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VW engineer pleads guilty to diesel emissions scandal

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Re: VW engineer pleads guilty to diesel emissions scandal

#3
post #2

If Mr. Liang is a P.Eng., I hope he loses his license. There should be a bunch of Engineers losing their licenses.

There should be some executives losing their jobs and freedom, if this guy is pleading guilty to several felonies. He wasn't acting on his own initiative.

Re: VW engineer pleads guilty to diesel emissions scandal

#4
Something away from the scandal itself, non-American here and I don't get plea deals. I mean, normally, a trial can result in acquittal even if the defendant admits their guilt if there's very strong objective evidence(DNA records etc.) disproving it. There has existed previous cases where some new evidence surfaced years after a plea deal and the defendant, previously found guilty, was released. So, why does a plea deal result in no trial at all? Shouldn't there be an, even very hastened, trial even if the defendant pleads guilty? That seems to be result if we only consider the American Justice System and Logic.

Re: VW engineer pleads guilty to diesel emissions scandal

#5
post #3
post #2

If Mr. Liang is a P.Eng., I hope he loses his license. There should be a bunch of Engineers losing their licenses.

There should be some executives losing their jobs and freedom, if this guy is pleading guilty to several felonies. He wasn't acting on his own initiative.

That's why I'm a little crestfallen that an engineer was first to be charged. By all means, charge the guilty & complicit, but I'm apprehensive the order could aide the narrative VW's execs tried to spin at first ('This company-wide scandal was clearly the work of exactly one rouge engineer') and help them get out scot-free.

Re: VW engineer pleads guilty to diesel emissions scandal

#6

Something away from the scandal itself, non-American here and I don't get plea deals. I mean, normally, a trial can result in acquittal even if the defendant admits their guilt if there's very strong objective evidence(DNA records etc.) disproving it. There has existed previous cases where some new evidence surfaced years after a plea deal and the defendant, previously found guilty, was released. So, why does a plea…

A judge has to approve the plea deal, so usually this is a kind of a very hastened trial. Unfortunately sometimes it boils down to the rubber stamping.

Re: VW engineer pleads guilty to diesel emissions scandal

#7

Something away from the scandal itself, non-American here and I don't get plea deals. I mean, normally, a trial can result in acquittal even if the defendant admits their guilt if there's very strong objective evidence(DNA records etc.) disproving it. There has existed previous cases where some new evidence surfaced years after a plea deal and the defendant, previously found guilty, was released. So, why does a plea…

Plea bargaining is the modern equivalent to medieval tortured confessions. There is no incentive to look too closely.

http://chicagounbound.uchicago.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?artic...

Re: VW engineer pleads guilty to diesel emissions scandal

#8
post #3
post #2

If Mr. Liang is a P.Eng., I hope he loses his license. There should be a bunch of Engineers losing their licenses.

There should be some executives losing their jobs and freedom, if this guy is pleading guilty to several felonies. He wasn't acting on his own initiative.

Just to play devil's advocate, maybe the requirements really are way over the line. In that case I wouldn't hold any grudges. Just because something is classified a felony doesn't mean it's morally wrong.

Edit: To clarify, I'm not suggesting this guy taking the dive for the execs is ok, just that someone lying about emission test results may not be as horrible as they're trying to make it sound.

Re: VW engineer pleads guilty to diesel emissions scandal

#9
Last year, the Justice Department implemented new guidelines that call for linking individual accountability as part of corporate investigations.

It's ridiculous that this is only being done now - everyone in the US has been screaming for it since the financial crisis in 2007-08.

Re: VW engineer pleads guilty to diesel emissions scandal

#10
post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There should be some executives losing their jobs and freedom, if this guy is pleading guilty to several felonies. He wasn't acting on his own initiative.

That's why I'm a little crestfallen that an engineer was first to be charged. By all means, charge the guilty & complicit, but I'm apprehensive the order could aide the narrative VW's execs tried to spin at first ( 'This company-wide scandal was clearly the work of exactly one rouge engineer' ) and help them get out scot-free.

most likely they are going after this like a drug dealing or racketeering outfit, from the bottom up, using plea bargain testimony to make the path easier as they go.

but if not, yeah, this would be a farcical miscarriage of justice if a bunch of engineers end up taking the fall for this.

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