Disclaimer: I don't pretend to know anything about the drug references and
names. I made them up specifically for this story due to the lack of time I
had to research real ones.
Chapter 7 Monday 0900 Zulu Courtroom JAG Headquarters
(Admiral Morris enters the courtroom) "All Rise. This court marshal will come to order"
(Admiral Morris sits) "Be seated. Is the government ready with its first witness?"
"We are your honor" (Says Mac rising again)
"Proceed Colonel"
"The government calls NCIS special agent Thomas Stacy"
(Special Agent Stacy takes the stand and is sworn in) "Please state your name and occupation"
"Special Agent Thomas Stacy Naval Criminal Investigation Service"
"How are you affiliated with this case?"
"I was handed the case as the agent in charge from DCPD once they had identified that the killer was Navy."
(Harm shoots out of his seat) "Objection your honor. Lieutenant Sheffield's guilt has surely not been established"
"Sustained. The witness will stick to the facts not give his opinion and the jury will disregard his comment. Proceed Colonel" (He states with a somewhat venomous tone due to the witnesses editorializing of events)
"Yes Admiral..."
LATER...
(We find Mac questioning her second witness of the day...) "And Doctor what did the toxicology report show that the Lieutenant had in his system?"
"Various levels of hallucinogens were found along with a minor amount of alcohol."
"You said hallucinogens?"
"Yes ma'am"
"What are the tendencies of action when an individual intakes this type of drug?"
"They can become violent"
(Harm stands) "Your honor is the witness stating that all people who take hallucinogens become violent?"
(Mac intervenes before Admiral Morris can speak) "I'll rephrase the question. Doctor with the type of drugs that were in the Lieutenants system, is the capacity for violent action a far fetched theory or a relative possibility?"
"More than relative, it is very likely Colonel."
"Thank you Doctor Stenson"
"Your witness Commander" (Harm, still ringing from the testimony of the Dr. continues to look at the toxicology report he had received 72 hours after the murder. He had read something that raised a red flag in his mind, but he couldn't figure out what it was. Quickly he skimmed the drug names and content of the report and suddenly it hit him)
"Commander Rabb are you ready to proceed? " (Asked a bewildered Admiral Morris)
"Begging the courts pardon, may I have a minute your honor?"
"Problem Commander?"
"Some new evidence has come to light your honor, I just need a moment to verify it."
"This court shall stand in recess for fifteen minutes in which time the Commander better be prepared to proceed with his cross examination"
(Harm immediately grabs the toxicology report and looks up the drug content found in Sheffield's blood work. Triodine...where have I heard of that? He feverishly starts looking through his paperwork for anything to do with this drug. Why wasn't it on the original toxicology report he thought?)
(Mac walks up to Harm...) "Harm not to intrude but are you ok? This didn't seem like a stall tactic."
Not at all Mac...it's just what Dr. Stenson said about the toxicology screen. He mentioned all the hallucinations being found in Sheffield's blood work."
"Yeah so."
"I think he left one out"
"Harm you're not making any sense. I have a copy of the tox report right here with me. Stenson could have read the report verbatim on the stand and it would have sounded the same"
(Harm takes Macs copy of the report and compares it to the one he has in front of him)
"Right here is the tox report received 24 hours after the murder. That which Doctor Stenson based his testimony from; correct?"
"Acknowledged"
"Look at this, it's the follow up report I asked for. I had received 72 hours after the incident. Look closely at the drug content of both of the. I swear if I didn't remember myself I would have missed it" (Harm hands Mac back her report and his to compare)
"Harm you're not making any sense. What am I looking for?"
"Dr. Stenson stated that he found traces of various hallucinogens and alcohol."
"Again so?"
"The follow up tox report also shows traces of Triodine."
"Yeah, ok, educate me. What is Triodine?"
"Triodine, which your Doctor conveniently forgot to mention, is a suppressant that actually in large amounts acts as an anesthesia. A knock out drug of sorts."
"And you know this how?"
"Just go with me ok"
"Ok...wait are you saying"
"Keep going with that thought Mac... "
"Because Triodine is a suppressant and renders the person who ingested it..."
"Unable to function."
"But Sheffield could have ingested it later to raise a cloud of doubt."
"Think of the time table. If he was under the effects of the hallucinogens when she was killed he wouldn't have been competent enough to do so."
"And the Triodine would have overtaken any other controlled substance?"
"It has an almost immediate reaction. No matter what else was in his bloodstream the quantity in his blood was strong enough of a dose to supercede anything else he had in his system."
"Ok, I following...but what are you trying to tell me, the victim shot him up with it after she was killed? And for that matter what about the hallucinogens?" (Somewhat sarcastically)
"No, I'm saying a third party shot him up and then went on to kill Stratus themselves"
"How do you know so much about Triodine?"
"Because I've had to use it before during a quick career change on a certain project some months ago. It's a perfect cover drug because it doesn't register traces in the blood system for almost 72 hours. That's why it didn't show on the initial tox screen. When used correctly for this reason it renders the in-taker unconscious and gives the appearance of someone sleeping."
"Just as Sheffield was found..."
(Harm getting a little excited now) "And keep in mind that this is not some common drug that you can find in any pharmacy. It's used only by certain organizations within our country for specific purposes."
"Which means we are dealing with CIA involvement..."
"Bingo!"
"Oh shit..."
"Yep...let's go see Webb" (When court resumed both Harm and Mac asked for a joint continuance to check up on newly discovered evidence. Admiral Morris, who was not happy, agreed to 24 hours. Both Harm and Mac quickly left the courtroom together and headed out for Langley)
TO BE CONTINUED...
Chapter 7 Monday 0900 Zulu Courtroom JAG Headquarters
(Admiral Morris enters the courtroom) "All Rise. This court marshal will come to order"
(Admiral Morris sits) "Be seated. Is the government ready with its first witness?"
"We are your honor" (Says Mac rising again)
"Proceed Colonel"
"The government calls NCIS special agent Thomas Stacy"
(Special Agent Stacy takes the stand and is sworn in) "Please state your name and occupation"
"Special Agent Thomas Stacy Naval Criminal Investigation Service"
"How are you affiliated with this case?"
"I was handed the case as the agent in charge from DCPD once they had identified that the killer was Navy."
(Harm shoots out of his seat) "Objection your honor. Lieutenant Sheffield's guilt has surely not been established"
"Sustained. The witness will stick to the facts not give his opinion and the jury will disregard his comment. Proceed Colonel" (He states with a somewhat venomous tone due to the witnesses editorializing of events)
"Yes Admiral..."
LATER...
(We find Mac questioning her second witness of the day...) "And Doctor what did the toxicology report show that the Lieutenant had in his system?"
"Various levels of hallucinogens were found along with a minor amount of alcohol."
"You said hallucinogens?"
"Yes ma'am"
"What are the tendencies of action when an individual intakes this type of drug?"
"They can become violent"
(Harm stands) "Your honor is the witness stating that all people who take hallucinogens become violent?"
(Mac intervenes before Admiral Morris can speak) "I'll rephrase the question. Doctor with the type of drugs that were in the Lieutenants system, is the capacity for violent action a far fetched theory or a relative possibility?"
"More than relative, it is very likely Colonel."
"Thank you Doctor Stenson"
"Your witness Commander" (Harm, still ringing from the testimony of the Dr. continues to look at the toxicology report he had received 72 hours after the murder. He had read something that raised a red flag in his mind, but he couldn't figure out what it was. Quickly he skimmed the drug names and content of the report and suddenly it hit him)
"Commander Rabb are you ready to proceed? " (Asked a bewildered Admiral Morris)
"Begging the courts pardon, may I have a minute your honor?"
"Problem Commander?"
"Some new evidence has come to light your honor, I just need a moment to verify it."
"This court shall stand in recess for fifteen minutes in which time the Commander better be prepared to proceed with his cross examination"
(Harm immediately grabs the toxicology report and looks up the drug content found in Sheffield's blood work. Triodine...where have I heard of that? He feverishly starts looking through his paperwork for anything to do with this drug. Why wasn't it on the original toxicology report he thought?)
(Mac walks up to Harm...) "Harm not to intrude but are you ok? This didn't seem like a stall tactic."
Not at all Mac...it's just what Dr. Stenson said about the toxicology screen. He mentioned all the hallucinations being found in Sheffield's blood work."
"Yeah so."
"I think he left one out"
"Harm you're not making any sense. I have a copy of the tox report right here with me. Stenson could have read the report verbatim on the stand and it would have sounded the same"
(Harm takes Macs copy of the report and compares it to the one he has in front of him)
"Right here is the tox report received 24 hours after the murder. That which Doctor Stenson based his testimony from; correct?"
"Acknowledged"
"Look at this, it's the follow up report I asked for. I had received 72 hours after the incident. Look closely at the drug content of both of the. I swear if I didn't remember myself I would have missed it" (Harm hands Mac back her report and his to compare)
"Harm you're not making any sense. What am I looking for?"
"Dr. Stenson stated that he found traces of various hallucinogens and alcohol."
"Again so?"
"The follow up tox report also shows traces of Triodine."
"Yeah, ok, educate me. What is Triodine?"
"Triodine, which your Doctor conveniently forgot to mention, is a suppressant that actually in large amounts acts as an anesthesia. A knock out drug of sorts."
"And you know this how?"
"Just go with me ok"
"Ok...wait are you saying"
"Keep going with that thought Mac... "
"Because Triodine is a suppressant and renders the person who ingested it..."
"Unable to function."
"But Sheffield could have ingested it later to raise a cloud of doubt."
"Think of the time table. If he was under the effects of the hallucinogens when she was killed he wouldn't have been competent enough to do so."
"And the Triodine would have overtaken any other controlled substance?"
"It has an almost immediate reaction. No matter what else was in his bloodstream the quantity in his blood was strong enough of a dose to supercede anything else he had in his system."
"Ok, I following...but what are you trying to tell me, the victim shot him up with it after she was killed? And for that matter what about the hallucinogens?" (Somewhat sarcastically)
"No, I'm saying a third party shot him up and then went on to kill Stratus themselves"
"How do you know so much about Triodine?"
"Because I've had to use it before during a quick career change on a certain project some months ago. It's a perfect cover drug because it doesn't register traces in the blood system for almost 72 hours. That's why it didn't show on the initial tox screen. When used correctly for this reason it renders the in-taker unconscious and gives the appearance of someone sleeping."
"Just as Sheffield was found..."
(Harm getting a little excited now) "And keep in mind that this is not some common drug that you can find in any pharmacy. It's used only by certain organizations within our country for specific purposes."
"Which means we are dealing with CIA involvement..."
"Bingo!"
"Oh shit..."
"Yep...let's go see Webb" (When court resumed both Harm and Mac asked for a joint continuance to check up on newly discovered evidence. Admiral Morris, who was not happy, agreed to 24 hours. Both Harm and Mac quickly left the courtroom together and headed out for Langley)
TO BE CONTINUED...