April trial set in S.F. Bay oil spill case

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 8 (UPI) -- A federal judge set an April trial date for the harbor pilot who was at the helm of a cargo ship that spilled 50,000 gallons of oil into San Francisco Bay.

John Cota will face trial April 6 along with the Hong Kong company that was operating the container vessel Cosco Busan when it banged into a support tower of the Bay Bridge on a foggy night last November.

The resulting spill of fuel oil covered a wide stretch of the bay and killed thousands of sea birds.

The San Francisco Chronicle said Cota and Fleet Management Ltd., are both charged with criminal negligence. Cota faces an additional charge of lying on his annual physical fitness report about prescription drugs he was taking. Fleet Management is also charged with obstruction of justice.

The newspaper said Wednesday that Fleet Management had offered to plead no contest to the charges, which would have not amounted to an admission of guilt in pending civil litigation.