Boeing prosecutors aim to decide criminal charge by early June

The US Justice Department could decide by the first week of June whether to tear up its controversial deferred-prosecution agreement with Boeing, according to lawyers for the families of people killed in two crashes of 737 Max jets. Prosecutors met with the families Wednesday in Washington to share information about the timing of their investigation and listen to concerns. The relatives have criticized the department’s 2021 deal that would allow Boeing to escape criminal charges over crashes in 2018 and 2019 that killed 346 people, if the company met certain conditions, amended its disclosure practices and paid a $243m fine. But Boeing’s most recent mishap — a midair blowout of a door plug on the fuselage of an Alaska Airlines plane in January — sparked a criminal investigation of the company’s practices and raised the possibility of ditching the DPA, which was set to expire just days after the accident. The department has until July to nix the agreement. Prosecutors aim to decide by early June to give families and Boeing enough notice of what they’re planning. A judge would still have to approve any changes to the deal. During the meeting in Washington, the families and their lawyers raised questions about the deferred-prosecution agreement and how it came about, according to several attendees who spoke at a press conference. But they said Justice Department prosecutors didn’t provide much detail. “The families were very disappointed that the Justice Department refused again and again to answer their questions,” said Paul Cassell, a former federal judge who is leading the families’ efforts to scuttle the 2021 deal. “We have no idea what the Justice Department will do, which leads us to believe they’re still in bed with Boeing and are going to be moving to dismiss the charges this summer. If they move to dismiss, we will fight that motion vigorously.” The Justice Department and Boeing declined to comment on the meeting. <br/>