Oil giant BP PLC formally entered a guilty plea Monday for a deadly explosion at its Texas plant in 2005, saying the company had failed to protect its workers.
But a federal judge said she would listen to blast victims and their attorneys, who have been highly critical of the BP's agreement with the prosecutors, before deciding whether or not to accept the plea.
U.S. District Judge Lee Rosenthal was originally set in November to accept the oil giant's guilty plea and the $50 million fine that goes with it. However, several attorneys for victims of the blast, which killed 15 people and injured more than 170 others, objected, calling the proposed fine "trivial." They also said the deal doesn't push to improve safety at the plant or fully detail BP's history of safety violations.
The judge agreed to let them voice their complaints and delayed her decision on whether to accept the plea.
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BP Entered Guilty Plea For the PLant Explosion, Victims Unsatisfied
But a federal judge said she would listen to blast victims and their attorneys, who have been highly critical...
