A U.S. judge is holding a hearing to determine whether to approve a deal between the Justice Department and Boeing, allowing the planemaker to avoid prosecution for a criminal fraud charge related to two fatal 737 Max crashes. Family members of the 346 victims are objecting to the agreement, which would release Boeing from oversight by an independent monitor, deeming it insufficient. The initial plea deal was rejected, and the new non-prosecution agreement includes additional financial compensation to victims’ families. Boeing maintains the executive branch has the sole authority to decide on prosecution and has asked the judge to dismiss the objections.
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The Justice Department has moved to dismiss criminal fraud charges against Boeing, ending the prosecution related to two 737 Max crashes that resulted in 346 deaths. This agreement requires Boeing to pay over $1.1 billion, including additional compensation for victims’ families, in exchange for dismissal. While some victims’ families sought a public trial and harsher penalties, the deal avoids a potential criminal conviction that could impact Boeing’s federal contractor status. Judge O’Connor will ultimately decide whether to accept the motion to dismiss and the terms of the non-prosecution agreement.
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Boeing is poised to escape criminal prosecution in the 737 Max crashes case, a decision that has enraged victims’ families. The Department of Justice is reportedly considering a non-prosecution agreement, avoiding a guilty plea for the company despite the deaths of 346 people in two fatal crashes. This proposed agreement follows a previous rejected plea deal and ongoing concerns about Boeing’s safety practices. The families involved have strongly condemned the potential non-prosecution agreement as morally unacceptable. Boeing’s stock price has slightly decreased following the news.
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John Q. Hosedrinker