A New York State Supreme Court justice ruled July 22 that William Rapetti, a rigging contractor and owner of Rapetti Rigging Services, Inc., was not guilty of charges brought against him in connection with a March 15, 2008, crane collapse on Manhattan's Upper East Side.

The collapse killed seven people, including the crane operator, five crew members and the resident of a townhouse struck by the crane as it fell. The charges brought against Rapetti by Manhattan prosecutors included manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide.

Specifically, it was alleged that Rapetti was negligent in installing polyester straps, called "slings," that served to support the crane as it was being raised. The slings snapped, which resulted in a steel collar sliding down the crane and the crane tumbling over.

Rapetti's lawyers said that the contractor was not responsible for that, and that others - including city agencies - made errors that contributed directly to the crane's collapse. They specifically cited steel beams to which the crane was fastened to the building. An engineer stated that the beams did not meet required specifications; when they broke, the slings snapped, an unfortunate event that Rapetti's attorneys noted the company had nothing to do with.

The prosecutors voiced strong disagreement with the verdict. One of them, assistant district attorney Deborah Hickey, said that Rapetti was seeking to minimize his own responsibility for the deaths by unfairly calling into question the actions of others. "So far, the only person the defendant and the defense hasn't blamed for Mr. Rapetti's reckless behavior, "said Hickey, "is Sir Isaac Newton."

Related Resources: wsj.com "Crane Contractor Acquitted in Fatal Collapse" July 22, 2010

nytimes.com "Contractor is Acquitted in Crane Collapse" July 22, 2010