US appeals court denies bid from families of Boeing 737 Max crash victims to reopen criminal case - AP News

A U.S. appeals court has rejected a request from families of Boeing 737 Max crash victims to reopen a criminal case against the aircraft manufacturer. The families sought to overturn or revisit a settlement Boeing reached with the Justice Department, arguing they deserved greater involvement in the legal proceedings. The decision closes what appeared to be the families' last major avenue for challenging the criminal resolution of the crashes, which killed 346 people across two accidents in 2018 and 2019. Boeing pleaded guilty to criminal fraud in 2020 and agreed to a deferred prosecution agreement, but the families argued the settlement did not adequately hold the company accountable. The ruling leaves Boeing's criminal case substantially resolved, though the company continues to face civil lawsuits and regulatory scrutiny.