A federal judge has vacated the trial date related to Boeing and the crashes of its 737 MAX airplanes that left nearly 350 people dead.
U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor granted the request of the airline and the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Monday, according to court documents obtained by FOX Business. The DOJ had filed a motion to dismiss the criminal fraud charge as part of a non-prosecution agreement.
The trial had been scheduled to begin on June 23 in Fort Worth, Texas.
O’Connor must still give final settlement approval and could reschedule a trial if he does not agree with the deal.
BOEING PAYING $1.1B AS DOJ DISMISSES CRIMINAL FRAUD CASE; FAMILIES OF VICTIMS IN CRASHES SET TO OBJECT TO DEAL
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Last week, Clifford Law Offices said in a news release that the DOJ sent a letter to families informing them the government agency had filed a motion to dismiss the criminal fraud matter against Boeing.
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT STRIKES TENTATIVE DEAL ALLOWING BOEING TO ESCAPE CRIMINAL CHARGES IN FATAL 737 MAX CRASHES
The DOJ sent the letter in accordance with the federal Crime Victims’ Rights Act.
The families were informed nearly a week after the DOJ said it had struck a tentative deal with Boeing that allows the company to avoid criminal prosecution for allegedly misleading regulators about the company’s 737 Max plane before two crashes that killed 346 people.
Under the deal, Boeing will pay out $1.1 billion, including $445 million to a fund for the crash victims’ families, the DOJ said in court documents last week.
In exchange, the DOJ will dismiss a fraud charge against the aircraft manufacturer.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BA | THE BOEING CO. | 211.47 | +4.15 | +2.00% |
“Boeing is committed to complying with its obligations under this resolution, which include a substantial additional fine and commitments to further institutional improvements and investments,” Boeing said in a statement to FOX Business.
“The resolution also provides for substantial additional compensation for the families of those lost in the Lion Air Flight 610 and Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 accidents. We are deeply sorry for their losses, and remain committed to honoring their loved ones’ memories by pressing forward with the broad and deep changes to our company that we have made to strengthen our safety system and culture.”
The government said the deal “secures meaningful accountability, delivers substantial and immediate public benefits, and brings finality to a difficult and complex case whose outcome would otherwise be uncertain.”
Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner, Jake Gibson and Reuters contributed to this report.
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