Abstract
Abstract
In 2014, seven years after the initial conviction, CITGO Petroleum and Refining was sentenced for criminal violations of the Clean Air Act (CAA). Prior to sentencing, close to 1,000 fenceline community members petitioned the court to be declared victims of CITGO's crimes under the federal Crime Victim's Rights Act (CVRA). The district court granted the petitioners' victim status after a long court battle involving an appeal to the Fifth Circuit years prior; but ultimately awarded no compensation or restitution to the environmental crime victims. This article provides an analysis of the trial, sentencing, and legal maneuvering, based on field research and participant observation. We conclude with a discussion of legal opportunities for relief that the CVRA may provide for environmental justice communities and victims of environmental crime across the country.
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