The Globe and Mail reports in its Friday edition that a federal judge on Thursday rejected a deal that would have allowed Boeing to plead guilty to a felony conspiracy charge and pay a fine for misleading U.S. regulators about the 737 Max jetliner before two of the planes crashed, killing 346 people. An Associated Press dispatch to The Globe quotes U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor in Texas saying that diversity, inclusion and equity or DEI policies in the government and at Boeing could result in race being a factor in picking an official to oversee Boeing's compliance with the plea agreement. The ruling creates uncertainty around the criminal prosecution of the aerospace giant in connection with the development of its best-selling jetliner. The judge gave Boeing and the Justice Department 30 days to tell him how they plan to proceed. They could negotiate a new plea agreement, or prosecutors could move to put the company on trial. Paul Cassell, a lawyer for families of passengers who died in the crashes, called the ruling an important victory for the rights of crime victims. "No longer can federal prosecutors and high-powered defence attorneys craft backroom deals and just expect judges to approve them," Mr. Cassell said.