US judge rejects 737 MAX accord in which Boeing pleaded guilty

The Boeing production assembly line at Everett, Seattle, Washington. Photo / Brett Phibbs

A federal court has rejected a US criminal settlement with Boeing related to the 737 MAX crashes on Thursday, sharply criticising the Justice Department’s criteria for selecting a monitor.

In a ruling that blocked Boeing’s guilty plea under the deferred prosecution agreement, US District Judge Reed O’Connor concluded the Department of Justice could take diversity into account when selecting the monitor tasked with overseeing Boeing’s safety efforts, putting the public interest at risk.

Last month, Boeing said it delivered 14 aircraft in October, but production would likely take several weeks to return to normal after a worker strike hit operations at two major assembly plants.

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