Page 5 - ATODAY
P. 5
U.S. NEWS A5
Monday 21 March 2016
Judge dismisses bulk
of criminal charges
against FedEx Corp.
SUDHIN THANAWALA — which the government In this Jan. 5, 2016 file photo, a FedEx truck drives in front of the
Associated Press could have used to check
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A its work in drafting the toll- San Francisco skyline. Associated Press
federal judge dismissed the ing agreement that un-
bulk of criminal charges derpins this novel prosecu- Prosecutors have accused its job of enforcing the law,
against FedEx Corp. in a tion,” Breyer said. “But the
case alleging it knowingly government did not check FedEx of conspiring with and we will demonstrate
shipped illegal prescription its work.”
drugs. Prosecutors have also online pharmacies to ship this at trial.” It’s not uncom-
Senior U.S. District Court charged a second FedEx
Judge Charles Breyer said subsidiary, and that case powerful sleep aids, seda- mon in a major prosecu-
Friday the government appears to be unaffected
named the wrong defen- by Breyer’s decision. Addi- tives, painkillers and other tion with multiple counts
dant in an agreement that tionally, FedEx Corp. and
gave it more time to file FedEx Corporate Services, drugs to customers it knew to lose some of them, and
charges. As a result, the Inc. still face charges of
charges were filed past the money laundering and lacked valid prescriptions. the conspiracy count still
statute of limitations. a count of conspiring to
Breyer denied the govern- distribute controlled sub- FedEx spokeswoman Me- allows the government to
ment’s request to substi- stances.
tute the correct defendant An email to prosecutors lissa Charbonneau said in prove bad conduct by Fe-
and tossed out more than on Saturday was not im-
a dozen of the 18 counts mediately returned. They a statement on Saturday dEx Corp., said Rory Little, a
against parent company argued that FedEx had a
FedEx Corp. and subsid- duty to correct the mistake, that none of its entities is former federal prosecutor
iary, FedEx Corporate Ser- and suggested its attorneys
vices, Inc. engaged in gamesman- guilty of “anything more who now teaches at the
“FedEx’s corporate struc- ship by only revealing the
ture is clearly described error after the statute of than attempting to assist University of California Hast-
on numerous public web- limitations lapsed, accord-
sites — including sec.gov ing to Breyer’s ruling. the government in doing ings College of the Law.
Skyslide airlifted to downtown
Los Angeles skyscraper
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The put an open-air observa-
latest Los Angeles thrill ride tion deck and bar on the
has arrived — a glass slide tower’s top floors. The slide
that will jut from a skyscrap- ends at the observation
er 1,000 feet above the deck.
ground. On a clear day, the tower
A helicopter on Saturday provides panoramic views
brought the Skyslide to the that extend to Catalina Is-
69th floor of the downtown land 22 miles off the Pacific
U.S. Bank Tower. At 72 sto- Coast and over the Santa
ries, it is the tallest building Monica Mountains to the
west of the Mississippi. city’s sprawling San Fer-
When it opens on June 25, nando Valley.
the transparent, 45-foot- The slide will cost $8 and
long slide will carry visi- admission to the observa-
tors from floors 70 to 69 as tion deck will be $25. Tick-
they peer down through 1 ets are being sold online.
¼-inch-thick glass. The attraction arrives in the
“The Skyslide boasts a safe, midst of efforts reinvigorate
thrilling experience unlike downtown. Recent years
any other in the world,” have seen newly fashion-
said a statement from able apartments, a spruce-
Lucy Rumantir, head of up park, new upscale ho-
U.S. operations for building tels, The Broad museum,
owner OUE Limited of Sin- the LA Live entertainment
gapore. “Guests of all ages district and trendy bars and
will have the opportunity restaurants.
to transform their view of Skyslide also continues a
Los Angeles as they glide trend of creating attrac-
down, gazing at unparal- tions designed for people
leled views of the city.” who seem eager to laugh
Skyslide is part of a $50 mil- in the face of acrophobia.
lion renovation that will also
