NATION IN BRIEF : ALASKA : Can’t Be Prosecuted, Oil Spill Figure Says
From Times Staff and Wire Reports
The former captain of the Exxon Valdez asked a federal court to halt his prosecution by the state of Alaska on criminal charges arising from the spill of 11 million gallons of oil in Alaskan waters last March. Joseph Hazelwood of Huntington, N.Y., contended that, under federal law, a person who reports an oil spill is granted immunity from prosecution. Hazelwood is free on $50,000 bond and his trial is tentatively set for late January, but the site has not been picked.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
