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Maritime Casualties: From Negligence to Strict Liability to Criminalization -- U.S. Perspective Fajardo, Puerto Rico October 31, 2013 Joe Walsh Seattle.

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Presentation on theme: "Maritime Casualties: From Negligence to Strict Liability to Criminalization -- U.S. Perspective Fajardo, Puerto Rico October 31, 2013 Joe Walsh Seattle."— Presentation transcript:

1 Maritime Casualties: From Negligence to Strict Liability to Criminalization -- U.S. Perspective Fajardo, Puerto Rico October 31, 2013 Joe Walsh Seattle San Francisco Anchorage Long Beach Hong Kong

2 Maritime Casualties: Ghostly Mistakes, Spooky Prosecutions, and other Environmental Horror Stories Fajardo, Puerto Rico October 31, 2013 Joe Walsh Seattle San Francisco Anchorage Long Beach Hong Kong

3 MARPOL & US LAW AnnexTopicUS LAW IOilAPPS 33USC1901, CWA, FWPCA, OPA IINoxious Bulk LiquidAPPS, CERCLA, Ocean Dumping Act IIIHazardous FreightAPPS, CERCLA, HMTA, IMDG IVSewageNot A party ( * Refuse Act) VGarbage/plasticsAPPS, Ocean Dumping Act, Marine Plastic Pollution Research & Control Act VIAir EmissionsAPPS, Clean Air Act

4 Objectives Criminal Enforcement of Accidents: Concepts & Flaws Response & Investigation Considerations

5 “It is difficult to get a person to understand something if his salary depends on him not understanding it.” Upton Sinclair

6 Criminal Enforcement Concepts CIVIL LAWCRIMINAL LAW  Strict Liability  Negligence  Actus rea  Mens rea  Comparative  Superseding cause  Intervening cause

7 United States v. Hanousek  Simple Negligence = Criminal Negligence  1% the cause = 100% Criminally Negligent  Justice Thomas’ Dissent  Public Welfare Statutes – “penalties commonly are relatively small, and conviction does no grave damage to an offender’s reputation.”  Justice Thomas & O’Conner  “Whether the CWA is appropriately characterized as a public welfare statute is an issue on which the Courts of Appeals are divided.”

8 Criminal Enforcement Concepts STRICT LIABILITY Refuse Act Migratory Bird Treaty Act NEGLIGENT LIABILITY Clean Water Act

9 “penalties are relatively small…”

10  Forfeiture?  National Marine Sanctuary Act  National Park System Resource Protection Act

11 “no grave damage to… reputation”  Suspension and Debarment?  Discretionary  Mandatory ( CWA)  Stigma?

12 Vicarious Liability Concepts

13 Vicarious Liability Concepts (Everyone has a Homer Simpson)

14 Objectives Criminal Enforcement of Accidents: Concepts & Flaws Response & Investigation Considerations

15  Understanding and Accepting the Engagement  Avoiding the Risk of Disqualification  Timely Appointment of and Dealing with Individual and Pool Counsel  Interacting With Investigative Authorities.

16 Representation  Who is your client?  “Vessel Interests”  Owner, Managers, Operator, Candle- stick Maker  Club or Member?  Multiparty Representation  The Significance of Upjohn Warnings

17 Avoiding Disqualification  Lawyer vs. Witness  Use of surveyors, consultants and experts  Kovel Doctrine  United States v. Kovel, 296 F.2d 918 (2 nd Cir 1961)  United States v. Adlman, 68 F.3d 1495 (2 nd Cir. 1995)

18 Individual and Pool Counsel  Timely appointment is critical!  Letters of Representation  Pool Counsel → Waivers  Have a “deep” bench  Joint Defense/Common Interest Agreements  potential or actual litigation  joint defense communication privilege

19 Investigative Authorities  14 USC § 89a  authorizes the U.S. Coast Guard to board vessels subject to the jurisdiction of the United States,  anytime, any place upon the high seas and upon any waterway over which the United States has jurisdiction,  to make inquires, examinations, inspections, searches, seizures, and arrests.  The U.S. Coast Guard does not require a warrant to conduct search, seizures, arrests over any United States Waterway or high seas.

20 Whistleblowers “In the discretion of the Court, an amount equal to not more than ½ of such fine may be paid to the person giving information leading to conviction.” 33 USC 1908(a) (APPS)

21  Seemingly Endless Port State Control Exams  Real Party in Interest status (CG-545 Policy Letter 3-10 )  Right to counsel is NOT obstruction threat of obstruction-- Really? Investigative Authorities

22 “Being in a ship is being in a jail, with the chance of being drowned” Samuel Johnson


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