Research Vessel Chief Engineer Sentenced for Falsifying Records
In the district court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, Judge Sarah S. Vance sentenced Michael Murphy, a former chief engineer employed by Offshore Vessels, LLC (OSV), to two years probation. Judge Vance also ordered Murphy to pay a criminal fine of $5,000. On Oct. 20, 2010, Murphy pleaded guilty to a one-count information charging him with submitting a false statement, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 1001. Murphy had served aboard the R/V Laurence M. (L.M.) Gould (R/V Gould), a 2,966 gross ton American-flagged ship owned by OSV that served as an ice-breaking research vessel for the National Science Foundation on research voyages to and from Antarctica. Murphy admitted that on or about Sep.
Judge Rules for B&W and McDermott Regarding Insurance for Asbestos Claims
In a ruling issued January 4, 2002, Judge Sarah S. Vance of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana granted Babcock & Wilcox's and McDermott International, Inc.'s (NYSE: MDR) motions for summary judgement against a group of London underwriters and dismissed the declaratory judgment action filed by the insurers. The underwriters had sought to annul an agreement which acknowledges coverage for B&W's asbestos exposure and sets forth the agreements of the insurers to pay claims within that coverage. In her ruling, Judge Vance concluded that the underwriters' claims lacked a factual or legal basis. The agreement with the underwriters went into effect in April 1990…
