Judge rejects bid to nullify Boeing deal over Max crashes

By DAVID KOENIG
AP Airlines Writer

DALLAS (AP) — A federal judge is rejecting a move to consider criminal prosecution for Boeing over the 737 Max jet. The judge says courts don’t have the power to overturn agreements that federal prosecutors make with criminal defendants. Judge Reed O’Connor in Fort Worth, Texas, declined to re-open a settlement that Boeing made with the Justice Department two years ago, after two Max crashes killed 346 people. Boeing paid $2.5 billion, and the government agreed not to prosecute the company on a felony fraud charge. Families of some of the passengers who died asked the Texas court to throw out Boeing’s immunity so that the company and top executives could be prosecuted.