Associated PressFORT WORTH, Texas — Relatives of some of the 346 people who died in two crashes involving Boeing 737 Max planes are expected in court on Friday, where their lawyers will ask a federal judge to throw out a plea agreement that the aircraft manufacturer struck with federal prosecutors.
In July, Boeing agreed to plead guilty to a single felony count of conspiracy to commit fraud in connection with winning regulatory approval of the Max. The settlement between Boeing and the Justice Department calls for Boeing — a big government contractor — to pay a fine and be placed on probation.
If the judge accepts the guilty plea, he must also approve the sentence that Boeing and prosecutors agreed upon — he can't impose different terms. It is unclear when O'Connor will decide the matter.