absurd

Computer trespass? How ridiculous. Since all documents of any importance are electronic now, one cannot whistleblow by rummaging Nixon-style through a filing cabinet of correspondence from the 60's. The whistleblower laws need revised to include immunity from reviewing electronic documentation. What a great guy for helping to save lives and prevent airline disasters, and exposing corruption at the highest levels. It is a shame however, that there are no real, independent media outlets left to defend his interests (well there's corporate shills such as this column and site, but thats not real journalism its just entertainment) If he is convicted, U.S. journalists can eventually kiss all their 'anonymous sources' goodbye, as no one will dare discuss anything to the media for fear of prosecution.

land of the free... home of the brave???

How about bring the negligent and "on the take" officials to trial and starting a collection for a solid gold plaque for Eastman for the untold lives save. Since he shared the info with the FAA, his US senators and Boeing management why arent they in jail for trading lives for dollars?

The real villan is Washington State and King County specifically. To quote a reclusive millionaire there, "It's a greedy, corrupt state." Washington State laws are set up to HIDE corruption. Tape recording anything is illegal, so whistleblowers can't do that. All legal access to company computers is reserved exclusively for the company, no matter what illegal activities the company is doing, so whistleblowers can't use that for evidence either. And Washington State judges have NEVER upheld a Malicious Prosecution judgment against any prosecutor or corporation, so forget about justice in socialist Washington State.

I admire and hope the best for Eastman, but I am afraid he is screwed. To have a life again, he will have to leave Washington State to escape the vindictive corporate shill government there.

He will never be convicted. The people on those juries will also be people who want to trust the airliners we all need to use. This was not for personal gain it was in the public interest.

All my bags are pack....

I for one will not be flying anytime soon. After reading about this whistleblower's attempts to make his company fly straight, and seeing what has happened to him, I'm thinking the Boeing Company should be broken back up, dissolving this near monopoly we now have in the aviation industry. It does not appear they can be trusted to do the right and ethical thing, in the public interest.

Posted by Joan: And Washington State judges have NEVER upheld a Malicious Prosecution judgment against any prosecutor or corporation, so forget about justice in socialist Washington State.

"Socialist" definitely out of place!

America, "Land of The Free!", only if your rich enough to pay off the legal system. While many Americans are worried of fraud and try to do the right thing, only the person who blow's the whistle is the one who get's in trouble. I have a prime example of our legal system, my husband was told this by a Mississippi Judge, "Mr. "X", if you so much as walk into a District Attornies, trying to seek justice in this matter, we will consider this a violation of your probation and you will be brought back to Mississippi and spend the next 48 years of your life in our prison system!" Is this justice, NO, and from the times of Al Capone back and in today's times money runs the system. So if you wish to be a whistle blower, you better have the money to pay the corrupt system off or YOU get procecuted, not the company or people who do the crime.

Idiot republicans always claim that anything for the public good and against monopolies is socialistic.

Meanwhile politicians and big business (like Boeing) work together to control and profit off of everyone else. Socialism is exploiting a population while using the excuse of public good:

Socialism is inseparably interwoven with totalitarianism and the object worship of the state. It will prescribe for every one where they are to work, what they are to work at, where they may go and what they may say. Socialism is an attack on the right to breathe freely. No socialist system can be established without a political police. They would have to fall back on some form of Gestapo, no doubt very humanely directed in the first instance.

-Winston Churchill