The News
A US judge rejected federal prosecutors’ deal with Boeing to plead guilty in a criminal case involving the fatal crashes of two of the aerospace giant’s 737 MAX planes.
The judge took issue with provisions in the deal for choosing an independent monitor that would require considering race and diversity during the appointment process.
The decision is a victory for families of victims killed in the 2018 and 2019 crashes, who had called the plea bargain a “sweetheart deal” and urged the judge to reject it.
Under the agreement, Boeing would have pled guilty to defrauding investors by misguiding them about a software feature that caused the two crashes and pay more than $243 million in fines — less than 0.5% of the company’s 2023 revenue — avoiding a trial.
Boeing and prosecutors now have 30 days to update the court on how they wish to proceed.