Feature
Jet Blue Flight Attendant Gets Probation and Fine By Teresa Cajot Just about everyone has had the urge to walk out on a job at some point in time so when JetBlue flight attendant, Steven Slater, grabbed a few beers and exited an airplane via the emergency evacuation slide in August of 2010, he earned praise from countless individuals who sympathized with his plight. However, JetBlue and the courts did not share the sentiment.
On Wednesday, the former flight attendant completed a courtmandated treatment program through the Queens Mental Health Court and was sentenced to one year of probation for misdemeanor attempted criminal mischief. He was further ordered to pay $10,000 in restitution to JetBlue, which will be paid in monthly increments of $831.25. According to Queens District Attorney Richard Brown, the cost of fixing the slide came in at $25,000 and caused a number of issues, including flight delays due to the required grounding of the plane during repairs. Slater initially faced jail time for felony charges of reckless endangerment and criminal mischief but reached a plea deal with the Queens Supreme Court in 2010. He admitted to deploying the emergency chute on Flight 1052 at John F. Kennedy International Airport after an inconsiderate passenger berated him over a luggage issue. He went on the public address system, chastised the rude passenger and slid down the emergency chute with a beer in hand. Upon hitting the tarmac, he ran into the terminal and drove home, where he was arrested shortly thereafter.
PAGE
“That was one moment that was not indicative of who I am,” said Slater who plans to move to California where he will continue to work on a memoir about his 20 years in the airline industry. Through this project, he hopes to draw attention to the compensation, or lack thereof, offered to overworked flight attendants in the post 9/11 setting. According to Slater, he was under tremendous pressure at the time of the incident. He was trying to cope with the fact that his father had recently died, while also dealing with his own health issues and those of his terminally ill mother. He acknowledges that he has “been a divisive character in the airline industry” but points out that “95 percent of the crews are behind” him. “I was the one person who had a bad day and perhaps acted inappropriately, but I think it resonated with other people,” said Slater. Immediately following his stunt, Slater was suspended by the airline and ultimately decided to resign.
www.lawcrossing.com