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3h ago

Judge Dismisses Boeing Criminal Case, Clearing $1.1 Billion DOJ Deal

The judge said the agreement lacks independent oversight, questioning whether it ensures public safety.

FILE - A Boeing 737 Max jet prepares to land at Boeing Field following a test flight in Seattle, Sept. 30, 2020. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File)
FILE - Wreckage is piled at the crash scene of Ethiopian Airlines flight ET302 near Bishoftu, Ethiopia, March 11, 2019. (AP Photo/Mulugeta Ayene, File)
FILE - In this March 11, 2019, file photo, rescuers work at the scene of an Ethiopian Airlines flight crash near Bishoftu, Ethiopia. Pilot Bernd Kai von Hoesslin pleaded with his bosses for more training on the Boeing Max, just weeks before the Ethiopian Airline's jet crashed, killing everyone on board. (AP Photo/Mulugeta Ayene, File)
A Boeing 737 MAX aircraft is assembled at the company's plant in Renton, Washington, U.S. June 25, 2024. Jennifer Buchanan/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

Overview

  • U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor granted the Justice Department’s request to drop the Boeing conspiracy case tied to two 737 Max crashes that killed 346 people.
  • The non-prosecution resolution totals about $1.1 billion, including a $244 million fine, $444.5 million for a victims’ fund, and more than $455 million for safety, quality, and compliance programs.
  • O’Connor criticized the deal for forgoing an independent monitor in favor of a company-selected compliance consultant but said he lacked authority to reject the dismissal.
  • The DOJ argued Boeing has improved under enhanced FAA oversight and maintained that prosecutors, not the court, control charging decisions.
  • Separately, Boeing settled three Ethiopian crash lawsuits this week as a Chicago jury proceeds with a single remaining case to set damages, with liability already admitted by the company.