Jen was stood staring at a box on her desk when Mac came in on Monday
morning.
"Morning Jen."
"Good morning ma'am." Jen replied.
"What've you got there? Gift from Jason?"
"I don't know ma'am, I was just speculating."
"Reading the card might be quicker." Mac pointed out. Jen took the card. "So who is it from?"
"Commander Turner. As a thank you for helping out on Saturday night."
"Open it then." Mac suggested. Jen opened the box.
"Chocolates." Jen smiled.
"Expensive chocolates. Go Sturgis."
"Ma'am, I should return them. I really don't..."
"Jen, if you give them back, you'll hurt his feelings. Politely go and say thank you and see if you can find us both some coffee on your way back."
"Yes ma'am."
~
"Commander." Jen said as she knocked on Sturgis's office door.
"Petty Officer Coates. What can I do for you?"
"I came to politely say thank you for the chocolates."
"Politely say?" He questioned.
"With respect sir I wanted to return them, I really didn't do anything to deserve them, but Colonel Mackenzie said I should keep them so as not to hurt your feelings."
"I see. You do deserve them; you saved my sanity and got me out of baby sitting duty for a couple of years."
"Wait until she's two or three and take her to the zoo, she'll love it sir."
"Probably."
"I should go, the court martial resumes in twenty minutes, the Colonel needs coffee and we have to go over the mail. I just want to say thank you."
"You're welcome. Carry on."
"Aye aye sir."
~
"Objection." Bud said.
"Your honour..." Lieutenant Travis started.
"Gentlemen I've had enough, we're going to recess for fifteen minutes, I'd like to see you both in my office."
"All rise." The bailiff called.
Bud and Lieutenant Travis stood to attention in front of Mac's desk.
"Take a seat gentlemen. Jen get me some aspirin."
"Top left drawer ma'am. I'll go and get you some water."
"Don't worry about the water." Mac said. "Just make sure we're disturbed for ten minutes."
"Yes ma'am." Jen closed the door.
"Ma'am, what is this about?" Bud asked.
"I'll get to you a minute Lieutenant. Lieutenant Travis, I'm going to ask you something completely off the record."
"Ma'am?" He questioned.
"Do you think your client is guilty?"
"Ma'am, if would be unethical and against...."
"Forget everything he told you, just looking at the evidence do you think he's guilty?"
"Ma'am..." Mac looked at him. "Yes ma'am, I think he's guilty."
"And I presume that you think he's guilty Lieutenant Roberts."
"Yes ma'am." Bud replied.
"That makes three of us." Mac leant back in her chair. "But what we think really isn't the issue, the decision on whether he is guilty of the charges rests with the members and I will not have them manipulated by both of you trying to trump each other, or show boating. Present the evidence, ask your questions, but don't manipulate the members with misdirection or stunts, I'm having a moratorium on it, it won't be acceptable in my court room from now on, is that understood?"
"Yes ma'am." Lieutenant Travis replied.
"Yes ma'am." Lieutenant Roberts echoed.
"Good. Now I have a note here somewhere that Lieutenant Roberts you're objecting to a witness on Lieutenant Travis's list to be called tomorrow?"
"Yes ma'am."
"What is your objection to ...." Mac moved around some files "... Mrs Tweedy?"
"She's the defendant's fifth grade teacher."
"Fifth grade? Lieutenant Travis?"
"Character witness ma'am."
"His fifth grade teacher?"
"She's also a member of the church my client attended up until he joined the Navy three years ago."
"Three years in the Navy changes a person, you either get tougher or it breaks you. You really think his fifth grade teacher is a credible character witness?"
"Off the record ma'am?" Lieutenant Travis asked. Mac nodded. "Probably not ma'am, but it was the best I could get, he has no family. His parents died, they were both only children, he's an only child, no girlfriend or at least not one he's willing to name."
"What about his CO or someone he went through basic training with?"
"They're all deployed, or un-locatable, or were witnesses for the prosecution." Lieutenant Travis replied.
"Lieutenant Roberts do you have any other specific objects other than that she was his fifth grade teacher and he hasn't seen her in three years?"
"No ma'am."
"Then I'll allow the witness, we have to at least give him a fighting chance, everyone is entitled to the best defence possible Lieutenant."
"Yes ma'am."
"But no stunts." Mac said to Lieutenant Travis.
"Aye aye ma'am."
"Other than the fifth grade teacher, how many more witnesses were you planning on calling?"
"Mrs Tweedy and one other witness ma'am." He replied.
"Good, be prepared to give closing arguments tomorrow after lunch too."
"Yes ma'am." Bud replied.
"Ma'am."
"Now get out of here, I have a headache." They both stood to attention before leaving.
TBC
"Morning Jen."
"Good morning ma'am." Jen replied.
"What've you got there? Gift from Jason?"
"I don't know ma'am, I was just speculating."
"Reading the card might be quicker." Mac pointed out. Jen took the card. "So who is it from?"
"Commander Turner. As a thank you for helping out on Saturday night."
"Open it then." Mac suggested. Jen opened the box.
"Chocolates." Jen smiled.
"Expensive chocolates. Go Sturgis."
"Ma'am, I should return them. I really don't..."
"Jen, if you give them back, you'll hurt his feelings. Politely go and say thank you and see if you can find us both some coffee on your way back."
"Yes ma'am."
~
"Commander." Jen said as she knocked on Sturgis's office door.
"Petty Officer Coates. What can I do for you?"
"I came to politely say thank you for the chocolates."
"Politely say?" He questioned.
"With respect sir I wanted to return them, I really didn't do anything to deserve them, but Colonel Mackenzie said I should keep them so as not to hurt your feelings."
"I see. You do deserve them; you saved my sanity and got me out of baby sitting duty for a couple of years."
"Wait until she's two or three and take her to the zoo, she'll love it sir."
"Probably."
"I should go, the court martial resumes in twenty minutes, the Colonel needs coffee and we have to go over the mail. I just want to say thank you."
"You're welcome. Carry on."
"Aye aye sir."
~
"Objection." Bud said.
"Your honour..." Lieutenant Travis started.
"Gentlemen I've had enough, we're going to recess for fifteen minutes, I'd like to see you both in my office."
"All rise." The bailiff called.
Bud and Lieutenant Travis stood to attention in front of Mac's desk.
"Take a seat gentlemen. Jen get me some aspirin."
"Top left drawer ma'am. I'll go and get you some water."
"Don't worry about the water." Mac said. "Just make sure we're disturbed for ten minutes."
"Yes ma'am." Jen closed the door.
"Ma'am, what is this about?" Bud asked.
"I'll get to you a minute Lieutenant. Lieutenant Travis, I'm going to ask you something completely off the record."
"Ma'am?" He questioned.
"Do you think your client is guilty?"
"Ma'am, if would be unethical and against...."
"Forget everything he told you, just looking at the evidence do you think he's guilty?"
"Ma'am..." Mac looked at him. "Yes ma'am, I think he's guilty."
"And I presume that you think he's guilty Lieutenant Roberts."
"Yes ma'am." Bud replied.
"That makes three of us." Mac leant back in her chair. "But what we think really isn't the issue, the decision on whether he is guilty of the charges rests with the members and I will not have them manipulated by both of you trying to trump each other, or show boating. Present the evidence, ask your questions, but don't manipulate the members with misdirection or stunts, I'm having a moratorium on it, it won't be acceptable in my court room from now on, is that understood?"
"Yes ma'am." Lieutenant Travis replied.
"Yes ma'am." Lieutenant Roberts echoed.
"Good. Now I have a note here somewhere that Lieutenant Roberts you're objecting to a witness on Lieutenant Travis's list to be called tomorrow?"
"Yes ma'am."
"What is your objection to ...." Mac moved around some files "... Mrs Tweedy?"
"She's the defendant's fifth grade teacher."
"Fifth grade? Lieutenant Travis?"
"Character witness ma'am."
"His fifth grade teacher?"
"She's also a member of the church my client attended up until he joined the Navy three years ago."
"Three years in the Navy changes a person, you either get tougher or it breaks you. You really think his fifth grade teacher is a credible character witness?"
"Off the record ma'am?" Lieutenant Travis asked. Mac nodded. "Probably not ma'am, but it was the best I could get, he has no family. His parents died, they were both only children, he's an only child, no girlfriend or at least not one he's willing to name."
"What about his CO or someone he went through basic training with?"
"They're all deployed, or un-locatable, or were witnesses for the prosecution." Lieutenant Travis replied.
"Lieutenant Roberts do you have any other specific objects other than that she was his fifth grade teacher and he hasn't seen her in three years?"
"No ma'am."
"Then I'll allow the witness, we have to at least give him a fighting chance, everyone is entitled to the best defence possible Lieutenant."
"Yes ma'am."
"But no stunts." Mac said to Lieutenant Travis.
"Aye aye ma'am."
"Other than the fifth grade teacher, how many more witnesses were you planning on calling?"
"Mrs Tweedy and one other witness ma'am." He replied.
"Good, be prepared to give closing arguments tomorrow after lunch too."
"Yes ma'am." Bud replied.
"Ma'am."
"Now get out of here, I have a headache." They both stood to attention before leaving.
TBC
