Corporation Crimes

Isn't it scary to think that in the U.S. corporations are considered a "person" in law, and that they have the same rights as citizens? That is how many corporations get away with crimes such as embezzlement and murder until they are finally caught by authorities. Who is to blame in these corporations? Seeing as authorities cannot blame the entire corporation for the crime they must turn to the corporate executives to suffer the consequences. Although there is chances that just simply the workers are committing these crimes, the majority of the crimes are done by executives or people in high power. They are done by this wealthy group because they are generally the ones that go unsuspected, or can carry out the crimes without much afterthought by the corporation. Such as in cases like in New York, Warner Lambert Company and several of its officials were indicted for second-degree manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide after a 1976 explosion in the company's gum-making plant killed six workers. The prosecution alleged that the blast could be traced to the failure of officials to install an adequate exhaust system. Although it did not disallow the possibility of such a prosecution under different circumstances, an appellate court dismissed the indictment, stating that the actual cause of the explosion had been unforeseeable. Even though alot of these crimes are put to the side as "accidents" or "unforseeable" they are still crimes and someone had to contribute to it in someway. Seeing as the corporation is considered a "person" and have the same rights as citizens then it should be tried in the same way another murder would be.

Unfortunately about 800,000 Canadians get hurt on the job each year but successful evidence in proving the corporations wrongdoing has been rare. Because of a new law, it is now easier to convict corporations of criminal negligence due to a workplace "accident." Companies that are manufacturing items that they KNOW are dangerous, and sell them anyways are what are contributing to killing workers or consumers. No matter what excuse is put behind it, when a company is putting a humans life in danger, no amount of money is worth that.

What is the main factor contributing to corporation crimes? Money, money and oh! More money. The profit gained from a crime that a corporation can get away with is huge yet if they are caught, that profit and more will be taken away. It's a huge price to pay and a massive risk that corporations deliberate and discuss, although some do it without the company having any idea they ever did it.