Luther Bartholomew v. Crowley Marine Services Inc.

337 F.3d 1083 Luther BARTHOLOMEW; Zeljko Brcic; Jimmie Haithcock; James Kristovich, Plaintiffs-Appellees, v. CROWLEY MARINE SERVICES INC., a Delaware corporation; Union Oil Company of California, Defendants-Appellants. No. 02-35364. United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. Argued and Submitted June 5, 2003. Filed July 30, 2003. As Amended September 12, 2003. Harold F. Vhugen and Robert M. Kraft, Levinson Friedman P.S., Seattle, WA, for the plaintiffs-appellees. Terence S. Cox, Cox, Wootton, Griffin Hansen & Poulos, LLP, San Francisco, CA, for the defendants-appellants. Appeal from the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington; Walter T. McGovern, Senior Judge, Presiding. D.C. No. CV-00-01670-WTM. Before LAY, * GOODWIN, and GOULD, Circuit Judges. GOULD, Circuit Judge. 1 We consider the apportionment of a salvage award that was given to participating crew members but not to the owner of the salving vessel. The right to a salvage award for saving a ship dates back for centuries. Some have traced the right back to the ancient Rhodians, whose maritime accomplishments began to reach their height in the late fourth century B.C., 1 and who are thought…