NATION IN BRIEF : ALASKA : Jury Being Chosen for Oil Spill Trial
An Alaska judge refused to dismiss charges against former Exxon Valdez captain Joseph Hazelwood and ordered jury selection to begin in Anchorage for his trial in the nation’s worst oil spill. His attorneys argued that he should not be tried in a state court because federal law preempts state law in such cases. The Exxon Valdez ran aground on March 24, spilling nearly 11 million gallons of crude oil into Alaskan waters; the cost of cleaning it up has been estimated at $2 billion. Hazelwood faces a felony charge of criminal mischief and various misdemeanor charges, including being intoxicated.
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