"A US judge in Texas ruled Friday that people killed in two "accidents" with Boeing 737 MAX are legally considered "victims of crime", he says Reuters, "a characterization that will determine what remedies should be imposed."
In December, some relatives of the crash victims complained that the US Justice Department violated their legal rights when it struck a deal to delay prosecution until January 2021 with the manufacturer (Boeing) for two crashes that killed 346 people.
The families argued the government "lied and violated their rights through a secret settlement" and asked U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor to vacate Boeing's immunity from criminal prosecution – which was part of a $2,5 billion deal – but also to order the manufacturing company to be prosecuted for a felony.
O'Connor ruled Friday that “if it hadn't been for Boeing's criminal conspiracy to defraud the Federal Aviation Administration, 346 people would not have died in the crashes.
Paul Cassell, an attorney for the families, said the ruling "is a tremendous victory" and "sets the stage for a critical hearing where we will present proposed remedies that will allow the prosecution to hold Boeing fully responsible."
Boeing said nothing about the above.
