Relatives of some of the 346 victims from the two Boeing 737 Max crashes are expected in court on Friday, where their lawyers will ask a federal judge to reject a plea deal that Boeing struck with federal prosecutors.
Essential Survival Gear You Need Before the Next Hurricane Hits
The families are pushing for the government to put Boeing on trial, hoping for stricter penalties for the company.
In July, Boeing agreed to plead guilty to a felony charge of conspiracy to commit fraud related to obtaining regulatory approval for the 737 Max. Under the deal, Boeing would pay a fine and be placed on probation.
However, relatives of the victims criticized the agreement, calling it a “sweetheart deal” that doesn’t adequately address the loss of life.
“The families who lost loved ones in the 737 Max crashes deserve far more than the inadequate, superficial deal struck between Boeing and the Department of Justice,” said Erin Applebaum, a lawyer representing some of the families. “They deserve a transparent legal process that truly holds Boeing accountable for its actions.”
Both government and company attorneys have filed briefs defending the settlement, while lawyers for the families expressed their opposition. U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor will question both sides during Friday’s hearing in Fort Worth, Texas.
If the judge accepts the guilty plea, he must also approve the agreed-upon sentence, with no authority to alter the terms. It remains unclear when O’Connor will make a decision.
Boeing is accused of misleading regulators by pushing for minimal, computer-based training for pilots before flying the Max, avoiding more expensive simulator-based training that could have increased airline costs.
The Justice Department contends that conspiracy to defraud the government is the most serious charge it can prove. Prosecutors maintain they cannot conclusively link Boeing’s actions to the crashes in Indonesia in 2018 and Ethiopia in 2019.
The settlement requires Boeing, based in Arlington, Virginia, to pay a minimum fine of $243.6 million, invest $455 million in compliance and safety measures, and serve three years of probation.