Formalism

$6$ Guilty Plea in Listeria Outbreak

Two brothers, owners of a Colorado cantaloupe melon farm, pled guilty to charges that they introduced and delivered adulterated food into interstate commerce. Cantaloupe melons grown at their farm are brought to their processing center for cleaning, cooling, and packaging. The equipment is designed to spray antibacterial chlorine on the fruit to make it safe for consumption.

According to court papers, the chlorine spray was never actually used, and the melons were kept in unhygienic conditions. The result was a listeria epidemic that was one of the deadliest outbreaks of a foodborne illness.

Attorneys for the brothers have said that their client feel great sympathy for the listeria victims. Prosecutor did not to charge the brothers with more serious felonie which would require proof that the brothers knew the melons were contaminated or knew their actions we dangerous.

People in $28$ states ate the cantaloupe melons and $1$ people were hospitalized. There were $33$ official deaths corded, as well as a miscarriage, and other patients w listeria died of other causes after the outbreak. ${?}^{18}$

Evaluate the moral permissibility of the two oth pleading guilty, using both formalism and virtue ethics