Leahy wants jail time for oil execs who knowingly use shoddy practices

[cali]

Leahy: Crack Down On Risky Drilling Practices

Friday, 06/25/10 7:34am

Bob Kinzel - Washington, DC
AP/T. Talbot

(Host) Senator Patrick Leahy says he wants to crack down on oil company executives who knowingly take short cuts on drilling projects that result in oil spills.

Under Leahy's bill, the executives would face criminal penalties if it can be proven that their decisions undermined safety procedures for the sake of maximizing profits.

The legislation also mandates full economic restitution for all victims of an environmental disaster:

(Leahy) "I want not just penalties not just fines but I think people should go to jail too many times one of the big companies they say well if we don't follow the rules and something happens the worst that will happen to us is that we'll have to pay out part of our profits for the year and that's the cost of doing business. My response is it's going to be a lot more than the cost of doing business."

(Host) The bill has just been approved by the Senate Judiciary committee and Leahy thinks the legislation will have a positive impact on the behavior of many oil company officials:

(Leahy) "If you actually think you're going to go to jail for what you did you're going to think twice about doing it it's all intended to prevent the violations happening in the first place."

(Host) Leahy says the bill can't be applied to the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico because criminal penalties can't be assessed on a
retroactive basis.

http://www.vpr.net/news_detail/88345/

[hobbit709]

1. +1000

[KonaKane]

2. AMEN.

Go Pat! Add to that the loss of their fortunes, going into a relief fund for victims.

[Blue Owl]

3. Don't forget to make it RETROACTIVE

so that the biggest offenders of the last 4-8 years (the cronies under BU$HCO) don't escape punishment.

[Posteritatis]

6. That would make it unconstitutional. (nt)

[metapunditedgy]

4. I do to. Everyone wants it, except for the small minority of people that

actually have the power in this country. So it won't happen.

Also, it would be good to clarify that encouraging a corporate climate of negligence to drive profits is sufficient for jail time... otherwise the execs will just pull the "I didn't know" defense, as Tony Hayward did.

[Oceansaway]

5. K&R...n/t

[Scuba]

7. BP Execs already subject to negligent homicide charges.

[LeftishBrit]

8. Good for him...

though surely criminal negligence charges could be filed even under present law?

[joeybee12]

9. He's more generous than I am...I want capital punishment!!! n/t

[cali]

10. He's opposed to the dp

as with so many issues, he represents me on that one too.

[felinetta]

11. They should get 10 life sentences.

[hvn_nbr_2]

12. K. R. K. R. K. R. K. R.

Well, okay. I can only R once, but I can say it again.

[laughingliberal]

13. K & R nt

[Raksha]

14. K & R

[w4rma]

15. Very very good. (nt)

[spanone]

16. well, there are eleven dead folks.

[Dover]

19. And much more loss than can be measured. Why is there no GITMO for these terrorists?

Why are we so careful to insure their rights more than those thrown in GITMO for doing much less if ANYTHING!!!

[Dawson Leery]

17. Agreed. Criminal penalties for corporate criminals

may be more effective than economic fines.

[Dover]

18. Well let's see, we've broken international laws and domestic laws right and left

to accomodate national and special interests, so why not ignore the rights of these corporate 'citizens' as well, and just make this retroactive?
A Gitmo for white collar crimes, with absolutely no protections under the law?
Making up laws as we go along...let's at least be consistent. And why not actually enforce the laws we already have on the books while we're at it?