33 USC 1514 – Remedies
(a) Criminal penalties
Any person who willfully violates any provision of this chapter or any rule, order, or regulation issued pursuant thereto commits a class A misdemeanor for each day of violation.
(b) Orders of compliance; Attorney General’s civil action; jurisdiction and venue
Attorney's Note
Under the U.S. Code, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:| Class | Prison | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Class A misdemeanor | up to 1 year | up to $100,000 |
Terms Used In 33 USC 1514
- Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
- Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
- Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. Source: U.S. Courts
- Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- person: includes an individual, a public or private corporation, a partnership or other association, or a government entity. See 33 USC 1502
- Secretary: means the Secretary of Transportation. See 33 USC 1502
- State: includes each of the States of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the territories and possessions of the United States. See 33 USC 1502
- vessel: means every description of watercraft or other artificial contrivance used as a means of transportation on or through the water. See 33 USC 1502
(1) Whenever on the basis of any information available to him the Secretary finds that any person is in violation of any provision of this chapter or any rule, regulation, order, license, or condition thereof, or other requirements under this chapter, he shall issue an order requiring such person to comply with such provision or requirement, or he shall bring a civil action in accordance with paragraph (3) of this subsection.
(2) Any order issued under this subsection shall state with reasonable specificity the nature of the violation and a time for compliance, not to exceed thirty days, which the Secretary determines is reasonable, taking into account the seriousness of the violation and any good faith efforts to comply with applicable requirements.
(3) Upon a request by the Secretary, the Attorney General shall commence a civil action for appropriate relief, including a permanent or temporary injunction or a civil penalty not to exceed $25,000 per day of such violation, for any violation for which the Secretary is authorized to issue a compliance order under paragraph (1) of this subsection. Any action under this subsection may be brought in the district court of the United States for the district in which the defendant is located or resides, or is doing business, and such court shall have jurisdiction to restrain such violation, require compliance, or impose such penalty.
(c) Attorney General’s action for equitable relief; scope of relief
Upon a request by the Secretary, the Attorney General shall bring an action in an appropriate district court of the United States for equitable relief to redress a violation by any person of any provision of this chapter, any regulation under this chapter, or any license condition. The district courts of the United States shall have jurisdiction to grant such relief as is necessary or appropriate, including mandatory or prohibitive injunctive relief, interim equitable relief, compensatory damages, and punitive damages.
(d) Vessels; liability in rem; exempt vessels; consent or privy of owners or bareboat charterers
Any vessel, except a public vessel engaged in noncommercial activities, used in a violation of this chapter or of any rule or regulation issued pursuant to this chapter, shall be liable in rem for any civil penalty assessed or criminal fine imposed and may be proceeded against in any district court of the United States having jurisdiction thereof; but no vessel shall be liable unless it shall appear that one or more of the owners, or bareboat charterers, was at the time of the violation, a consenting party or privy to such violation.