A federal judge in Texas, Reed O'Connor, dismissed felony charges against Boeing related to two Boeing 737 MAX crashes that killed 346 people in Indonesia and Ethiopia. The dismissal followed a Department of Justice (DOJ) motion as part of a non-prosecution agreement in which Boeing agreed to pay over $1.1 billion in fines and victim compensation, and invest in safety and compliance programs. Despite the ruling favoring the DOJ deal, some victims' families opposed the dismissal, arguing it failed to provide necessary accountability and oversight, particularly because Boeing can choose its own compliance consultant rather than being monitored by an independent entity. The judge acknowledged these concerns but said he lacked the legal power to block the DOJ's decision. Families plan to appeal the ruling. Boeing pleaded guilty earlier to conspiracy to defraud the government, and the agreement calls for Boeing to enhance its anti-fraud compliance and ethics programs while compensating victims' families. The DOJ stated the agreement balances finality and justice better than prolonged litigation would. The case stems from software issues in the 737 MAX flight-control system involved in crashes in late 2018 and early 2019.
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