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Judge Dismisses Boeing Criminal Case Over 737 Max Crashes Under DOJ Deal

The court approved a DOJ non-prosecution deal trading the case for $1.1 billion in fines, compensation, and safety spending.

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

  • A U.S. judge granted the Justice Department’s motion to drop the conspiracy charge against Boeing tied to two 737 Max crashes that killed 346 people.
  • Boeing will direct about $1.1 billion, including roughly $244 million in fines, $444.5 million to a victims’ fund, and more than $455 million for safety, quality, and compliance programs.
  • Judge Reed O’Connor criticized the resolution for lacking an independent monitor and said it “fails to secure the necessary accountability to ensure the safety of the flying public.”
  • The agreement resolves the case without a criminal conviction, avoiding potential risks to Boeing’s U.S. government contracting.
  • Civil litigation continues in Chicago, where Boeing has accepted liability; a jury is weighing damages in one case, three more suits settled confidentially this week, and some families plan to seek appellate review.