Sea Horse Ranch, Inc. v. Superior Court
Courts of Appeal of California
30 Cal. Rptr. 2d 681 (1994)
Relevant factsFree
Ranch president Shipley (defendant) had been previously cited for horses escaping from the ranch's dilapidated corral fence onto a public highway, and after a driver was killed striking an escaped horse from that same fence, both the ranch and Shipley (defendants) were charged with involuntary manslaughter; they sought dismissal claiming Shipley had no knowledge of the fence's negligent condition, and the superior court denied dismissal.
IssueFree
Whether an officer of a corporation may be held criminally liable for the illegal actions of the corporation, if she directly participated in the illegal conduct, or had knowledge of and control over the conduct.