Subscriber Services

Sun investigation: Justice capsized?

The Coast Guard court system is supposed to be impartial in its handling of charges against mariners, but records suggest the system may be stacked against the seagoers.

April 25, 2008

Sun Follow-Up

Coast Guard may lose law unit

The House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly yesterday to dismantle the U.S. Coast Guard's Baltimore-based administrative law system amid charges of bias in its handling of cases against civilian mariners.

June 24, 2007

Sun investigation

Justice capsized?

Hundreds of tugboat captains, charter fishermen and other professional mariners face charges of negligence or misconduct every year under the U.S. Coast Guard's administrative court system, a forum established to be fair and impartial, like any other court.

June 25, 2007

Sun follow-up

Cummings questions maritime fairness

The chairman of the House subcommittee responsible for oversight of the U.S. Coast Guard said yesterday that he will convene a hearing to explore allegations that the agency's administrative law system is biased and that its judges are pressured to rule in the Coast Guard's favor.

July 31, 2007

3 ex-Coast Guard judges to testify

Two retired U.S. Coast Guard judges are expected to tell a congressional oversight panel today that the agency's administrative court system is biased against civilian defendants.

August 1, 2007

Sun follow-up

Maritime judiciary under fire

Members of Congress called yesterday for the U.S. Coast Guard's administrative court system to be removed from the agency's control and placed within an independent arm of government, saying recent claims of bias and mismanagement have raised doubts within the maritime industry about whether the system is fair to the civilian defendants whose cases it handles.