White Collar Criminal Defense Group

Two Former Judges Plead In Philadelphia Traffic Court Ticket-Fixing Case

On Tuesday, two former judges of the Philadelphia Traffic Court, Kenneth Miller and Warren Hogeland, pled guilty to federal charges related to a traffic ticket fixing scandal.  Miller, age 76, and Hogeland, age 77, are two of the twelve defendants charged in the Traffic Court corruption case that alleges that judges, local politicians, court staff, family members, and friends received preferential treatment from Traffic Court.  The preferential treatment, known as “consideration” by court insiders, included dismissing tickets or specific charges, reducing fines, and finding defendants not guilty.

The allegations were summarized in criminal informations and an indictment, all filed in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, including against sitting Traffic Court Judges Michael Sullivan, Michael Lowry, Robert Mulgrew, Willie Singletary, Thomasine Tynes, and Mark Bruno.  The indictment, filed on January 29, 2013, is comprised of 77 counts alleging conspiracy, wire and mail fraud, perjury, false statements to FBI agents, and aiding and abetting.  Judges Lowry, Mulgrew, and Tynes are charged with committing perjury before the federal grand jury.  Singletary is charged with lying to  FBI agents when questioned about ticket fixing at the Traffic Court.  A full copy of the indictment can be found here.

Miller and Hogeland were charged in separate criminal informations (Information One & Information Two) which suggests their cooperation with the investigation and their guilty pleas were anticipated.  The sentencing hearings for Hogeland and Miller is scheduled for May 24, 2013 before U.S. District Court Judge Robert F. Kelly.

Judge Approves Transocean’s $400 Million Settlement For Criminal Involvement In Deepwater Horizon Disaster

Yesterday, U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo of the Eastern District of Louisiana approved Transocean’s guilty plea to violating the Clean Water Act based on its involvement in the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster.  The judge sentenced the company to pay $400 million in criminal fines and penalties.  The fines will be used, in part, to fund efforts to restore the marine and coastal environments effected by the disaster, as well as research and training for oil spill prevention and future response efforts.  This is one of the largest environmental crime recoveries in U.S. history, second only to the $4 billion criminal sentence imposed on BP in connection with the same disaster.  (Read more).  Transocean was also sentenced to five years of probation, which is the maximum term permitted by law.

White-Collared previously reported on this settlement in its January 3, 2013 post.