found guilty. ..............(more)

http://www.nj.com/opinion/index.ssf/2016/04/what_we_wouldnt_give_to_see_this_guy_jailed_editor.html

[rickford66]

1. Minors haven't worked in the mines for many years.