THE PEOPLE V. SINGER

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JAG OFFICES

The Admiral was sitting at his desk reviewing the Singer case file.  He was going to prosecute this one himself with Bud as co-counsel.  Singer had obtained outside counsel.  The smartest thing she had ever done.  No one at JAG would have wanted to defend her.  He gathered the files and went to the conference room.

"Good morning." He said to his staff. "This will be quick.  Since the majority of us will be in and out of court today, I suggest we get a move on. Any questions?"

"Yes Sir, what order will we be testifying?" Mac asked.

"First you, then Cmdr. Rabb, Lt. Sims and then Tiner." The Admiral replied.  "After that I will bring in Lt. Aaronson from Bethesda."

"Sir, how long is this going to be?" Lt. Sims asked.

"Our side should not be more than a day or two. I don't know how long her lawyers will take with each of you. Their witness list is practically non existent." The Admiral replied. "I will see you all there at 0900.  Dismissed. Lts. Roberts and Sims, please remain."

"Aye sir." The replied as the rest of the group left.

"Are you both ready for this? I realize bringing up Baby Sarah will not be easy.  If at anytime you feel overwhelmed just say the word." The Admiral stated.

"Sir, I understand the need to bring up the incident in the court room.  We can handle it." Bud replied.

"Harriet?" The Admiral questioned.

"Yes sir, I can do this." Harriet said.

"Ok, but at anytime you just say the word." The Admiral said with concern.

"Understood Sir." Harriet said with a smile.

THE COURTROOM

Mac, Harm, Harriet, Bud and Tiner were assembled in the gallery.  The Admiral was at the prosecution table laying out his note.  Loren Singer walked into the courtroom and took a seat at the defense table with her lawyer.  She didn't even look at her former colleagues.

"This should be interesting." Harm whispered to Mac.

"I wonder how she actually found someone to defend her." Mac replied.

"Probably the law firm of "Wedoit and Howe." Harm said with a slight laugh.

Judge Sebring walked to the bench and took his seat. "Come to order and be seated. Pretrial motions?"

"Yes your honor.  My name is Carl Lines for the defense. We have entered a motion for you to excuse yourself." Lines stated.

"On what grounds? Mr. Lines." Sebring asked.

"Your honor, upon reviewing the basics for this case, I found that you were defended by one of the prosecution witnesses and also have a personal friendship with Admiral Chegwidden." Lines stated.

"Mr. Lines, part of being a judge is knowing how to be impartial.  My personal opinions will not be a factor in this case." Sebring replied. "Your motion is denied. Is there anything else?" Sebring asked.

"No, Sir." Lines answered he then turned to Singer, "Well at least we have grounds for appeal if needed."

"I'll hear opening arguments." Sebring said. "Admiral Chegwidden."

"Thank you.  We plan to prove that Loren Singer abused her position at JAG.  She tapped into the computer systems accessing personal information, provided erroneous information to the Secretary of the Navy in an attempt to discredit her co-workers and on more than one occasion displayed conduct unbecoming an officer." The Admiral stated.

"Mr. Lines?"

"Your honor, we reserve the right to make our opening at the time we begin our defense." Lines replied.

"Very well. Admiral Chegwidden, call your first witness." Sebring stated.

MAC TESTIFIES

"The prosecution calls Lt. Colonel Sarah MacKenzie." The Admiral said.  Mac was sworn in and the questioning began.

"Colonel MacKenzie, please tell us your dealings with Loren Singer." The Admiral asked.

"She proved to be ambitious regardless of the consequences." Mac stated.

"In what way." The Admiral asked.

"Sir, her goal was to win every case she had without relevance to facts or situations." Mac replied. "Loren Singer would use any means possible legal or illegal to obtain her objective."

"Objection your honor, does the Colonel have any proof of illegal actions?" Lines stated.

"Sustained. Colonel, please refrain from stating opinions." Sebring admonished.

"Colonel please tell the court about the incident regarding a copy of a report that was left in your car." The Admiral asked.

"Yes Sir, I was prosecuting a case of involuntary manslaughter.  Lt. Singer and Lt. Roberts were defending.  I had already instructed Gunnery Sergeant Galindez to investigate if the Lieutenant being charged had been drinking.  After a day in court I returned to my car to find the confidential report B on the car seat. Not realizing what it was I opened the report.  I saw that my suspicions were confirmed but did not read any further into the report once I was aware of what I had been left." Mac stated.

"Objection your honor, this is all very interesting, but what does this have to do with my client?" Lines asked.

"Your honor, with a little latitude, the relevance will be understood." The Admiral said.

"Denied Mr. Lines." Sebring said.

"Colonel what did you do next." The Admiral asked.

"I went to Commander Rabb and asked his opinion on how I should handle the situation Sir." Mac replied.

"What was decided?" The Admiral asked.

"Since I already had suspicions of what was in the report, we agreed that there was nothing wrong and destroyed the report." Mac said.

"You honor, I would like to restate my objection." Lines said.

"Mr. Lines, your request is denied.  Wrap this up Admiral." Sebring said.

"Colonel MacKenzie, please tell us what happened in court."

"I presented my evidence and Lt. Singer objected and called for a side bar.  She stated that I had unlawful information.  The only way she could have known I had seen the report was if she had left it for me.  I was the only one who knew about this and Commander Rabb." Mac said.

"Thank you Colonel MacKenzie, no further questions your honor." The Admiral said.

"Your witness Mr. Lines." Sebring announced.

"Colonel MacKenzie, do you have any concrete proof that Lt. Singer put this report in your car?" Lines asked.

"No I don't." Mac replied.

"Do you normally go to Commander Rabb with problems and not your commanding officer?" Lines asked.

"Commander Rabb and I have been partners for some time now and often seek each other's advice." Mac replied.

"Yes partners.  That's a lovely engagement ring Colonel.  Just how much partnering do you and the commander engage in?" Lines asked.

"Objection your honor, what does the Colonel's engagement ring have to do with anything." The Admiral asked.

"Sustained. Keep your questions relevant Mr. Lines." Sebring stated.

"Yes your honor. Colonel MacKenzie, you don't like Lt. Singer do you?" Lines asked.

"No Sir, I don't particularly care for her." Mac replied.

"So you would say anything to get even with her?" Lines asked.

"Get even with her? I don't have any thing against Lt. Singer.  I just find her actions and attitude less than professional." Mac said.

"And caring on a romance with a co-worker is professional?" Lines shot back.

"Objection your honor, the relationship between Colonel MacKenzie and Commander Rabb has no relevance to this case." The Admiral stated.

"Your honor, while there is a relationship between the Colonel and the Commander, I was speaking of her relationship with Colonel Farrow." Lines stated.

"Objection your honor, any past actions of Colonel MacKenzie have no relevance to the situation." The Admiral said.

"Goes to credibility of the witness your honor." Lines said.

"Sustained. Mr. Lines, I suggest you move along." Sebring commanded.

"No further questions your honor." Lines said.

"Very well we will break for 10 minutes and then you may call your next witness." Sebring said.

THE HALLWAY

"I'm sorry Sir." Mac said.

"Colonel, you did fine.  He was grasping at straws. Rabb are you ready?" The Admiral stated.
"Yes Sir I am." Harm replied. "Would you excuse us for a moment?" Harm said taking Mac by the arm and they walked away.

"Mac you ok?" Harm asked.

"Fine, I didn't expect him to bring up Farrow." Mac said.

"It's in the past. At least Sebring cut him off." Harm said.

"Before he could talk about Chris or Mic for that matter." Mac said.

"Mac, that's the past.  We're looking to the future remember?" Harm said with a smile.  They were called back into court before Mac could reply.

THE COURTROOM

HARM TESTIFIES

"The people call Commander Harmon Rabb, Jr. to the stand." The Admiral said.

Harm was sworn in and the questioning began.

"Commander Rabb please tell the court your conversations with Lt. Singer." The Admiral stated.

"Sir on more than one occasion she has directly stated and implied that she wanted to be the first female Judge Advocate General under no uncertain terms." Harm said.

"Did you have the opportunity to work with Lt. Singer on any occasions?" The Admiral asked.

"Yes Sir, I did." Harm replied.

"And what can you tell us regarding your working together." The Admiral asked.

"I found her to be competent at times, however, she refused advice and at times took matters into her own hands regardless of the strategies and pre-determined game plans." Harm said.

"Commander Rabb, you stated in my office that you believed Lt. Singer had accessed your e-mails.  What brought you to this conclusion?" The Admiral asked.

"Sir, several weeks ago, Lt. Roberts, Commander Turner and myself had been e-mailing a song parody to each other.  Do to the sensitive nature of the situation; we were the only three who knew about it.  The SecNav found out about the song, not just that it was being done but actual words.  They only way that could have been done was if someone had seen our e-mails." Harm stated.

"Objection your honor.  How does this prove it was my client?" Lines demanded.

"Your honor the people are getting ready to answer that." The Admiral quickly responded.

"Get there fast Admiral, overruled." Sebring said.

"Commander Rabb, what lead you to believe it was Lt. Singer?" The Admiral asked.

"Sir, I wasn't sure until I saw Petty Officer Tiner's information. However, Colonel MacKenzie and I send each other e-mails regarding where we were going to have dinner one night.  We told no one, Lt. Singer showed up at the restaurant." Harm said.

"Isn't is possible that she was having dinner there too?" The Admiral asked.

"Possible but not likely Sir, this was an out of the way restaurant." Harm replied.

"Objection your honor. Is the Commander now an expert on my clients eating habits?" Lines questions.

"Sustained." Sebring said.

"Commander Rabb, please tell us what happened at the restaurant." The Admiral stated.

"Sir, the Colonel and I staged a public break up.  The SecNav was made aware of this right away. No one knew about it except for Lt. Singer. She witnessed it." Harm said.

"Objection your honor.  This proves that my client saw a breakup, nothing more." Lines protested.

"Your honor, it goes to show how the SecNav was advised of the situation." The Admiral said.

"Your objection is sustained, regarding the computer tapping, however I will allow the information to the SecNav remain." Sebring said.

"Commander would you consider Lt. Singer a good officer?" The Admiral asked.

"Objection your honor.  Commander Rabb was not Lt. Singer's Commanding Officer and has no right to venture an opinion." Lines stated.

"Your honor, Commander Rabb is a senior officer and a career navy man.  I think his opinion counts for a lot." The Admiral stated.

"Overruled Mr. Lines. Answer the question Commander Rabb." Sebring stated.

"No, I don't feel she was a good officer.  A good officer knows how to lead and looks to the good of the service.  Lt. Singer only looked out for herself." Harm said.

"Thank you, no further questions." The Admiral said.

"Any questions Mr. Lines?" Sebring asked.

"Thank you Sir. Commander Rabb what was the e-mail you and Commander Turner and Lt. Roberts were sending to each other?" Lines asked.

"Objection goes to relevance." The Admiral stated.

"Your honor, I think we all have a right to know what goes on in the JAG offices." Lines stated.

"Overruled, I agree. Answer the question Commander." Sebring said.

"We, Cmdr. Turner, Lt. Roberts and I, decided to write an apology song to our significant others. So we did a parody of "Buttercup." Harm mumbled.

"Excuse me Commander what did you say?" Sebring asked.

"I said we wrote a parody to the song "Buttercup." Harm replied. Sebring rolled his eyes and hid his amusement.

"And did you perform this song?" Lines asked.

"Yes we did." Harm replied knowing what was coming next.

"Where?" Lines asked.

"McMurphy's Tavern." Harm replied.

"And were you in costumes?" Lines asked.

"Objection your honor. Relevance?" The Admiral demanded.

"Your honor, my client has been charged with conduct unbecoming an officer.  I would like to show how other officers act."

"Overruled." Sebring said.

"Commander Rabb, I repeat were you wearing costumes?" Lines asked.

"Yes we were." Harm stated.

"And what were those costumes?" Lines asked.

"We were dressed up as 70's disco women." Harm said turning a bit red. This time Sebring couldn't hide his smile.

"Interesting, and you are all career Naval Officers." Lines stated not asking a question.

"Objection!" The Admiral yelled.

"Withdrawn." Lines said.  "Commander Rabb, did you ever threaten Lt. Singer?"

"No Sir, I have not." Harm replied.

"Not even regarding that mysterious report?" Lines asked.

"Sir I mentioned to Lt. Singer that if I ever found out who planted the report in Colonel MacKenzie's car I would personally destroy that person's career.  If the Lieutenant took that as a threat I can only surmise it was because she was the one who had put the report in the Colonel's car." Harm replied smugly.

Blind-sided by the response, Lines rested. 

HARRIET TESTIFIES

"Your next witness Admiral." Sebring said.

"The people call Lt. Harriet Sims." The Admiral said.

"Lt. Sims, please tell us your dealings with Lt. Singer." The Admiral said.

"Sir, it is no secret that the Lieutenant and I have had our differences.  I was a witness on a case she was defending and she used the death of my new born to discredit me as a witness." Harriet began.

"Objection your honor, Lt. Singer's courtroom tactics are not on trial here." Lines said.

"Goes to grounds of her attitude and behavior your honor." The Admiral said.

"Sustained. Admiral, move along." Sebring said.

"Lt. Sims, please tell us about the events that took place while your husband was at sea." The Admiral said.

"Sir, I had purchased a new house and had yet to advise my husband.  Lt. Singer took it upon herself to inform him. " Harriet said.

"What was the purpose of her telling your husband?" The Admiral asked.

"To cause an argument between us, she also advised me of who his legal man was." Harriet answered.

"Objection your honor. What is the relevance and Lt. Sims reply calls for a conclusion to which she cannot know unless she is a mind reader?" Lines protested.

"The relevance is that Lt. Singer willfully tried to cause a problem between two officers." The Admiral shot back.

"Overruled." Sebring said.

"Lt. Sims, please tell the court of the altercation that took place between you and the Lieutenant." The Admiral stated.

"Sir, last year when Commander Rabb and Colonel MacKenzie were missing in Afghanistan, Lt. Singer gleefully went through the office telling people that they were missing.  She had no compassion in her voice for the possible loss of our co-workers.  She sounded almost thrilled about the prospect." Harriet said.

"Objection your honor, again calls for a conclusion on Lt. Singer's state of mind." Lines said.

"Overruled, I see no evidence of that." Sebring replied. "Lieutenant Sims is speaking of her impressions of Lieutenant Singer's tone of voice."

"What happened next Lieutenant?" The Admiral asked.

"I asked her to step outside. I suggested that we forget we were Officers in the Navy.  Then I clocker her Sir." Harriet replied.  There were some muffled laughs in the courtroom.

"Order." Sebring commanded. "Excuse me Lieutenant, you what?"

"I punched her Sir, in the eye." Harriet replied.

"Lieutenant, were charges brought up against you?" Sebring asked.

"No Sir, Lt. Singer opted not to press charges and the matter was forgotten." Harriet replied.

Sebring shook his head at what he had just heard. "Continue Admiral."

"Lt. Sims, do you review the phone logs for the JAG telephones?" The Admiral asked.

"Yes Sir I do." Harriet replied.

"Please tell us what you found." The Admiral asked.

"Upon reviewing the phone logs, I found two calls made from Lt. Singers' office to the Secretary of the Navy's office.  Both correspond to dates when the SecNav was advised of personal information regarding JAG officers." Harriet said.

"Thank you Lieutenant, no further questions." The Admiral stated.

"Mr. Lines, your witness." Sebring said.

"Lt. Sims, did you lock two superior officers in your basement?" Lines asked.

"Yes Sir I did. But it was on personal time and for personal reasons."

"I see, so you arranged a kidnapping?" Lines asked.

"Objection.  There was no kidnapping.  It was something was done among friends." The Admiral stated.
"Your honor, it goes to the basis of credibility. Lt. Sims has unlawfully detained people in her home and assaulted someone." Lines said.

"Your honor, no charges were filed on either incident and I believe that Mr. Lines is doing more here than trying to discredit the witness." The Admiral said.

"I agree objection sustained." Sebring said. "Consider yourself warned Mr. Lines."

"Lt. Sims, you are considered a matchmaker of sorts aren't you?" Lines asked.

"Objection your honor relevance?" The Admiral asked.

"Sustained. Mr. Lines where are you going with this?" Sebring asked.

"Withdrawn your honor." Lines said.

"Lt. Sims, you don't like Lt. Singer very much do you?" Lines asked.

"No Sir I don't." Harriet replied.

"Thank you for your honesty. No further questions." Lines stated.

"It's almost 1600, I suggest we adjourn for today and resume tomorrow at 0900." Sebring said and left the courtroom.

JAG OFFICES

They were all assembled in the Admiral's office.

"Either he is the worst defense attorney I have seen or his has something up his sleeve." Harm commented. "I can't believe he brought up that song."

"He had a valid point Harm?" Mac replied.

"He's not good, had the tables been reversed I would have objected to Harriet's entire testimony. However, that line of questioning regarding your performance was brilliant.  He definitely showed that not you are not always top of your game." The Admiral said. "Ok, tomorrow Tiner, Lt. Aaronnson and then he puts on his case. Get some rest people. Dismissed."

They left the Admiral's office and walked to the parking lot.

"I'll call you when I get back." Mac said.

"Where are you going?" Harm asked.

"For a fitting. Remember we have a wedding?" Mac laughed.

"That's tonight? I thought we could spend sometime together." Harm whined.

"Unless you want me walking down the aisle naked, I think I need to go." Mac laughed.

"Naked? No never mind." Harm said as he kissed her. "Call me when you get home."

"You know I will.  Talk to you later." Mac said and she got in her car and drove off.

ACROSS TOWN

"What a nice surprise Harm." She said. "I didn't expect to see you tonight." He was there waiting for her.

 "I had such a long day today.  Help me with these bags please." She said. "How about some dinner. I'm starved."

"I didn't get my kiss yet." She said as she walked to the kitchen. "Bring those bags will you?"

"Aren't you hungry?" She said. "You ate with her didn't you?" She asked.

"Harm I am not happy.  You have given me a headache. Please leave." She said walking away from him. She went to her bedroom and closed the door.