Families of victims who died in Boeing 737 Max crashes urged a judge to reject the airline company's efforts to avoid prosecution.
The families carried photographs of their loved ones into court on Wednesday as they talked about their grief. Some of the victims' relatives, numbering 346, saw the hearing as their last chance to demand a public trial for Boeing.
Families of Victims Against Boeing
The situation comes as U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor is contemplating whether or not to approve the federal government's motion to dismiss its criminal case against Boeing. After hearing from the relatives and attorneys for both the Justice Department and Boeing on Wednesday, he said that he would issue a decision at a later date.
In exchange for dismissing the case, the airline company said it is willing to pay or invest roughly $1.1 billion in fines, compensation for the crash victims' families, and internal safety and quality measures, according to the Associated Press.
However, a relative of 24-year-old Danielle Moore, David Moore, asked, "What part of this screams justice?" His sister was among the 157 passengers and crew members who lost their lives in the Ethiopian plane crash.
Boeing is currently being charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States government after allegedly misleading Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulators about a flight-control system tied to the tragic incidents.
The families of the victims, and their lawyer, Paul Cassell, told the judge that the new non-prosecution agreement (NPA) violates the judicial review provisions of the federal rules by preemptively agreeing not to prosecute Boeing before O'Connor has ruled on the previous NPA motion to dismiss the case, Clifford Law reported.
Talking About Their Grief
Family members of the victims came from all around the world to attend the hearing, with some traveling from France, Ireland, and Canada. They are found to be crime victims under the federal Crime Victims' Rights Act.
The mother of 24-year-old Samya Stumo, Nadia Milleron, said that her daughter died on a new airplane that was defective but was still in operation despite not complying with regulations. She said that she does not want another family to lose their loved ones because of this kind of fraud.
The latest hearing comes four years after the DOJ reached a $2.5 billion settlement with Boeing that mandates the airline company to strengthen its ethics and legal compliance programs. Previously, Boeing agreed to plead guilty as part of a different agreement if it avoided a public trial, as per KCRA.
