(SAN FRANCISCO) — A federal judge has ruled that a guilty plea by the operator of the Cosco Busan should not shield the company from millions of dollars in fines, the television station KTVU reported. Fleet Management Ltd. had thought that a guilty plea to two misdemeanor charges would limit the potential fine in the oil spill case. A District Court judge ruled today that the company could still face fines of as much as $40 million.
