Boeing escapes criminal charges for fatal Max 8 crashes as judge reluctantly signs off on non-prosecution deal | CBC News

"However, Judge Reed O'Connor, of the U.S. District Court in Fort Worth, Texas, said he disagreed with the Justice Department that dismissing the case is in the public interest but said he did not have authority to reject the decision. He added the government's deal with Boeing "fails to secure the necessary accountability to ensure the safety of the flying public.""

"In September, O'Connor held a three-hour hearing to consider objections to the deal, questioning the government's decision to drop a requirement that Boeing face oversight from an independent monitor for three years and instead hire a compliance consultant. He heard anguished objections from relatives of some of those killed in the crashes in Indonesia in 2018 and Ethiopia in 2019 to the non-prosecution agreement."

"Ahead of that hearing, Toronto native Chris Moore in a statement characterized the non-prosecution as a "ludicrous plea bargain." Moore's adult daughter Danielle was among 18 Canadian citizens and 149 passengers killed when the Max 8 plane bound for Nairobi crashed shortly following takeoff from the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa in January 2019. Moore said the deal shielded "the rich and powerful at the expense of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for the people.""

Judge Reed O'Connor approved the Justice Department's request to dismiss a criminal case against Boeing stemming from two 737 MAX plane crashes that killed 346 people, including 18 Canadians. O'Connor said he disagreed that dismissal served the public interest but said he lacked authority to block the decision and stated the government's deal with Boeing fails to secure necessary accountability to ensure flying public safety. The judge questioned dropping independent-monitor oversight in favor of a compliance consultant during hearings. Relatives of crash victims objected to the non-prosecution agreement. Toronto native Chris Moore called the deal a ludicrous plea bargain after his daughter died in the Ethiopian crash.

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