American judge plans to hold a criminal settlement hearing for Boeing Company (BA.US) in August, can 1.1 billion U.S. dollars end the prosecution?

US federal judge Reed O'Connor of Texas announced on Friday that a hearing will be held on August 28 on the criminal settlement agreement reached between the Department of Justice and Boeing Company. If approved, the agreement will allow the aviation giant to avoid prosecution for the two 737 MAX air disasters, but it has faced strong opposition from the families of the victims. According to the terms of the agreement, Boeing Company pleaded guilty to a criminal fraud charge last year, admitting to misleading US regulators on issues with the 737 MAX aircraft's key flight control system. In exchange, the Department of Justice agreed to lift independent oversight of Boeing Company within three years. This arrangement has sparked controversy - the two air disasters in 2018 for Lion Air and 2019 for Ethiopian Airlines collectively resulted in 346 deaths, and some families believe the agreement "does not serve the public interest" and accuse Boeing Company of not being held fully accountable. Judge O'Connor specifically noted in the hearing arrangement that he will listen to statements from all parties on whether the "rejection of charges is justified". It is worth noting that in 2023, he characterized Boeing Company's actions as "the deadliest corporate crime in US history". At this hearing, the families of the victims requested the court to reject the agreement, and if the Department of Justice insists on dropping the charges, a special prosecutor should be appointed to continue pursuing accountability. Financial arrangements show that Boeing Company will pay a total of $1.1 billion in settlement, with $243.6 million as new fines, $444.5 million going into a fund for air disaster victims, and the remaining funds used to strengthen compliance and safety systems. The Department of Justice emphasized that the vast majority of families have already received "billions of dollars" in compensation through civil litigation, but the specific compensation amounts for each family member of the victims have not been disclosed. Boeing Company maintains that the continuation of criminal charges should be determined by the executive branch, and the court has no authority to intervene. Behind this legal battle, it reflects the complex balance between corporate responsibility, judicial oversight, and the rights of the victims. As the hearing approaches, whether Boeing Company can completely escape criminal accountability will become an important indicator for global aviation safety regulation.