Pearl Harbour Brig
"I'm Lieutenant Colonel Sarah Mackenzie from the JAG corps in Washington." She flashed her ID. "I'm here to see Lieutenant Commander Jack Pearson."
"Yes, ma'am. If you'll follow me to the interview room I'll have him sent over to you." The Sergeant informed her.
"Thank you."
A few minutes later the Lieutenant Commander was brought into the room.
"There will be someone outside ma'am if you need anything."
"Thank you. Commander, I'm Colonel Mackenzie, you requested to see me." Mac said from her seated position. The Commander sat.
"Yes ma'am. Thank you for coming." Pearson replied.
"Can I ask why you requested me?" Mac asked.
"Ma'am, my wife mentioned she had met you and that you were with JAG, my wife is a good judge of character."
"I understand. Did someone explain to you that I don't work as a lawyer JAG anymore, I'm actually a judge?"
"No ma'am. I'm sorry if I pulled you away from something."
"Only my daughter, who is only a few days older than your youngest son. Being a judge means I don't have to travel."
"Ma'am with all due respect why did you agree to come then?"
"The SecNav ordered me to. We'll forget about that for now, would you care to explain to me why they want to charge you with dereliction of duty?"
"You see, I was only gone ten minutes. . ." He began to explain. ". . . It was an accident; no one should have got hurt."
"And why aren't they charging you with anything else?" Mac asked.
"They recognised it was an accident, but I wasn't at my post so they're charging me with dereliction of duty."
"I need to talk to a few people, including the prosecutor, whoever that might be, probably the XO too. When does your ship, finish the repairs and ship out?"
"Saturday 0800 ma'am."
"I'll see what I can do. I'll be back to talk to you later." Mac rapped on the door. "If you could escort the Commander back please." She said to the guard.
"Yes ma'am."
Mac walked back to the desk and wait until the Sergeant turned to her.
"Ma'am how can I help you?"
"Could you point me to your LSO office?"
"Yes ma'am. You go out of the door turn starboard and its three doors down."
"Thank you." Mac left and followed the instructions and entered the office, everyone was rushing around. "Excuse me; I'm looking for the prosecutor in the Pearson case." She said to the nearest Lieutenant.
"I'm afraid they're not available, you should talk to Commander Lewis." He paused and looked around. "COMMANDER." He yelled.
"What it's it Davis?" He replied.
"Sir, Colonel Mackenzie from JAG HQ about the Pearson case."
"Colonel, if you'd go into my office I'll be with you in a minute." The Commander called over his shoulder. Mac, entered the office in order not get knocked over.
"Sorry about that." He said as he entered the office and shut the door. "Colonel, I'm Commander Lewis."
"Sarah Mackenzie. It's a bit rushed out there."
"I had two Lieutenants out investigating a case and they fell down a staircase some how. One has four fractured ribs, a mild concussion and a sprained ankle, the other has a severe concussion, a broken wrist and leg. We've all they're cases to cover and I already had someone out on maternity leave. But enough of my problems."
"I was here to talk to the prosecutor in the Pearson dereliction of duty case."
"That would be one of the injured Lieutenants'. The Article 32 hearing was set for Thursday at 0900 but with all our problems it will have to be pushed back until I have someone free to prosecute and that won't probably be until late next week if that."
"You expect him to sit in the brig for at least another week, that's unacceptable. If I can arrange a prosecutor can we keep the date for the Article 32 hearing? If I can get him cleared he can leave with his ship on Saturday. If it goes to Court Martial we'll take it back to Falls Church."
"That would great if I didn't have to deal with it. I don't suppose you feel like take another couple of cases while you're here?"
"I'm a judge, not a lawyer anymore. Besides I need this over as quickly as possible so I can get back to my daughter."
"If you're a judge why are you here Colonel?"
"Because I was requested and the SecNav ordered me to be here. Can I use your phone to call Admiral Chegwidden?"
"Go ahead. I'll be out in the bullpen if you need me."
"I'm Lieutenant Colonel Sarah Mackenzie from the JAG corps in Washington." She flashed her ID. "I'm here to see Lieutenant Commander Jack Pearson."
"Yes, ma'am. If you'll follow me to the interview room I'll have him sent over to you." The Sergeant informed her.
"Thank you."
A few minutes later the Lieutenant Commander was brought into the room.
"There will be someone outside ma'am if you need anything."
"Thank you. Commander, I'm Colonel Mackenzie, you requested to see me." Mac said from her seated position. The Commander sat.
"Yes ma'am. Thank you for coming." Pearson replied.
"Can I ask why you requested me?" Mac asked.
"Ma'am, my wife mentioned she had met you and that you were with JAG, my wife is a good judge of character."
"I understand. Did someone explain to you that I don't work as a lawyer JAG anymore, I'm actually a judge?"
"No ma'am. I'm sorry if I pulled you away from something."
"Only my daughter, who is only a few days older than your youngest son. Being a judge means I don't have to travel."
"Ma'am with all due respect why did you agree to come then?"
"The SecNav ordered me to. We'll forget about that for now, would you care to explain to me why they want to charge you with dereliction of duty?"
"You see, I was only gone ten minutes. . ." He began to explain. ". . . It was an accident; no one should have got hurt."
"And why aren't they charging you with anything else?" Mac asked.
"They recognised it was an accident, but I wasn't at my post so they're charging me with dereliction of duty."
"I need to talk to a few people, including the prosecutor, whoever that might be, probably the XO too. When does your ship, finish the repairs and ship out?"
"Saturday 0800 ma'am."
"I'll see what I can do. I'll be back to talk to you later." Mac rapped on the door. "If you could escort the Commander back please." She said to the guard.
"Yes ma'am."
Mac walked back to the desk and wait until the Sergeant turned to her.
"Ma'am how can I help you?"
"Could you point me to your LSO office?"
"Yes ma'am. You go out of the door turn starboard and its three doors down."
"Thank you." Mac left and followed the instructions and entered the office, everyone was rushing around. "Excuse me; I'm looking for the prosecutor in the Pearson case." She said to the nearest Lieutenant.
"I'm afraid they're not available, you should talk to Commander Lewis." He paused and looked around. "COMMANDER." He yelled.
"What it's it Davis?" He replied.
"Sir, Colonel Mackenzie from JAG HQ about the Pearson case."
"Colonel, if you'd go into my office I'll be with you in a minute." The Commander called over his shoulder. Mac, entered the office in order not get knocked over.
"Sorry about that." He said as he entered the office and shut the door. "Colonel, I'm Commander Lewis."
"Sarah Mackenzie. It's a bit rushed out there."
"I had two Lieutenants out investigating a case and they fell down a staircase some how. One has four fractured ribs, a mild concussion and a sprained ankle, the other has a severe concussion, a broken wrist and leg. We've all they're cases to cover and I already had someone out on maternity leave. But enough of my problems."
"I was here to talk to the prosecutor in the Pearson dereliction of duty case."
"That would be one of the injured Lieutenants'. The Article 32 hearing was set for Thursday at 0900 but with all our problems it will have to be pushed back until I have someone free to prosecute and that won't probably be until late next week if that."
"You expect him to sit in the brig for at least another week, that's unacceptable. If I can arrange a prosecutor can we keep the date for the Article 32 hearing? If I can get him cleared he can leave with his ship on Saturday. If it goes to Court Martial we'll take it back to Falls Church."
"That would great if I didn't have to deal with it. I don't suppose you feel like take another couple of cases while you're here?"
"I'm a judge, not a lawyer anymore. Besides I need this over as quickly as possible so I can get back to my daughter."
"If you're a judge why are you here Colonel?"
"Because I was requested and the SecNav ordered me to be here. Can I use your phone to call Admiral Chegwidden?"
"Go ahead. I'll be out in the bullpen if you need me."