Families of the victims from two tragic Boeing 737 Max crashes are holding out hope for criminal charges against the company. A federal judge in Fort Worth is scheduled to hear arguments today on a U.S. government motion to dismiss a felony charge against Boeing.
The charge, conspiracy to commit fraud, was originally brought by federal prosecutors who alleged that Boeing had deceived regulators about a flight-control system linked to the two fatal crashes, which killed 346 people in 2018 and 2019.
Back in December, a judge rejected Boeing’s plea agreement, which had been in the works for months. The judge, U.S. District Chief Judge Reed O’Connor, objected to the company’s diversity policies possibly influencing the selection of a monitor for its promised reforms.
While families initially saw the rejection as a victory, it ended up delaying the case and giving Boeing more time to renegotiate. Six months later, the government and Boeing reached a new, non-prosecution agreement. This deal would drop the criminal charge in exchange for Boeing paying or investing an additional $1.1 billion in fines, victim compensation, and safety measures.
The Department of Justice said it made this new deal because of the “significant changes” Boeing has made to its quality control and anti-fraud programs. They also stated that pursuing a criminal conviction in court would be risky, and this new agreement offers a more certain outcome and “meaningful accountability.”
However, not everyone is happy with this turn of events. Families of the victims are planning to address the court, pleading with the judge to deny the government’s request and even appoint a special prosecutor. One of the speakers is Catherine Berthet, who lost her 28-year-old daughter in one of the crashes. She views the deal as a “denial of justice” and a “total disregard for the victims.”
While the Justice Department argues that many families support the agreement and that the judge might not have the authority to deny it, the final decision rests with the court. The government has left open the option of refiling the conspiracy charge if Boeing doesn’t stick to its end of the deal over the next two years.