It’s no secret. I, who have devoted much of my professional life to defending people accused of horrendous crimes; I, who generally feel that nobody should ever go to prison; I, who have spent decades fighting against state killing; I confess. I want to see BP executives indicted, perp walked in New Orleans in handcuffs before a howling and pressing media, convicted by juries and then locked up. Locked up for a very long time. Like Bernie Madoff.
I don’t care particularly what federal and/or state crimes the BP and Transocean and MMS folks have committed. I want them to be given a full and fair trial in a federal court, and I want them imprisoned. For a very long time. I want them to be an example that this kind of environmental destruction will never be tolerated in a civilized society. There, I’ve said it.
And the good news for me, and for you if you feel this way, is that apparently the current administration has finally decided to move in the direction of criminal prosecutions. It took long enough. It only took 53 days of spillage and a world record, man made environmental catastrophe. Goodness, even WFAN Sports Talk Radio in NYC today was complaining about BP and the spill and the tepid federal response. So finally, today, at long last, the administration is at last starting to pursue the criminals who have attempted to murder an entire ocean and all of the life in it and surrounding it.