Senator Montigny Secures Stringent Penalties Against Corporations Which Commit Manslaughter

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Montigny proposes stiffer penalties for corporations found guilty of manslaughter (Wikipedia)

Senator Mark Montigny is pleased to announce that he authored and secured passage of an amendment to the Massachusetts Senate’s bill imposing greater penalties for corporations found guilty of manslaughter due to their business conduct. Under Senator Montigny’s successful amendment, corporations convicted of manslaughter shall be subject to a fine not less than $250,000.

The specific amount to be levied in each case, which cannot be less than $250,000, will be determined by the judge based on the evidence in the case. Current state law provides only for a fine of $1,000.

In discussing the imposition of substantial monetary penalties against convicted corporations, Senator Montigny stated that:

“Since 2007, I have filed bills to increase the penalties on corporations that engage in criminally negligent misconduct. The current fine for corporate manslaughter is completely inadequate to punish a corporation more interested in profit than public safety. A $1,000 fine to a multi-billion dollar corporation is petty cash and certainly will not deter a company making millions from engaging is such criminal behavior again. A penalty must be severe enough to act as a deterrent to companies willing to engage in reckless and negligent conduct that endangers the public at large. The original bill was grossly inadequate and I am glad that the Senate has finally taken action to address the existing inequity in corporate criminal penalties.”

Senator Montigny further added “Recent examples of corporate misconduct such as the collapse of the Big Dig tunnel that resulted in one death and the NECC compounding tragedy that left 48 people dead make it abundantly clear that the courts must be given the tools to adequately punish corporate misconduct at a level that will deter a corporate defendant from again engaging in egregious conduct. My amendment passed today gives the courts that tool.”


About Michael Silvia

Served 20 years in the United States Air Force. Owner of New Bedford Guide.

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