By David Shepardson

Summary:

– Boeing escapes criminal prosecution for 346 deaths in 737 MAX crashes.

– Judge calls non-prosecution deal insufficient for public safety accountability.

– Boeing will pay $444.5M to crash victims, plus fines for safety programs.

WASHINGTON — A U.S. judge on Thursday approved a J us tice Department request to dismiss a criminal case against Boeing , allowing the planemaker to avoid prosecution on a charge stemming from two fatal 737 MAX plane crashes that killed 346 people, but he harshly criticized the government’s decision .

Judge Reed O’Connor , of the U.S. District Court in Fort Worth, Texas, disagreed with the department that dismissing the case is in the public interest but said he had no authority to reject the

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