“June Trial Scheduled for Boeing Felony Case Involving 737 Max Issues”
A federal judge in Texas has set a trial date in June for the U.S. government’s longstanding conspiracy case against Boeing. This case alleges that Boeing misled regulators about the 737 Max jetliner, which later experienced two fatal crashes, resulting in the loss of 346 lives. U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor issued a scheduling order on Tuesday, marking the trial date without providing an explanation for his decision. The aerospace company and the Justice Department have been in negotiations for months, attempting to revise a plea agreement from July 2024 where Boeing would have pleaded guilty to a single felony charge. However, the judge rejected this agreement in December, citing concerns about the selection of a monitor based on diversity, inclusion, and equity policies within the Justice Department. O’Connor granted multiple extensions for the two parties to report on their plans but ultimately revoked the remaining time in his recent order. A trial is now set for June 23, with a procedural timeline outlined in the judge’s order. Boeing declined to comment on the judge’s decision. The failed plea agreement aimed to prevent a criminal trial by having Boeing admit to conspiring to mislead Federal Aviation Administration regulators about pilot-training requirements for the 737 Max. The crashes in 2018 and 2019 prompted intense scrutiny on the safety practices surrounding Boeing’s popular airliner. The victims’ families have been advocating for accountability, seeking a public trial for former Boeing officials and stricter penalties for the company. Prosecutors defended the plea deal, stating that they lacked evidence to directly link Boeing’s actions to the crashes. Judge O’Connor, while not objecting to the proposed sentence, criticized the selection process for an external monitor, raising concerns about the consideration of race in the selection. He emphasized the importance of competency in this critical case and questioned the impact of diversity initiatives on the oversight process.
Implementing diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives throughout the federal government could likely address the judge’s concerns effectively. Boeing reached a plea agreement only after the Justice Department discovered last year that the company had breached a 2021 agreement safeguarding it from criminal prosecution for the same fraud-conspiracy offense. Government officials reevaluated the case following an incident in January 2024 when a door plug panel detached from an Alaska Airlines 737 Max mid-flight. This event reignited worries about manufacturing standards and safety at Boeing, prompting heightened scrutiny from regulators and legislators. Boeing’s legal team indicated last year that if the plea deal was not approved, the company would contest the Justice Department’s determination of the breach in the prior agreement. Judge O’Connor supported Boeing’s stance by stating in his December ruling that it was unclear how the company had violated the 2021 accord.
