From: Breaking Legal News
A federal judge has refused to let a shipping company plead guilty
to two misdemeanor environmental crimes for an oil spill from one
of its ships in San Francisco Bay.br pThe judge ruled Monday that
if Hong Kong-based Fleet Management Ltd. wants to plead guilty, it
has to admit to charges in a revised indictment.ppThe new
indictment significantly increases the damage estimate for the
spill. It says the company is responsible for at least 20 million
in damage, which exposes it to a fine of as much as 40
million.ppThe cargo ship, Cosco Busan, spilled 53,000 gallons of
oil after sideswiping the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge in
2007.ppFleet Management also has pleaded not guilty to six felony
counts and faces several lawsuits.p
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