US judge sets June 23 trial date over Boeing crashes

by Daniel AVIS

A US federal judge on Tuesday set a trial date of June 23 in the Justice Department's criminal case against aircraft manufacturer Boeing over two deadly 737 MAX crashes in 2018 and 2019.

In two court filings in Texas, Judge Reed O'Connor said he was vacating an April 11 deadline for Boeing and prosecutors to announce progress on a plea deal, and moving ahead with the trial over the two crashes, in which altogether 346 people died.

After the accidents, all 737 MAXs were grounded for 20 months worldwide. Boeing admitted in April 2019 that its Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) -- an anti-stall software -- had been partly to blame.

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In a statement Tuesday, Boeing said it was still engaged in "good faith discussions" with the Justice Department regarding an "appropriate" resolution of the matter.

Despite Tuesday's decision, the company could still in theory reach agreement with the prosecution on a new guilty plea, which would spare it the reputational damage that would likely be associated with a public criminal trial.

The Justice Department declined to comment on the case.

"I am so happy that Judge O'Connor of Texas... has put an end to the delaying tactics of Boeing and the Department of Justice," said Catherine Berthet, whose daughter Camille died in one of the crashes.

"Finally (there is) going to be a trial," Berthet told AFP.

- 'A trial is necessary' -

Boeing agreed last July to plead guilty to fraud after the Justice Department found the company failed to improve its compliance and ethics program, in breach of a 2021 deferred prosecution agreement following the two MAX crashes.

That deal had been approved to address the disasters in Ethiopia and Indonesia.

But in December, a judge in Texas rejected the 2024 settlement over apparent flaws in the selection process for a monitor to ensure Boeing's compliance, sending the company and the government back to continue discussions.

The Wall Street Journal reported this week that Boeing was looking to overturn the plea deal related to the 737 MAX crashes, in the hope that the administration of Donald Trump would show it more leniency.

"Allowing Boeing to rescind its plea agreement, or lightening the company's punishment, would mark one of the most prominent examples of the Trump administration's lighter-touch approach to some white-collar enforcement," the Journal said.

It was not immediately clear why O'Connor decided to cancel the April 11 deadline for the plea deal and move directly to trial.

"For years we have been fighting, and I am fighting, on behalf of the victims and my daughter Camille, for truth and justice," said Berthet.

"A trial is necessary to bring this truth to light."