A federal judge has rejected an effort by families of passengers who died in Boeing 737 Max crashes to reopen an agreement that allowed Boeing to avoid prosecution for fraud in how it won regulatory approval for the plane.
District Judge Reed O'Connor in Fort Worth said that he has sympathy for families of the 346 people who died in two Max crashes, but that federal law doesn't give courts the power to oversee agreements that prosecutors make with defendants.
The court, O'Connor wrote in a decision dated Thursday, "has no occasion to address whether the (settlement) is in fact grossly incommensurate with Boeing's egregious criminal conduct."
The ruling appears to end an effort by family members of some passengers to nullify a January 2021 agreement that Boeing struck with the Justice Department. Boeing agreed to pay a US$244 million fine as part of a US$2.5 billion settlement in which the government agreed not to prosecute Boeing on a felony fraud charge for misleading U.S. regulators who approved the Max.
Paul Cassell, a lawyer for the families, said they plan to appeal the ruling to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
"Boeing and DOJ crafted an illegal and secret plea deal without any chance for the families to confer about it, which is required by the Crime Victims Rights Act," Cassell said in a prepared statement. "We are optimistic our appeal will vindicate the families' rights in this case and ensure that never again are deals like this one reached secretly and without victim involvement."
Boeing did not immediately comment.
O'Connor ruled in October that the families met the definition of crime victims and the Justice Department should have told them about the negotiations. That led to his decision to order Boeing to stand for arraignment.
The Justice Department, like Boeing, felt that the judge should not reopen the settlement.
At the Jan. 26 hearing, Boeing pleaded not guilty to fraud, and more than a dozen family members gave emotional testimony about their grief and outrage at Boeing's actions. Some called for Boeing executives to be prosecuted.
Boeing was charged with misleading the Federal Aviation Administration about a key flight-control system on the Max that was implicated in a 2018 crash in Indonesia and a 2019 crash in Ethiopia. Boeing cast blame on two former test pilots, but critics said the low-level employees were scapegoats for corporate wrongdoing.
Sales of the Max stopped after the crashes and a worldwide grounding. Orders have rebounded more recently, however, and the Max is Boeing's best-selling plane. The company announced last month that it will open a fourth Max assembly line late next year because of strong demand.
A British Columbia First Nation says at least 55 children died or disappeared while attending a residential school near Williams Lake, more than triple the number recorded for the institution in the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation memorial register.
A vehicle fleeing a Philadelphia hospital after dropping off a gunshot victim early Saturday struck three nurses who were trying to treat the patient, injuring one critically, authorities said.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will face mounting pressure from his caucus this week to step down from the leadership of the Liberal party.
Two young men are facing second-degree murder charges in connection with the fatal fire in Old Montreal that killed L茅onor Geraudie, 43, and her daughter V茅rane Reynaud-Geraudie on Oct. 4.
A woman from Montreal's South Shore appeared in court on Friday on charges of aggravated assault after allegedly scalding a 10-year-old boy with boiling water more than one week ago.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has issued a recall for Rana brand Tagliatelle Seasoned White Chicken and Mushroom sauce, citing possible Listeria contamination.
A Montreal study found that many seniors are being overprescribed inappropriate medications.
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Liberal cabinet minister Steven Guilbeault says the Liberals will not be 'held hostage' by the Bloc Quebecois' demand to expand Old Age Security to more seniors.
Two young men are facing second-degree murder charges in connection with the fatal fire in Old Montreal that killed L茅onor Geraudie, 43, and her daughter V茅rane Reynaud-Geraudie on Oct. 4.
A multiple vehicle collision took place Saturday morning on Hwy. 101 in Nova Scotia.
A British Columbia First Nation says at least 55 children died or disappeared while attending a residential school near Williams Lake, more than triple the number recorded for the institution in the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation memorial register.
More than a month after the murder of Nova Scotia woman Esther Jones, her family continues to grapple with the loss.
A theft suspect who ran into traffic in an attempt to escape Victoria police Friday afternoon was struck by a civilian vehicle and taken to hospital, police say.
Border guards in Montreal intercepted millions of amphetamine tablets concealed in hundreds of PVC panels inside a container from China.
Alex Salmond, the former first minister of Scotland who for decades championed Scotland's independence from the U.K., has died. He was 69.
Criminalizing marital rape would be 'excessively harsh,' the Indian government has said, in a blow to campaigners ahead of a long-awaited Supreme Court decision that will affect hundreds of millions of people in India for generations.
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump promises the biggest deportation event the U.S. has ever seen if he is elected 鈥 a promise he has predicated, in part, on the notion that immigrants in the U.S. legally and illegally are stealing what he calls 'Black jobs' and 'Hispanic jobs.'
The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Saturday accused South Korea of deliberately avoiding responsibility for the alleged flights of South Korean drones over the North鈥檚 capital, and warned of a 'terrible calamity' if they continue.
A vehicle fleeing a Philadelphia hospital after dropping off a gunshot victim early Saturday struck three nurses who were trying to treat the patient, injuring one critically, authorities said.
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris is in 'excellent health' and 'possesses the physical and mental resiliency' required to serve as president, her doctor said in a letter released Saturday that summarizes her medical history and status.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will face mounting pressure from his caucus this week to step down from the leadership of the Liberal party.
Amid escalating violence in the Middle East, a majority of surveyed Canadians say they don't believe the costs associated with Canadians fleeing the region should be funded solely by the government.
Liberal cabinet minister Steven Guilbeault says the Liberals will not be 'held hostage' by the Bloc Quebecois' demand to expand Old Age Security to more seniors.
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The northern lights could be visible across most of Canada this week.
TikTok was aware that its design features are detrimental to its young users and that publicly touted tools aimed at limiting kids鈥 time on the site were largely ineffective, according to internal documents and communications exposed in a lawsuit filed by the state of Kentucky.
Another in a series of unusually strong solar storms hitting Earth produced stunning skies full of pinks, purples, greens and blues farther south than normal, including into parts of Germany, the United Kingdom, New England and New York City.
A federal appeals court judge has ruled to keep Sean 'Diddy' Combs locked up while he makes a third bid for bail in his sex trafficking case, which is slated to go to trial in May.
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Several hundred "underperforming" 7-Eleven locations across North America are closing, the convenience store announced.
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This weekend marks the fifth anniversary of a large blizzard that paralyzed Manitoba.
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Here is a look at what鈥檚 open, what鈥檚 closed, and what鈥檚 on in the GTA during Thanksgiving weekend 2024:
Calgary Public Library (CPL) locations closed early on Friday following a cyber attack.
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CTVNewsOttawa.ca looks at what's open and closed in Ottawa over the Thanksgiving weekend.
Two young men are facing second-degree murder charges in connection with the fatal fire in Old Montreal that killed L茅onor Geraudie, 43, and her daughter V茅rane Reynaud-Geraudie on Oct. 4.
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The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has issued a recall for Rana brand Tagliatelle Seasoned White Chicken and Mushroom sauce, citing possible Listeria contamination.
It鈥檚 time for someone else to carry the torch for the Marathon of Hope (MOH).
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A theft suspect who ran into traffic in an attempt to escape Victoria police Friday afternoon was struck by a civilian vehicle and taken to hospital, police say.
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The Interfaith Food Bank is busy preparing Thanksgiving bundles and has some tips for anyone hoping to cut down on their holiday dinner costs.
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He may not have logged the fastest time or even gone the full distance, but residents of a Newfoundland town agree the goat who unexpectedly joined the local weekend half marathon was the event's undisputed champion.
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