State v. Hazelwood
Alaska Supreme Court
946 P.2d 875 (1997)
Relevant factsFree
Captain Joseph Hazelwood ran the Exxon Valdez oil tanker aground off Alaska, spilling roughly 11 million gallons of oil, and was charged with negligent discharge of oil under state law. The trial court instructed the jury under an ordinary negligence standard — that Hazelwood acted negligently if he failed to perceive a substantial and unjustifiable risk — and the jury convicted him. The court of appeals reversed, holding a more demanding criminal-negligence standard should have applied, and the state supreme court granted review.
IssueFree
Whether, in Alaska, an ordinary negligence standard is constitutionally sufficient to impose criminal punishment for conduct that society seeks to deter.