 |
 |
|
| |
|
|
United States v. Park
Supreme Court of United States (1975)
Petitioner: U.S.
Respondent/Defendant: Park; the defendant was the CEO of Acme International and he was charged under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. The defendant was informed by a letter from FDA that one of his warehouses where food was stored had unsanitary conditions, but the defendant failed to completely fix the problem. The jury held the defendant liable, but the Court of Appeals reversed the conviction by arguing that the defendant did not take any "wrongful actions" which would make him liable.
Issue: Can the CEO of a company be held liable in such situation?
Holding: Yes
Legal Reasoning: The court held that when a person voluntarily puts himself incharge of a company thus gaining control over the act which is prohibited by law, then he is liable. The only situation where the defendant can not be held liable is if he can prove that him fixing the problem was objectively impossible. So the decision of the lower court was reversed and the conviction was reinstated.