Boeing plea deal: US judge sets quick schedule to consider family objections

A U.S. judge on Monday set a fast schedule to consider the objections of relatives of those killed in two fatal 737 MAX crashes to the Justice Department's plea deal with Boeing. The planemaker on July 7 agreed in principle to plead guilty to a criminal fraud conspiracy charge and pay a fine of $243.6 million. U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor in Texas said after the Justice Department files the plea agreement, relatives of those killed will have a week to file objections and then the government and Boeing will have two weeks to respond. The families will then have five days to file a response. A U.S. judge on Monday set a fast schedule to consider the objections of relatives of those killed in two fatal 737 MAX crashes to the Justice Department's plea deal with Boeing (BA.N), opens new tab. The planemaker on July 7 agreed in principle to plead guilty to a criminal fraud conspiracy charge and pay a fine of $243.6 million. U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor in Texas said after the Justice Department files the plea agreement, relatives of those killed will have a week to file objections and then the government and Boeing will have two weeks to respond. The families will then have five days to file a response. O'Connor previously criticized Boeing, saying in 2023: "Boeing’s crime may properly be considered the deadliest corporate crime in U.S. history." Boeing 737 MAX crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia in 2018 and 2019 killed a total of 346 people and led to a 20-month grounding of the best-selling plane. The Justice Department said last week it hoped to file the plea agreement by July 19 but said it may need a few additional days. The department will file a factual statement supporting the government's breach determination.<br/>