Misconduct or neglect of ship officers
Official text prohibited actmental stateif conditionpenaltylegal term
Every captain, engineer, pilot, or other person employed on any steamboat or vessel, by whose misconduct, negligence, or inattention to his duties on such vessel the life of any person is destroyed, and every owner, charterer, inspector, or other public officer, through whose fraud, neglect, connivance, misconduct, or violation of law the life of any person is destroyed, shall be or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both.
When the owner or charterer of any steamboat or vessel is a corporation, any executive officer of such corporation, for the time being actually charged with the control and management of the operation, equipment, or navigation of such steamboat or vessel, who has knowingly and caused or allowed such fraud, neglect, connivance, misconduct, or violation of law, by which the life of any person is destroyed, shall be or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both.
History: (June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 757 (PDF, 39 MB); Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, §330016(1)(L), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147 (PDF, 52 MB).)
Simplified explanation
It is a federal crime for a ship's captain, engineer, pilot, or other crew member to cause someone's death through misconduct, negligence, or not paying attention to duties. Owners, charterers, inspectors, and corporate officers in charge of a vessel can also be guilty if their fraud, neglect, or lawbreaking causes a death.