A plea deal with Boeing to resolve a case related to two fatal crashes of its planes has been rejected by a U.S. judge.
Boeing had initially agreed with the US government in July to plead guilty to one count of criminal fraud, face independent monitoring and pay a $243m (£191m) fine ).
However, Judge Reed O'Connor struck down the agreement on Thursday, saying it gave the court too little power in policing surveillance.
The move comes after years of legal battles stemming from the tragedies that killed a total of 346 people.
In his ruling, Reed said previous years of government oversight of the company had “failed” and expressed concerns about requirements that parties consider race when hiring the monitor.
He also highlighted objections raised by some families of the 346 people killed on the flights, who had criticized the “sweetheart” arrangement as failing to properly hold the company accountable for the deaths.
On Thursday, attorney Erin Appelbaum, a partner at Kreindler & Kreindler, which represents 34 families who lost loved ones in the 2019 Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crash, welcomed the outcome.
“This is an excellent decision by Judge O’Connor and a significant victory for the victims’ families,” she said in a statement.
“We anticipate a meaningful renegotiation of the plea agreement that incorporates terms truly proportionate to the severity of the crimes committed by Boeing. It is time for the DOJ to end its lenient treatment of Boeing and demand real accountability. “
Boeing and the Justice Department had no immediate comment.
Both sides have 30 days to come up with a new plan.
