He was the flight attendant who became a household name when he launched the emergency chute, grabbed a few beers, made an announcement, and left the plane.
On Tuesday, Steven Slater will face a judge.
Slater is facing felony charges of reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, and criminal trespass, all related to his dramatic departure from the plane. He could be sentenced to seven years in prison if convicted on all charges.
Slater has plead not guilty.
His previous lawyer blamed the problems as having started with a head injury that Slater incurred before take-off. During boarding he had been assisting a passenger when either a bag or the overhead door had hit him in the head. That incident was reportedly followed by a woman cursing at him and slamming a door into his head. The lawyer says the woman and Slater had many more altercations during the flight. Having had enough once the flight landed, Slater grabbed the beers and left the plane.
Some passengers have given statements that say Slater initiated the confrontations. He and his former lawyer deny the allegations.
After the incident, Slater was suspended from his job by Jet Blue while an internal investigation was conducted. Last week Jet Blue said Slater no longer worked for the company. Slater’s current attorney, Daniel J. Horwitz, said that his client has resigned from Jet Blue.
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