Latest News

United States judge to hold hearing on family objections to Boeing plea deal

U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor stated Friday he will hold a hearing on Oct. 11 to think about objections from family members of those eliminated in 2 Boeing 737 MAX crashes to the planemaker's arrangement to plead guilty to criminal fraud conspiracy.

On July 24, the planemaker completed an arrangement to plead guilty to conspiring to defraud the Federal Aviation Administration and pay up to $487 million after breaching a 2021 delayed prosecution arrangement.

Member of the family of a few of the 346 individuals eliminated in 2 Boeing 737 MAX crashes in 2018 and 2019 argue the fine is too low and raised other objections to the plea deal. O'Connor will also consider objections to the arrangement filed by Polish nationwide airline company LOT before he decides whether to accept the plea deal.

LOT formerly argued it must have the same rights in the case as victims' households, and stated it sustained a minimum of $250. million in damages related to the 14 737 MAX aircraft it owned. and rented at the time that design was grounded worldwide in. March 2019 following the two crashes.

Boeing and the Justice Department did not immediately. talk about O'Connor's announcement. The Justice Department in. August advised the judge in Fort Worth, Texas, to accept the deal. it says is a strong and significant resolution that holds. Boeing liable and serves the general public interest.

Family members have mentioned O'Connor's declaration in a February. 2023 ruling in looking for harsher penalties: Boeing's crime may. correctly be considered the deadliest corporate crime in U.S. history.

The planemaker enabled possibly dangerous work at its. factories and did not guarantee essential plane record-keeping was. precise or complete, the Justice Department said in July in. describing why it believed Boeing broke the 2021 arrangement.

The finding followed a January in-flight panel blowout on an. Alaska Airlines 737 MAX that exposed continuing security. and quality problems at Boeing, just 2 days before the 2021. arrangement protecting it from prosecution expired.

The plea offer needs Boeing to spend $455 million to. strengthen its compliance, safety and quality programs over. 3 years of court-supervised probation. Boeing will likewise deal with. oversight from an independent display for 3 years.

O'Connor can likewise choose to require Boeing to pay. restitution, which could include compensation to victims'. families beyond what many have actually currently gotten in settlements. or as part of $500 million for loved ones under the 2021. contract.

(source: Reuters)