Steven Slater, the former Jet Blue flight attendant who cursed a passenger over the plane’s public address system, deployed the plane’s emergency evacuation slide, and used it to dramatically exit a flight at JFK airport in August, plead guilty to two criminal counts stemming from his in-flight meltdown.
Slater plead guilty to second-degree attempted criminal mischief, a felony, and fourth-degree attempted criminal mischief, a misdemeanor. According to terms of his plea deal, Slater must enter a year-long mental health program, take all assigned meds and not get arrested while in the program.
If Slater does not comply with the terms of the agreement, he could receive between one and three years in jail. If he completes the counseling, the felony will be vacated, leaving just a misdemeanor on his record.
Slater must also pay a $10,000 fine to Jet Blue to reimburse the airline for damages related to the deployment of the emergency slide.
“I want to thank everyone for their support and kindness that got me through to this day,” Slater said after the hearing. “The public interest in this was surprising, unexpected and encouraging. At the end of the day, I am a grown adult and must accept responsibility for my actions. Therefore, I am looking forward to moving forward with my life and I’m very grateful to the court for making these arrangements which allow me to do so.”
Check out photos and videos from the incident HERE: