WASHINGTON, D.C.: Boeing is now heading to trial this summer, after a U.S. judge unexpectedly set a date in the criminal fraud case tied to the company's handling of its 737 MAX aircraft.

The move comes amid ongoing criticism over a prior plea deal that victim families have strongly opposed.

U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor scheduled the trial for June 23 in Fort Worth, Texas, advancing the Department of Justice's case that accuses Boeing of conspiracy to commit criminal fraud. The charges stem from allegations that the aerospace giant misled U.S. regulators about flight control software on the 737 MAX, which was involved in two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019 that killed 346 people.

Last year, Boeing agreed to plead guilty and pay a fine of up to $487.2 million. However, Judge O'Connor rejected the deal, criticizing a diversity and inclusion provision, and gave Boeing and the DOJ until April 11 to revise the agreement. That deadline has now been swept aside with the new trial date.

In 2023, O'Connor said, "Boeing's crime may properly be considered the deadliest corporate crime in U.S. history."

The Wall Street Journal reported that Boeing may try to withdraw from the plea agreement entirely. The judge has not explained his reasons for the sudden scheduling of the trial or for bypassing the earlier deadline.

Boeing stated that it is still engaged in "good faith discussions" with the DOJ to resolve the case. The Justice Department declined to comment.

Under the earlier proposed plea deal, Boeing would have been placed under three years of probation, agreed to an independent compliance monitor, and committed $455 million to safety improvements.

Victims' families have continued to call for a full prosecution, calling the initial deal a "sweetheart" arrangement that failed to hold Boeing fully accountable.

Erin Applebaum, attorney for 34 families of victims of the 2019 Ethiopian Airlines crash, said: "The families deserve their day in court, and this opportunity for justice must not be squandered."

A conviction would label Boeing a felon for misleading the FAA about software on the MAX. The DOJ decided to pursue charges after determining in May that Boeing had violated a 2021 settlement. That decision was further reinforced by a January 2024 door panel blowout on an Alaska Airlines jet.

"We need to be tougher on Boeing. We need to be tougher on the industry," said Deputy Transportation Secretary Steve Bradbury.