10x17 - JAG: San Diego
Posted: 06/19/23 04:14
¡Mira, mira! El barco viene.
Please, please.
Hey, wait. Espera.
¡Espera!
Por favor, ¡hace atrás!
Por favor, hace atrás.
Por favor.
It's getting ugly
down there, Senior.
Somebody from the Nicaraguan
government was supposed to be here.
Think they need help?
No, they're Marines,
Belkin. They'll handle it.
¡Abajo!
¿Que hace?
¡Muerto!
¡Mi esposo esta muerto!
The cold snap continues
with unseasonably cold
temperatures, and with an
onshore wind throughout
D.C., tonight's low is...
I've mustered your troops, sir.
God, I hate snow.
And snow levels expected
to reach 18 inches.
sh**t me now.
I'd love to help, but I'll be
busy digging my car out.
Attention on deck.
As you were.
Coates?
Where's Lieutenant Vukovic?
Stuck in traffic, sir.
Very well.
I have good news,
and I have bad news.
I know how much
you're all looking forward
to our annual JAG conference.
The endless days of lectures
on the minutiae of the UCMJ,
its many articles
and subsections.
Well, I find some of those
talks very informative, sir.
Suck up.
You said you
had good news, General?
Given current
conditions, I've, uh,
I've arranged for
a change of venue.
We're not going
to hold it in D.C.
Well, Iceland would
be an improvement.
How about...
San Diego?
I imagine you'll be needing
an advance person, sir?
Got one already. I've, uh,
I've assigned Lieutenant
Graves, who assisted
Commander Rabb at China Lake.
Her C.O. was kind
enough to lend her to me.
Thanks for the
recommendation. She's been...
most effective, if a
bit tiring on the ears.
Hmm. She's a talker, General.
What's the agenda
this year, sir?
I'll let Lieutenant
Mayfield elaborate.
Thank you, sir.
The main topic this year
will be related to
JAG involvement
in combat operations.
Prisoner abuse,
noncombatant casualties,
civilian property
commandeered for m*llitary use,
legality of orders,
and rules of engagement.
That'll be my topic, actually.
Sounds like a full plate, sir.
Unfortunately, there's
limited seating at
this meal... MacKenzie,
Vukovic and Mayfield
will be making the trip with me.
Roberts and Turner, you have
trial dates, you'll remain here.
Commander Rabb,
you'll be acting
JAG while I'm gone.
That'll be all.
Oh, uh, I want see you
and Lieutenant
Vukovic in my office
as soon as he
arrives. Aye, aye, sir.
Enter.
Sorry I missed the
meeting, General.
I was stuck behind a snowplow.
I briefed him on San Diego, sir.
Thank you for including me, sir.
It sounds like fun.
This isn't a junket, Lieutenant.
Of course not, sir.
A Marine unit got into trouble
while it was bringing aid to
Nicaraguans hit by
a tropical cyclone.
Marine Corporal Caden
Duran was doing crowd control.
He allegedly hit a
Nicaraguan civilian.
The man d*ed.
Duran is being charged with
involuntary manslaughter
by culpable negligence.
The Marines and their
Navy L-CAC transport units
are based out of Pendleton.
We'll handle the case
while we're out there;
the locals are up to their ears.
Colonel, you'll prosecute.
Lieutenant, you'll defend.
And what about
the conference, sir?
You're going to
have to multitask.
Sounds like a
win-win to me, sir.
A trip to San Diego,
and we get to mix it
up in the courtroom.
♪ I... I ♪
♪ I've been around the world ♪
♪ Whoo-whoo, whoo-whoo! ♪
Welcome aboard, General.
Thank you, Captain.
Pleasure to have you
here. Good to be here.
♪ Whoo-whoo! ♪
♪ Looking for my girl ♪
♪ I said, I... ♪
♪ Whoo-whoo! ♪
♪ I... ♪
♪ Whoo-whoo! ♪
♪ I've been around
the world... ♪
♪ Whoo-whoo! ♪
Morning, ma'am.
Morning. Lieutenant
Colonel MacKenzie.
I'm Lieutenant Graves.
Nice to meet you.
This is Lieutenant Mayfield
and Lieutenant Vukovic.
Nice of you to meet us
at the Airstream in person.
Oh, it's no trouble. It's
a nice day for a drive.
Right this way, Colonel.
Thank you.
Government issue, Lieutenant?
Well, my issue.
Given the occasion, I sprang
for a rental on my own dime.
Well, I appreciate
the personal touch.
You mind if I drive, Lieutenant?
No, be my guest.
♪ Whoo-whoo, whoo-whoo! ♪
I've secured quarters for you
right on the beach, Colonel.
Oh, wait till you see
the sunset, ma'am.
Well, how about the sunset
from our quarters, Lieutenant?
Oh, it won't disappoint.
I didn't doubt
you for an instant.
♪ I... ♪
♪ Whoo-whoo! ♪
Beautiful.
Trying to find ugly
housing here is...
Like trying to find an
ugly girl in Stockholm.
So I've heard.
There's a lot of vacancies
here, due to the w*r, actually,
so your quarters are here
and Lieutenant Mayfield's
and mine are right next door.
Oh, that's convenient.
Um...
This harbor was an old
Indian whaling ground.
In fact, they still
find artifacts here.
Oh, and at night, the San Diego
city lights are just incredible.
Well, maybe we can
all go artifact hunting
at night sometime.
Pass.
Are you finding everything
to your satisfaction, General?
So far so good, Lieutenant.
How're you doing?
Oh, I'm fine, sir.
So, the cocktail reception
begins at 1800 tonight.
It's casual civilian attire.
Thank you, Lieutenant. Yes, sir.
And the seminars are
going to begin at 0900.
All the speakers have arrived,
the presentation
speakers, not the hi-fi type.
Oh, my God, I
hope we have those.
Anyway, I found
a really great DJ.
Um, what else?
Oh, oh, I stocked your fridge.
I heard you're into health food,
so I got you lots of
tofu, organic millet, um...
Who-who suggested that?
Petty Officer Coates.
Did she? Yes, sir.
This is my first
conference, sir,
so if there's
anything I've missed...
You did well, Lieutenant.
Thank you.
Thank you, sir, no trouble.
Here's your office.
Morning, sir. Morning.
Thank you,
Lieutenant. That'll be all.
Aye, sir.
Let's step in and go
over the plan of the day.
Everyone settled in okay?
Just fine, sir.
I'm assigning
Lieutenant Mayfield
to be your second
chair in the Duran case.
Will that be a problem
for either of you?
No, sir. No, sir.
Scuttlebutt says you
two have a history.
Whatever it is, I don't care.
I need good lawyers on my staff.
I also need cooperation.
You may consider this a
test neither of you wants to fail.
That'll be all.
Just finished going over your
inquiry into the Courtman case.
You recommend against
court-martial. Why?
While I believe the corporal
is guilty of disorderly conduct,
I also believe there are
mitigating circumstances.
Such as? He just
got back from Iraq,
where he saw eight men in
his platoon, his friends, k*lled.
He put a civilian
in the hospital,
and he started a barroom brawl
that caused $5,000
worth of damage.
The civilian started that fight.
He's a good Marine,
Harm. He's taking a hit.
Let's leave it at that?
All right, well, if it's
good enough for you,
it's good enough for me.
Take it to the
convening authority.
Excuse me, sir.
You have a call on line two.
Who is it?
The hospital, sir.
Mattie's been in an accident.
Even before our
L-CAC hit the beach,
I could see them, sir.
A whole crowd of people, sir.
Word travels when you
haven't had food or water
for three days.
What happened when you landed?
We off-loaded the trucks, ma'am.
And we started distributing
the food and water.
It got crazy.
Like, uh, on a hot
summer day, when the
ice cream truck shows up
and the kids all swarm the guy.
In my neighborhood, Lieutenant,
you had to fight to get any.
In my neighborhood, too.
It was a riot, straight up, sir.
Men, women, children,
they were throwing elbows,
tearing at each other.
I saw babies in mothers'
arms getting knocked around.
That's not going to
justify clubbing a civilian.
It wasn't like that, ma'am.
This big guy
stomps on this little girl
while he's fighting
over a bag of rice?
I tried to get him to stop,
but he-he kept going,
so I... I hit him.
Oh, you were
trying to save the kid.
Yes, sir.
You gotta believe me, sir.
Government's going to argue
you used excessive force.
Maybe I did, ma'am.
I got upset, but I didn't
mean to hurt anyone.
We were there to help.
You did what you
thought was right.
And that's what we're going to
demonstrate in the courtroom.
Excuse me.
I'm looking for Mattie Johnson.
Tom.
She was taking a flying lesson.
The instructor cut
the lesson short
because of the storm.
They brought the
plane in for a landing
just as another plane was
taxiing across the runway.
In this weather, they probably
never saw each other.
Well, not till the last minute,
till it was too late.
The instructor was
k*lled, and, uh, Mattie's...
What are the doctors saying?
They say she
has a spinal injury.
They gave her a CT
scan to examine her brain,
and they say they can't
tell me anything else
until a specialist gets
here from Johns Hopkins.
When will that be?
I don't know.
Could be a couple of days.
Tom, I-I'm sure
they're giving her
the best possible care.
You raised her to be tough, Tom.
She's going to
pull through this.
They know things, Commander.
They're just not telling me.
But I know they know things.
♪ And you're wining on me ♪
♪ Pushing everything ♪
♪ Right back on
top of me, yeah, eh ♪
♪ But if you think you're
gonna get away from me ♪
♪ You better change your mind ♪
♪ You're going home ♪
♪ You're going home
with me tonight ♪
♪ Let me hold you ♪
♪ Girl, caress my body ♪
♪ You got me going crazy ♪
♪ You turn me on, turn me on ♪
♪ Let me jam you ♪
♪ Girl, wine all around me ♪
♪ You got me going crazy ♪
♪ You turn me on, turn me on ♪
That's not right.
I think I'll have a drink.
Yeah, I'd love one.
♪ One hand on the ground
and bumper... sky high ♪
♪ Wining hard on me ♪
♪ Got my eye turned,
hollerin' for mercy ♪
♪ Yeah, eh ♪
♪ Then I whisper in her
ear, so, wine harder ♪
♪ And then she said to me... ♪
Are you enjoying
the party, Colonel?
Oh, I'm actually not
much of a party person.
Mmm. Me neither.
Aren't you wanted
on the dance floor, Travolta?
Only if you will join me.
Not tonight.
You know, I know
something you might enjoy.
MacKENZIE: Wow, this is amazing.
How did you find
out about this place?
I was home-ported to San Diego
when I served
aboard the Stennis.
Do you bring many women up here?
Only when I want
to soften them up.
For what?
Corporal Duran was on
a humanitarian mission.
He shouldn't do brig time.
He clocked an innocent civilian.
He k*lled him.
Allegedly.
We'll go along with
reduction of rank,
and we'll give back
some pay.
Given the mitigation,
a humanitarian cause,
I'll go for two years
instead of four.
Come on, Mac.
Colonel.
He's not doing time.
No confinement or
punitive discharge.
We'll take an administrative
separation with benefits.
No deal.
Okay.
No deal.
Now, how about that dance?
There's no music.
Oh, I think there is.
Senior Chief Pudero...
Lieutenant Colonel
MacKenzie, JAG.
Colonel, a pleasure.
I've been assigned prosecution
of the incident in Nicaragua.
Permission to come aboard?
Yes, ma'am. Marines are
always welcome on my L-CAC.
MacKENZIE: Thank
you. It's been a while,
but these boats never
cease to impress.
They're even better when
you get to know them, ma'am.
With these babies, we can carry
a 60-ton payload
at up to 50 knots.
Trucks, Humvees, an M-1
t*nk... They all fit in our mailbag.
Hmm, as do
enough relief supplies
to feed a small
village for a week.
Yes, ma'am.
Did you witness the incident
involving Corporal Duran
and the Nicaraguan civilian?
I saw some of what happened.
How much? Will you
excuse me, Colonel?
The crush box has got
some fresh dings
in it, Petty Officer.
And make sure you
check out the skirting.
Aye, aye, Senior; I'm on it.
These hovercraft are
maintenance-intensive, ma'am.
MacKENZIE: Yeah, I
saw your people pulling
some pretty serious
maneuvers out there.
It's air hockey with
a 200-ton puck.
You can turn these
bad boys on a dime,
take them damn near anywhere.
Gives us access to more
than 75% of the world's shores.
Which brings us
back to Nicaragua
and Corporal Duran.
Indeed it does, ma'am.
When I saw the corporal
unsling his w*apon
and jump down into that crowd,
I knew there was
going to be trouble.
I figured he was just going
to try to push the people back.
But he did more than that.
Yes, he did.
Did Corporal Duran overreact?
Is that still fragrant
over there, Belkin?
Get a team in there
to swab that thing out.
I don't want my
boat gathering flies,
understood?
Aye, aye, Senior Chief.
Whew!
Sorry, ma'am;
should've warned you.
We had a full load of
Marines this morning
packed in like sardines,
one small porthole
to look through.
In rough seas,
even the toughest Marine
can become reacquainted
with his breakfast.
I'd be happy to take
you for a ride, Colonel.
I've had all the
reacquainting I'd ever want
in the back of an F-14,
but thank you, Senior Chief.
You still didn't
answer my question.
Did Corporal Duran overreact?
It was a bad situation, ma'am.
It was very tense.
The people
on that beach
were out of control.
That being said,
I don't think the
corporal needed to use
the south end of his w*apon
on that civilian the way he did.
Thank you, Senior Chief.
Ma'am.
We're not taking the offer.
Can we at least discuss it, sir?
What is there to discuss?
I'd like to hear
what he has to say.
Go ahead, Corporal.
The deal the colonel offered...
Two years instead of four...
Would make a big difference
to my family back home.
A zero time served
versus two years
would make an even
bigger difference.
But we can't guarantee
that outcome at court-martial.
Maybe "we" can't, but I can.
Do you believe
that you're guilty
of the charges, Corporal?
I keep replaying
it in my head, sir.
Truth is, I don't know, sir.
Well, then let's replay it now.
You saw people fighting.
You saw a child trapped
in the middle, endangered.
Your instinct was to
protect the child, right?
Yes, sir.
You didn't mean to hurt anyone?
No, sir.
Well, then you did your job
on that beach, Corporal.
You helped people.
Now I got to do my job,
which is to help you.
But I can't do that
unless you trust me.
Ah, it's enough to
make Otis Redding cry.
"Sittin' On the
Dock of the Bay."
See, I would have thought
you were more of, like,
a Smokey Robinson fan.
No. Any old-school
R&B, I'm there.
Me, too. Get out of here.
No, I'm a southern girl.
Well, Southern
California, but you know?
I like this artifact hunting.
How's your case going?
I-I just, I find m*rder
mysteries really intriguing.
I don't know how much
mystery there is here.
It's pretty caveman-basic.
Boy meets boy,
clobbers him.
It's the context where
my argument lies.
Oh, so you've already
mapped out your strategy.
I have. I'm basing the
defense on mob mentality.
Ordinarily peaceful citizens
become violent and
dangerous when in a mob,
especially in a
highly-charged environment.
Like a basketball game.
Or a natural disaster.
Last time I checked the NBA,
it pretty much looked the same.
See, I would have gone
straight to forensics,
and I don't know, I would
have just wasted a lot of time.
That was my first stop. Really?
But it was pretty
much open-and-shut.
The victim d*ed of a
cerebral hemorrhage
due to blunt force trauma.
Like I said, caveman-basic.
The more
"caveman-basic" things are,
the more excited
I get, you know?
I'll keep that in mind.
The locals started
grabbing crates of food.
Our guys told them to
back off, but they wouldn't.
MacKENZIE: What
was their temper?
Ma'am?
Well, the locals,
were they friendly,
aggressive, desperate, hostile?
Did they yell out
anti-American sentiment?
They weren't exactly
hostile, Colonel.
Um, they were
certainly aggressive,
and I guess you could
say they were desperate.
Just as any parent
would be whose child
was homeless and hungry.
Objection, Your Honor.
Objection, Your Honor.
Sustained and sustained.
MacKENZIE: What
led up to the accused
striking the victim?
Assumes facts not in evidence.
I'll rephrase.
What led the victim
to fall down dead
from a blow to the head
at the feet of Corporal Duran?
Colonel. Sorry, sir.
Just tell us what you
saw, Senior Chief.
Yes, sir.
Well, Corporal Duran
unslung his M-16.
He jumped off the truck
and waded into the mob.
He was yelling at
the people in Spanish,
but they didn't listen.
Would you please
use your display
to clarify the
sequence of events?
I'd be happy to, Colonel.
I was up here on the craft.
Corporal Duran was on this
truck here.
He jumped down.
Other Marines joined him.
There was a lot of yelling.
Uh, at some point in time,
the crowd pulls back,
a guy is lying on the sand,
and Corporal Duran
is standing over him.
w*apon in hand.
Yes, ma'am. Thank
you, Senior Chief.
You were on the L-CAC
watching this, Senior Chief?
Yes, sir, I was
until I ran down.
Well, according to this
picture, your line of sight
into the crowd where
Corporal Duran was
was blocked by
this truck, am I right?
That is correct, sir;
I didn't have a clear
view until I went
down onto the sand.
So, you did not, in fact,
see Corporal Duran
strike anyone, did you?
No, sir.
Thank you, Senior Chief.
Senior Chief, do
you see this pen?
Yes, ma'am.
Where's the pen now?
On the floor.
MacKENZIE: But how do
you know? You can't see it.
The table's in the way.
Where else could it be, ma'am?
Is there a point to
this, Your Honor?
Connect the dots, Colonel.
MacKENZIE: I intend to, sir.
You saw the accused unsling
his M-16 and
wade into the crowd.
A short time later,
you saw him standing over
the victim, w*apon in hand.
What do you infer?
That he hit the
guy with the M-16.
Just as you inferred
the pen hit the ground.
Thank you.
I'm not saying
give up, but I think
we should reconsider
Colonel MacKenzie's offer.
I can b*at her. That's
what this is about to you.
It's about b*ating MacKenzie.
No, it's about winning the case.
I don't know what
drives you more...
Your ego or your libido.
Let's not make this personal.
We have a duty to our client.
Gonna give me a lecture now?
It's one thing to be cocky
with your own life.
It's another to showboat
with someone else's.
I'm not showboating.
I am being aggressive.
Bull! I see you
working Cresswell.
I see you working MacKenzie.
What, you jealous?
Disgusted is more like it.
You're playing Russian
roulette with our client's future.
I am willing to live
with the consequences.
That'll be a real comfort
to Corporal Duran,
sitting in the brig.
I have a presentation
to prepare.
You go ahead, walk away.
You were always good at that.
You don't just use people.
You use people up.
Commander Rabb? They
told me you were up here.
Dr. Michael Rosenbaum.
I just drove in from Baltimore.
Doc, it's been three days.
What took you so long?
Well, teaching, patients,
rounds, surgery, weather.
Shall I go on?
Come on. Let's go in.
CT scan shows bilateral
frontal contusions.
That's bruising of the brain,
which explains the coma.
Her doctor said she
has a spinal injury.
I'm not going to jump
to any conclusions
till all the results are in.
When will that be?
I've already scheduled an MRI.
Can you help her?
This girl's body suffered
enormous punishment,
and the fact that
she's still alive is...
it's a miracle in itself.
Being alive isn't
enough, Doctor.
She has to get better.
What's your relation
to the patient?
I was her legal guardian.
Now I'm her friend.
Where are her parents?
Her mother's deceased.
Her father was
here late last night.
He's, uh, getting some rest.
Look...
Please, you got to help her.
I'll do my best.
You should get some rest, too.
Hey, Mattie.
You're going to be okay.
You're going to get out
of here in a couple days.
In fact, you got to get better.
You know, we got
plans, remember?
We're going to sail
the Mediterranean,
ski Aspen...
fly Mount McKinley.
There's so much you got to do.
Go to college,
fall in love,
have babies...
live.
God, she is so good
and so smart.
You know, I want to be her.
Who? Colonel MacKenzie.
The woman who
hammered you in court today.
Aw, she didn't hammer me, okay?
Oh, looked like it from
where I was sitting.
She served you up a
big ol' plate of ass-whup.
She chewed you up, spit
you out, b*rned you down.
All right. Okay, I get it.
She's also very attractive.
She's also two
pay-grades above me.
There are rules.
Yeah, like you care.
You want to know
what I care about?
No, no.
Don't you even start... What?
"What? What?"
Oh, I am not letting
you in, Vukovic, okay?
I'm on a guy-atus.
A guy-atus?
A hiatus from guys.
Oh.
Well, you can't
judge the whole barrel
from a couple
of rotten apricots.
All right, all right, all right.
Let's just let the, uh...
your blood supply get
shifted back to your brain.
I read the forensics report.
Oh, right, your
amateur sleuthing.
And what did the
report tell you?
Well, the victim was struck
on the crown of the skull,
Mr. Patronizing.
So?
So, three words:
horizontal butt stroke.
I'm going to need more words.
Okay, according to
Forensics, your client used
his M-16...
like a club, like so.
Ah!
But the Marines are trained
to use a horizontal
butt stroke like so.
Okay.
Okay. Which means that the wound
would've had to be
on the side of the head
or on the face, but not
on the crown of the skull.
And another thing...
There was no test done
to match the victim's blood
with the blood on the M-16.
There was no need; witnesses
saw Corporal Duran hit the victim.
Are you sure?
Things were pretty chaotic.
Why are you looking
at me like that?
You're creeping me out.
I got to go. I'll
see you Monday.
Oh, my God, Tali,
thank God. Over here.
So, they're kind of waiting.
I know. I'm sorry. Okay.
What's wrong?
I'm feeling a little nauseous...
feeling a little dizzy.
What, are you sick?
No.
Oh, my God. I'm terrified.
I made it through OTS, I
made it through combat,
I made it through
court, a wedding, but
but when it comes
to public sp...
What-what, do you have a phobia?
But you're a lawyer. You...
Well, lawyers have phobias, too.
Okay. Hey, okay,
take deep breaths.
Take deep breaths.
Yeah.
That's feeling better.
Good. You could picture
the audience naked.
Lieutenant, I hope you have
something interesting to say
about the rules of engagement.
I don't think the naked
thing's going to work.
As you were.
I'm Lieutenant Tali Mayfield.
I apol...
I apologize for the late start.
Sun Tzu said,
"Those who excel in
w*r must first cultivate
their own humanity and justice."
But what if you're in the
sand in a foreign place,
not knowing what to do
and when to do it?
Do we have an E.T.A.
on Lieutenant Vukovic?
I'm sure he'll be here
shortly, Your Honor.
You should both
invest in better watches.
Yes, Your Honor.
You're an able
attorney, Lieutenant,
as you demonstrated during
your presentation Saturday.
I think you're capable of
representing your client,
unless the accused
has an objection.
If it pleases the
court, Defense calls
PFC Ogden to the stand.
My apologies to the court.
Rough weekend,
Lieutenant? No, sir.
Rough weather...
Our flight was delayed.
And what flight was that?
The one from Nicaragua, sir.
You were in Nicaragua? Yes, sir.
I flew down there this
weekend to locate this man.
His name is Fonseca Godoy.
He was on the beach that day.
He saw the incident clearly.
Your Honor, I have no
knowledge of this witness.
Neither did I until yesterday.
There was no time to
inform Trial Counsel.
Do you speak English, sir?
Si. Uh, yes.
Were you on the beach
when the trucks came in?
Yes.
Why didn't you
give your statement
to the police at the time?
When the police came, I run.
All right.
Please have a seat.
Mr. Godoy, did you know the man
who d*ed on the beach that day?
Yes. Carlos Mejia Tijerino.
He lived in my village.
Did the accused... the
man sitting at that table...
Strike Mr. Tijerino?
No, he did not.
Then how did Mr. Tijerino die?
There was a struggle
over a big crate.
Uh, Carlos slipped.
The crate fell on his head,
and, uh, it was a heavy crate.
But everyone knew that
Carlos had a soft head.
Well, there were
witnesses who testified
that they saw the accused
strike Mr. Tijerino with his M-16.
No, that's not possible.
And why not?
Because I am the
man that he struck.
This is where the
corporal hit me with his g*n.
This was taken in
the emergency room
of a local hospital an hour
after Mr. Godoy was struck.
Why did the corporal hit you?
We were all crazy.
I didn't mean to, but I, uh...
I stepped on a little girl.
Your Honor, the government
requests an early recess
to investigate the
credibility of this witness.
Do you have reason to doubt it?
Yes, I do.
No objection, Your Honor.
Counsel may investigate
to her heart's content.
Very well.
Witness may step down.
This court-martial is in recess
until 10:00 tomorrow.
Who is he?
He is the guy Corporal
Duran hit with his M-16.
No, I mean, who is
he... Another actor?
Oh, yeah, that's right.
I, uh, I used an impostor
in the Genuzzi case.
I admitted that. But
this guy's the real deal.
Who you just happened to find
on a weekend trip to Nicaragua.
No, I went looking for him.
Lieutenant Graves
clued me in when she...
Now Graves is working
for you? No, not officially,
but she pointed out
an interesting anomaly
in the forensics report, so
I flew down to El Astillero.
There's only one
hospital in the area,
so it wasn't difficult
to trace Mr. Godoy.
He's telling the truth, ma'am.
Lieutenant Vukovic and the truth
are rarely on speaking terms.
And I'm surprised
at you, Lieutenant.
I thought you, at least,
would have some ethics.
Ma'am, I know
better than anybody
the deception Vukovic is
capable of... believe me...
But this time,
he's being straight.
Hello? Can we talk
about me as if I was here?
Withdraw the witness.
No can do, Colonel.
If he's a fraud,
I will prove it.
I welcome the scrutiny, ma'am.
We'll see.
We are going to win this one.
This guy is for
real... isn't he?
Have I ever lied to you?
You wanted to see me, Colonel?
Yeah. Sit down,
please, Lieutenant.
I have a job for you.
Yes, ma'am.
But I'm not sure I can
rely on your discretion.
Oh. May I ask why, ma'am?
Because of the way you
look at Lieutenant Vukovic.
Whatever feelings I
may or may not have
for Lieutenant
Vukovic... They in no way
affect how I perform my duties.
I'd like to believe you.
Respectfully, ma'am,
may I ask the colonel
how many times
she's been accused
of letting her emotions
rule her judgment?
Wrongly accused?
Point taken.
What's the job, ma'am?
There's a bright spot
on the MRI around C-4.
It indicates a possible
spinal cord transection.
Meaning?
She could be paralyzed
from the neck down.
Could be?
We won't know for sure until
she regains consciousness.
Well, when will that be?
Weeks, months.
We don't know.
You people don't seem
to know very much.
Uh...?
Dr. Rosenbaum,
this is Tom Johnson, Mattie's
father.
How is she doing?
Pulse is steady,
her vitals are good.
She's holding her own.
What's going to
happen to my little girl?
With this type of injury,
Mattie could be
respirator-dependent
the rest of her life.
What does that mean?
It means, she'll be unable
to breathe without assistance.
Um, eventually,
if Mattie remains in a coma,
a decision will have to be made.
What kind of decision?
Whether or not to
keep her on life support.
Will you excuse us, Doctor?
Yeah.
Where have you been, Tom?
Uh, yeah, uh, you know,
I had a lot of things to do.
You know, I had a lot
of things to take care of
in case Mattie needs me.
Mattie does need you.
She's needed you
for the last four days.
Yeah, yeah, I
know that, but I...
See, I had a lot of
things to... to take care of.
Like what? Your bar tab?
No.
You're wrong
about that. I just...
I had stuff to do.
You're drunk.
Yeah, I had a drink.
The kind they keep pouring.
She's all I have, man.
I mean, she is the whole reason
I got sober.
Now, it's, like,
what is the point?
What's the point?
Didn't you listen
to the doctor, Tom?
She's alive.
She's your daughter.
She's your responsibility,
now more than ever.
Oh, God.
Oh, God.
Colonel?
Colonel?
I have the test
results right here.
Is this accurate?
Yes. I have no reason
to believe otherwise, ma'am.
Thank you, Lieutenant.
And you've...
Been discreet.
Yes, ma'am.
No one's seen
the report but you.
Colonel MacKenzie,
are you prepared
to cross examine the witness?
No, Your Honor, I am...
Your Honor, counsel has
no basis upon which to...
Rather, I would like to
request a continuance
to contact the
convening authority
and recommend the
charges be dismissed.
On what grounds?
MacKENZIE: Lack of
evidence, Your Honor.
Can you be just a tiny bit
more specific, Colonel?
MacKENZIE: Yes, sir.
In an effort to
discredit the witness,
I conducted an investigation.
I asked the forensics
lab to compare the blood
on the M-16 stock with a sample
from Mr. Godoy.
I have the lab report here.
It was a match.
Mr. Godoy is, indeed, the
person that Corporal Duran struck.
There is no evidence
that the Corporal struck
anyone else, which
establishes reasonable
doubt as to his culpability.
Does the defense
have any objections?
Uh, none, Your Honor.
Very well, Colonel.
Given the
government's discovery,
I have no doubt that
General Warbet will agree.
This court-martial is
in recess until my call.
Thank you,
Lieutenant. Thank you.
You're welcome.
Thank you for everything, sir.
Thank you. I told you
everything would work out.
Now that's ethics.
♪ ♪
Looks like a nice place.
Oh, yeah.
Uh, it came highly
recommended, sir.
As did you.
Sir?
Commander Rabb.
And, uh, I agree
with his assessment.
You did an outstanding job
with the conference, Lieutenant.
Thank you, sir.
I, uh, I understand
you're up for orders.
Uh, have you, uh, ever
considered a billet at JAG?
Well, the thought
had crossed my mind
after working with
Commander Rabb.
Well, good.
'Cause I'd like to
have you on my staff.
Oh.
Wow. Well, the honor
would be all mine, sir.
Gosh, I have the
strongest urge to curtsy.
Hi. The general's here.
What kind of mood is he in?
He's good.
He's a sweetheart.
Not quite the word I'd use.
MacKENZIE: Oh, I don't know.
I see an occasional
twinkle in his eye.
How would you
describe, uh, Vukovic?
Vukovic is a perfect example
of reverse evolution.
Starts off a prince,
ends up a frog.
Details, please.
Permission to speak freely?
Yeah. The freer the better.
All right.
If you're looking for a
guy in black leathers
to ride up on a Harley
so you can jump up behind him
for a wild, nasty weekend...
Mm. Who doesn't?
That's one thing.
But if you want a relationship
with someone you can depend on,
that's something else.
Okay. Which do
you prefer, Colonel?
I've been on the Harley.
I heard that. Yeah.
MacKENZIE: But
there's a third type.
The guy who used
to wear leathers.
And now he wears
a suit and a tie.
Or a uniform with
commander's stripes?
Okay, getting back to Vukovic...
Sweetie, we never left him.
So what are you
saying, stay away?
Far, far away.
Yeah, that sounds
like good advice.
Except for she won't take
it. Look at her. She can't
wait to mount that Harley.
That is not true.
Oh, okay, 'cause you're gonna
stay detached, right? Aloof.
He's not going to get to you,
'cause you're just
in it for the fun.
Why not?
Because it won't work like that.
Well, I think that maybe
you're misjudging him.
Colonel, please talk to this
girl, 'cause she won't hear me.
No, no, no. I
appreciate your concern.
It's just, I can handle myself.
Oh, my God.
Thank you, ladies,
for your sound advice.
If you'll excuse me.
She didn't hear us.
No, not a word.
God, you're beautiful.
I'm sorry.
I didn't just say that.
I meant to say the table
is ready.
What am I going to
do with you, Vukovic?
I could make a list.
Hello.
Mac, it's Harm.
Hi. We were just about
to sit down to dinner
with the general.
Can I call you back?
Yeah. Sure.
You sound strange.
Is everything all right?
Enjoy your dinner.
We'll talk later.
Yeah, okay. I'll call you back.
Uh, Commander Rabb.
Shall we?
I, uh, just wanted
to say, um,
your actions in court today...
Dropping the charges...
Very admirable.
Well, your witness was real.
Your client wasn't guilty.
There was nothing
admirable about it.
Still, I-I admire your integrity
and the thoroughness
of your investigation.
Matching the blood on the M-16
with Mr. Godoy's was brilliant.
I wish I'd thought of it.
You did.
I did?
Yeah, you knew the blood
samples would match.
You figured I'd discover
it and present it in court.
Well, if you knew,
then why did you do it?
Because an innocent
man was exonerated.
When will I stop
underestimating you?
I bow to your wisdom
and your morals.
No. You wouldn't dare.
What?
Tamper with the evidence,
get the blood samples to match.
What? No, I'm not that clever.
Was it Lieutenant Graves?
Did she show me
a phony lab report?
Uh, if you don't mind
my saying so, Mac,
I think you're being
a little paranoid.
Yeah, maybe I am, but I hope
I never find out that
there was tampering.
You won't.
Please, please.
Hey, wait. Espera.
¡Espera!
Por favor, ¡hace atrás!
Por favor, hace atrás.
Por favor.
It's getting ugly
down there, Senior.
Somebody from the Nicaraguan
government was supposed to be here.
Think they need help?
No, they're Marines,
Belkin. They'll handle it.
¡Abajo!
¿Que hace?
¡Muerto!
¡Mi esposo esta muerto!
The cold snap continues
with unseasonably cold
temperatures, and with an
onshore wind throughout
D.C., tonight's low is...
I've mustered your troops, sir.
God, I hate snow.
And snow levels expected
to reach 18 inches.
sh**t me now.
I'd love to help, but I'll be
busy digging my car out.
Attention on deck.
As you were.
Coates?
Where's Lieutenant Vukovic?
Stuck in traffic, sir.
Very well.
I have good news,
and I have bad news.
I know how much
you're all looking forward
to our annual JAG conference.
The endless days of lectures
on the minutiae of the UCMJ,
its many articles
and subsections.
Well, I find some of those
talks very informative, sir.
Suck up.
You said you
had good news, General?
Given current
conditions, I've, uh,
I've arranged for
a change of venue.
We're not going
to hold it in D.C.
Well, Iceland would
be an improvement.
How about...
San Diego?
I imagine you'll be needing
an advance person, sir?
Got one already. I've, uh,
I've assigned Lieutenant
Graves, who assisted
Commander Rabb at China Lake.
Her C.O. was kind
enough to lend her to me.
Thanks for the
recommendation. She's been...
most effective, if a
bit tiring on the ears.
Hmm. She's a talker, General.
What's the agenda
this year, sir?
I'll let Lieutenant
Mayfield elaborate.
Thank you, sir.
The main topic this year
will be related to
JAG involvement
in combat operations.
Prisoner abuse,
noncombatant casualties,
civilian property
commandeered for m*llitary use,
legality of orders,
and rules of engagement.
That'll be my topic, actually.
Sounds like a full plate, sir.
Unfortunately, there's
limited seating at
this meal... MacKenzie,
Vukovic and Mayfield
will be making the trip with me.
Roberts and Turner, you have
trial dates, you'll remain here.
Commander Rabb,
you'll be acting
JAG while I'm gone.
That'll be all.
Oh, uh, I want see you
and Lieutenant
Vukovic in my office
as soon as he
arrives. Aye, aye, sir.
Enter.
Sorry I missed the
meeting, General.
I was stuck behind a snowplow.
I briefed him on San Diego, sir.
Thank you for including me, sir.
It sounds like fun.
This isn't a junket, Lieutenant.
Of course not, sir.
A Marine unit got into trouble
while it was bringing aid to
Nicaraguans hit by
a tropical cyclone.
Marine Corporal Caden
Duran was doing crowd control.
He allegedly hit a
Nicaraguan civilian.
The man d*ed.
Duran is being charged with
involuntary manslaughter
by culpable negligence.
The Marines and their
Navy L-CAC transport units
are based out of Pendleton.
We'll handle the case
while we're out there;
the locals are up to their ears.
Colonel, you'll prosecute.
Lieutenant, you'll defend.
And what about
the conference, sir?
You're going to
have to multitask.
Sounds like a
win-win to me, sir.
A trip to San Diego,
and we get to mix it
up in the courtroom.
♪ I... I ♪
♪ I've been around the world ♪
♪ Whoo-whoo, whoo-whoo! ♪
Welcome aboard, General.
Thank you, Captain.
Pleasure to have you
here. Good to be here.
♪ Whoo-whoo! ♪
♪ Looking for my girl ♪
♪ I said, I... ♪
♪ Whoo-whoo! ♪
♪ I... ♪
♪ Whoo-whoo! ♪
♪ I've been around
the world... ♪
♪ Whoo-whoo! ♪
Morning, ma'am.
Morning. Lieutenant
Colonel MacKenzie.
I'm Lieutenant Graves.
Nice to meet you.
This is Lieutenant Mayfield
and Lieutenant Vukovic.
Nice of you to meet us
at the Airstream in person.
Oh, it's no trouble. It's
a nice day for a drive.
Right this way, Colonel.
Thank you.
Government issue, Lieutenant?
Well, my issue.
Given the occasion, I sprang
for a rental on my own dime.
Well, I appreciate
the personal touch.
You mind if I drive, Lieutenant?
No, be my guest.
♪ Whoo-whoo, whoo-whoo! ♪
I've secured quarters for you
right on the beach, Colonel.
Oh, wait till you see
the sunset, ma'am.
Well, how about the sunset
from our quarters, Lieutenant?
Oh, it won't disappoint.
I didn't doubt
you for an instant.
♪ I... ♪
♪ Whoo-whoo! ♪
Beautiful.
Trying to find ugly
housing here is...
Like trying to find an
ugly girl in Stockholm.
So I've heard.
There's a lot of vacancies
here, due to the w*r, actually,
so your quarters are here
and Lieutenant Mayfield's
and mine are right next door.
Oh, that's convenient.
Um...
This harbor was an old
Indian whaling ground.
In fact, they still
find artifacts here.
Oh, and at night, the San Diego
city lights are just incredible.
Well, maybe we can
all go artifact hunting
at night sometime.
Pass.
Are you finding everything
to your satisfaction, General?
So far so good, Lieutenant.
How're you doing?
Oh, I'm fine, sir.
So, the cocktail reception
begins at 1800 tonight.
It's casual civilian attire.
Thank you, Lieutenant. Yes, sir.
And the seminars are
going to begin at 0900.
All the speakers have arrived,
the presentation
speakers, not the hi-fi type.
Oh, my God, I
hope we have those.
Anyway, I found
a really great DJ.
Um, what else?
Oh, oh, I stocked your fridge.
I heard you're into health food,
so I got you lots of
tofu, organic millet, um...
Who-who suggested that?
Petty Officer Coates.
Did she? Yes, sir.
This is my first
conference, sir,
so if there's
anything I've missed...
You did well, Lieutenant.
Thank you.
Thank you, sir, no trouble.
Here's your office.
Morning, sir. Morning.
Thank you,
Lieutenant. That'll be all.
Aye, sir.
Let's step in and go
over the plan of the day.
Everyone settled in okay?
Just fine, sir.
I'm assigning
Lieutenant Mayfield
to be your second
chair in the Duran case.
Will that be a problem
for either of you?
No, sir. No, sir.
Scuttlebutt says you
two have a history.
Whatever it is, I don't care.
I need good lawyers on my staff.
I also need cooperation.
You may consider this a
test neither of you wants to fail.
That'll be all.
Just finished going over your
inquiry into the Courtman case.
You recommend against
court-martial. Why?
While I believe the corporal
is guilty of disorderly conduct,
I also believe there are
mitigating circumstances.
Such as? He just
got back from Iraq,
where he saw eight men in
his platoon, his friends, k*lled.
He put a civilian
in the hospital,
and he started a barroom brawl
that caused $5,000
worth of damage.
The civilian started that fight.
He's a good Marine,
Harm. He's taking a hit.
Let's leave it at that?
All right, well, if it's
good enough for you,
it's good enough for me.
Take it to the
convening authority.
Excuse me, sir.
You have a call on line two.
Who is it?
The hospital, sir.
Mattie's been in an accident.
Even before our
L-CAC hit the beach,
I could see them, sir.
A whole crowd of people, sir.
Word travels when you
haven't had food or water
for three days.
What happened when you landed?
We off-loaded the trucks, ma'am.
And we started distributing
the food and water.
It got crazy.
Like, uh, on a hot
summer day, when the
ice cream truck shows up
and the kids all swarm the guy.
In my neighborhood, Lieutenant,
you had to fight to get any.
In my neighborhood, too.
It was a riot, straight up, sir.
Men, women, children,
they were throwing elbows,
tearing at each other.
I saw babies in mothers'
arms getting knocked around.
That's not going to
justify clubbing a civilian.
It wasn't like that, ma'am.
This big guy
stomps on this little girl
while he's fighting
over a bag of rice?
I tried to get him to stop,
but he-he kept going,
so I... I hit him.
Oh, you were
trying to save the kid.
Yes, sir.
You gotta believe me, sir.
Government's going to argue
you used excessive force.
Maybe I did, ma'am.
I got upset, but I didn't
mean to hurt anyone.
We were there to help.
You did what you
thought was right.
And that's what we're going to
demonstrate in the courtroom.
Excuse me.
I'm looking for Mattie Johnson.
Tom.
She was taking a flying lesson.
The instructor cut
the lesson short
because of the storm.
They brought the
plane in for a landing
just as another plane was
taxiing across the runway.
In this weather, they probably
never saw each other.
Well, not till the last minute,
till it was too late.
The instructor was
k*lled, and, uh, Mattie's...
What are the doctors saying?
They say she
has a spinal injury.
They gave her a CT
scan to examine her brain,
and they say they can't
tell me anything else
until a specialist gets
here from Johns Hopkins.
When will that be?
I don't know.
Could be a couple of days.
Tom, I-I'm sure
they're giving her
the best possible care.
You raised her to be tough, Tom.
She's going to
pull through this.
They know things, Commander.
They're just not telling me.
But I know they know things.
♪ And you're wining on me ♪
♪ Pushing everything ♪
♪ Right back on
top of me, yeah, eh ♪
♪ But if you think you're
gonna get away from me ♪
♪ You better change your mind ♪
♪ You're going home ♪
♪ You're going home
with me tonight ♪
♪ Let me hold you ♪
♪ Girl, caress my body ♪
♪ You got me going crazy ♪
♪ You turn me on, turn me on ♪
♪ Let me jam you ♪
♪ Girl, wine all around me ♪
♪ You got me going crazy ♪
♪ You turn me on, turn me on ♪
That's not right.
I think I'll have a drink.
Yeah, I'd love one.
♪ One hand on the ground
and bumper... sky high ♪
♪ Wining hard on me ♪
♪ Got my eye turned,
hollerin' for mercy ♪
♪ Yeah, eh ♪
♪ Then I whisper in her
ear, so, wine harder ♪
♪ And then she said to me... ♪
Are you enjoying
the party, Colonel?
Oh, I'm actually not
much of a party person.
Mmm. Me neither.
Aren't you wanted
on the dance floor, Travolta?
Only if you will join me.
Not tonight.
You know, I know
something you might enjoy.
MacKENZIE: Wow, this is amazing.
How did you find
out about this place?
I was home-ported to San Diego
when I served
aboard the Stennis.
Do you bring many women up here?
Only when I want
to soften them up.
For what?
Corporal Duran was on
a humanitarian mission.
He shouldn't do brig time.
He clocked an innocent civilian.
He k*lled him.
Allegedly.
We'll go along with
reduction of rank,
and we'll give back
some pay.
Given the mitigation,
a humanitarian cause,
I'll go for two years
instead of four.
Come on, Mac.
Colonel.
He's not doing time.
No confinement or
punitive discharge.
We'll take an administrative
separation with benefits.
No deal.
Okay.
No deal.
Now, how about that dance?
There's no music.
Oh, I think there is.
Senior Chief Pudero...
Lieutenant Colonel
MacKenzie, JAG.
Colonel, a pleasure.
I've been assigned prosecution
of the incident in Nicaragua.
Permission to come aboard?
Yes, ma'am. Marines are
always welcome on my L-CAC.
MacKENZIE: Thank
you. It's been a while,
but these boats never
cease to impress.
They're even better when
you get to know them, ma'am.
With these babies, we can carry
a 60-ton payload
at up to 50 knots.
Trucks, Humvees, an M-1
t*nk... They all fit in our mailbag.
Hmm, as do
enough relief supplies
to feed a small
village for a week.
Yes, ma'am.
Did you witness the incident
involving Corporal Duran
and the Nicaraguan civilian?
I saw some of what happened.
How much? Will you
excuse me, Colonel?
The crush box has got
some fresh dings
in it, Petty Officer.
And make sure you
check out the skirting.
Aye, aye, Senior; I'm on it.
These hovercraft are
maintenance-intensive, ma'am.
MacKENZIE: Yeah, I
saw your people pulling
some pretty serious
maneuvers out there.
It's air hockey with
a 200-ton puck.
You can turn these
bad boys on a dime,
take them damn near anywhere.
Gives us access to more
than 75% of the world's shores.
Which brings us
back to Nicaragua
and Corporal Duran.
Indeed it does, ma'am.
When I saw the corporal
unsling his w*apon
and jump down into that crowd,
I knew there was
going to be trouble.
I figured he was just going
to try to push the people back.
But he did more than that.
Yes, he did.
Did Corporal Duran overreact?
Is that still fragrant
over there, Belkin?
Get a team in there
to swab that thing out.
I don't want my
boat gathering flies,
understood?
Aye, aye, Senior Chief.
Whew!
Sorry, ma'am;
should've warned you.
We had a full load of
Marines this morning
packed in like sardines,
one small porthole
to look through.
In rough seas,
even the toughest Marine
can become reacquainted
with his breakfast.
I'd be happy to take
you for a ride, Colonel.
I've had all the
reacquainting I'd ever want
in the back of an F-14,
but thank you, Senior Chief.
You still didn't
answer my question.
Did Corporal Duran overreact?
It was a bad situation, ma'am.
It was very tense.
The people
on that beach
were out of control.
That being said,
I don't think the
corporal needed to use
the south end of his w*apon
on that civilian the way he did.
Thank you, Senior Chief.
Ma'am.
We're not taking the offer.
Can we at least discuss it, sir?
What is there to discuss?
I'd like to hear
what he has to say.
Go ahead, Corporal.
The deal the colonel offered...
Two years instead of four...
Would make a big difference
to my family back home.
A zero time served
versus two years
would make an even
bigger difference.
But we can't guarantee
that outcome at court-martial.
Maybe "we" can't, but I can.
Do you believe
that you're guilty
of the charges, Corporal?
I keep replaying
it in my head, sir.
Truth is, I don't know, sir.
Well, then let's replay it now.
You saw people fighting.
You saw a child trapped
in the middle, endangered.
Your instinct was to
protect the child, right?
Yes, sir.
You didn't mean to hurt anyone?
No, sir.
Well, then you did your job
on that beach, Corporal.
You helped people.
Now I got to do my job,
which is to help you.
But I can't do that
unless you trust me.
Ah, it's enough to
make Otis Redding cry.
"Sittin' On the
Dock of the Bay."
See, I would have thought
you were more of, like,
a Smokey Robinson fan.
No. Any old-school
R&B, I'm there.
Me, too. Get out of here.
No, I'm a southern girl.
Well, Southern
California, but you know?
I like this artifact hunting.
How's your case going?
I-I just, I find m*rder
mysteries really intriguing.
I don't know how much
mystery there is here.
It's pretty caveman-basic.
Boy meets boy,
clobbers him.
It's the context where
my argument lies.
Oh, so you've already
mapped out your strategy.
I have. I'm basing the
defense on mob mentality.
Ordinarily peaceful citizens
become violent and
dangerous when in a mob,
especially in a
highly-charged environment.
Like a basketball game.
Or a natural disaster.
Last time I checked the NBA,
it pretty much looked the same.
See, I would have gone
straight to forensics,
and I don't know, I would
have just wasted a lot of time.
That was my first stop. Really?
But it was pretty
much open-and-shut.
The victim d*ed of a
cerebral hemorrhage
due to blunt force trauma.
Like I said, caveman-basic.
The more
"caveman-basic" things are,
the more excited
I get, you know?
I'll keep that in mind.
The locals started
grabbing crates of food.
Our guys told them to
back off, but they wouldn't.
MacKENZIE: What
was their temper?
Ma'am?
Well, the locals,
were they friendly,
aggressive, desperate, hostile?
Did they yell out
anti-American sentiment?
They weren't exactly
hostile, Colonel.
Um, they were
certainly aggressive,
and I guess you could
say they were desperate.
Just as any parent
would be whose child
was homeless and hungry.
Objection, Your Honor.
Objection, Your Honor.
Sustained and sustained.
MacKENZIE: What
led up to the accused
striking the victim?
Assumes facts not in evidence.
I'll rephrase.
What led the victim
to fall down dead
from a blow to the head
at the feet of Corporal Duran?
Colonel. Sorry, sir.
Just tell us what you
saw, Senior Chief.
Yes, sir.
Well, Corporal Duran
unslung his M-16.
He jumped off the truck
and waded into the mob.
He was yelling at
the people in Spanish,
but they didn't listen.
Would you please
use your display
to clarify the
sequence of events?
I'd be happy to, Colonel.
I was up here on the craft.
Corporal Duran was on this
truck here.
He jumped down.
Other Marines joined him.
There was a lot of yelling.
Uh, at some point in time,
the crowd pulls back,
a guy is lying on the sand,
and Corporal Duran
is standing over him.
w*apon in hand.
Yes, ma'am. Thank
you, Senior Chief.
You were on the L-CAC
watching this, Senior Chief?
Yes, sir, I was
until I ran down.
Well, according to this
picture, your line of sight
into the crowd where
Corporal Duran was
was blocked by
this truck, am I right?
That is correct, sir;
I didn't have a clear
view until I went
down onto the sand.
So, you did not, in fact,
see Corporal Duran
strike anyone, did you?
No, sir.
Thank you, Senior Chief.
Senior Chief, do
you see this pen?
Yes, ma'am.
Where's the pen now?
On the floor.
MacKENZIE: But how do
you know? You can't see it.
The table's in the way.
Where else could it be, ma'am?
Is there a point to
this, Your Honor?
Connect the dots, Colonel.
MacKENZIE: I intend to, sir.
You saw the accused unsling
his M-16 and
wade into the crowd.
A short time later,
you saw him standing over
the victim, w*apon in hand.
What do you infer?
That he hit the
guy with the M-16.
Just as you inferred
the pen hit the ground.
Thank you.
I'm not saying
give up, but I think
we should reconsider
Colonel MacKenzie's offer.
I can b*at her. That's
what this is about to you.
It's about b*ating MacKenzie.
No, it's about winning the case.
I don't know what
drives you more...
Your ego or your libido.
Let's not make this personal.
We have a duty to our client.
Gonna give me a lecture now?
It's one thing to be cocky
with your own life.
It's another to showboat
with someone else's.
I'm not showboating.
I am being aggressive.
Bull! I see you
working Cresswell.
I see you working MacKenzie.
What, you jealous?
Disgusted is more like it.
You're playing Russian
roulette with our client's future.
I am willing to live
with the consequences.
That'll be a real comfort
to Corporal Duran,
sitting in the brig.
I have a presentation
to prepare.
You go ahead, walk away.
You were always good at that.
You don't just use people.
You use people up.
Commander Rabb? They
told me you were up here.
Dr. Michael Rosenbaum.
I just drove in from Baltimore.
Doc, it's been three days.
What took you so long?
Well, teaching, patients,
rounds, surgery, weather.
Shall I go on?
Come on. Let's go in.
CT scan shows bilateral
frontal contusions.
That's bruising of the brain,
which explains the coma.
Her doctor said she
has a spinal injury.
I'm not going to jump
to any conclusions
till all the results are in.
When will that be?
I've already scheduled an MRI.
Can you help her?
This girl's body suffered
enormous punishment,
and the fact that
she's still alive is...
it's a miracle in itself.
Being alive isn't
enough, Doctor.
She has to get better.
What's your relation
to the patient?
I was her legal guardian.
Now I'm her friend.
Where are her parents?
Her mother's deceased.
Her father was
here late last night.
He's, uh, getting some rest.
Look...
Please, you got to help her.
I'll do my best.
You should get some rest, too.
Hey, Mattie.
You're going to be okay.
You're going to get out
of here in a couple days.
In fact, you got to get better.
You know, we got
plans, remember?
We're going to sail
the Mediterranean,
ski Aspen...
fly Mount McKinley.
There's so much you got to do.
Go to college,
fall in love,
have babies...
live.
God, she is so good
and so smart.
You know, I want to be her.
Who? Colonel MacKenzie.
The woman who
hammered you in court today.
Aw, she didn't hammer me, okay?
Oh, looked like it from
where I was sitting.
She served you up a
big ol' plate of ass-whup.
She chewed you up, spit
you out, b*rned you down.
All right. Okay, I get it.
She's also very attractive.
She's also two
pay-grades above me.
There are rules.
Yeah, like you care.
You want to know
what I care about?
No, no.
Don't you even start... What?
"What? What?"
Oh, I am not letting
you in, Vukovic, okay?
I'm on a guy-atus.
A guy-atus?
A hiatus from guys.
Oh.
Well, you can't
judge the whole barrel
from a couple
of rotten apricots.
All right, all right, all right.
Let's just let the, uh...
your blood supply get
shifted back to your brain.
I read the forensics report.
Oh, right, your
amateur sleuthing.
And what did the
report tell you?
Well, the victim was struck
on the crown of the skull,
Mr. Patronizing.
So?
So, three words:
horizontal butt stroke.
I'm going to need more words.
Okay, according to
Forensics, your client used
his M-16...
like a club, like so.
Ah!
But the Marines are trained
to use a horizontal
butt stroke like so.
Okay.
Okay. Which means that the wound
would've had to be
on the side of the head
or on the face, but not
on the crown of the skull.
And another thing...
There was no test done
to match the victim's blood
with the blood on the M-16.
There was no need; witnesses
saw Corporal Duran hit the victim.
Are you sure?
Things were pretty chaotic.
Why are you looking
at me like that?
You're creeping me out.
I got to go. I'll
see you Monday.
Oh, my God, Tali,
thank God. Over here.
So, they're kind of waiting.
I know. I'm sorry. Okay.
What's wrong?
I'm feeling a little nauseous...
feeling a little dizzy.
What, are you sick?
No.
Oh, my God. I'm terrified.
I made it through OTS, I
made it through combat,
I made it through
court, a wedding, but
but when it comes
to public sp...
What-what, do you have a phobia?
But you're a lawyer. You...
Well, lawyers have phobias, too.
Okay. Hey, okay,
take deep breaths.
Take deep breaths.
Yeah.
That's feeling better.
Good. You could picture
the audience naked.
Lieutenant, I hope you have
something interesting to say
about the rules of engagement.
I don't think the naked
thing's going to work.
As you were.
I'm Lieutenant Tali Mayfield.
I apol...
I apologize for the late start.
Sun Tzu said,
"Those who excel in
w*r must first cultivate
their own humanity and justice."
But what if you're in the
sand in a foreign place,
not knowing what to do
and when to do it?
Do we have an E.T.A.
on Lieutenant Vukovic?
I'm sure he'll be here
shortly, Your Honor.
You should both
invest in better watches.
Yes, Your Honor.
You're an able
attorney, Lieutenant,
as you demonstrated during
your presentation Saturday.
I think you're capable of
representing your client,
unless the accused
has an objection.
If it pleases the
court, Defense calls
PFC Ogden to the stand.
My apologies to the court.
Rough weekend,
Lieutenant? No, sir.
Rough weather...
Our flight was delayed.
And what flight was that?
The one from Nicaragua, sir.
You were in Nicaragua? Yes, sir.
I flew down there this
weekend to locate this man.
His name is Fonseca Godoy.
He was on the beach that day.
He saw the incident clearly.
Your Honor, I have no
knowledge of this witness.
Neither did I until yesterday.
There was no time to
inform Trial Counsel.
Do you speak English, sir?
Si. Uh, yes.
Were you on the beach
when the trucks came in?
Yes.
Why didn't you
give your statement
to the police at the time?
When the police came, I run.
All right.
Please have a seat.
Mr. Godoy, did you know the man
who d*ed on the beach that day?
Yes. Carlos Mejia Tijerino.
He lived in my village.
Did the accused... the
man sitting at that table...
Strike Mr. Tijerino?
No, he did not.
Then how did Mr. Tijerino die?
There was a struggle
over a big crate.
Uh, Carlos slipped.
The crate fell on his head,
and, uh, it was a heavy crate.
But everyone knew that
Carlos had a soft head.
Well, there were
witnesses who testified
that they saw the accused
strike Mr. Tijerino with his M-16.
No, that's not possible.
And why not?
Because I am the
man that he struck.
This is where the
corporal hit me with his g*n.
This was taken in
the emergency room
of a local hospital an hour
after Mr. Godoy was struck.
Why did the corporal hit you?
We were all crazy.
I didn't mean to, but I, uh...
I stepped on a little girl.
Your Honor, the government
requests an early recess
to investigate the
credibility of this witness.
Do you have reason to doubt it?
Yes, I do.
No objection, Your Honor.
Counsel may investigate
to her heart's content.
Very well.
Witness may step down.
This court-martial is in recess
until 10:00 tomorrow.
Who is he?
He is the guy Corporal
Duran hit with his M-16.
No, I mean, who is
he... Another actor?
Oh, yeah, that's right.
I, uh, I used an impostor
in the Genuzzi case.
I admitted that. But
this guy's the real deal.
Who you just happened to find
on a weekend trip to Nicaragua.
No, I went looking for him.
Lieutenant Graves
clued me in when she...
Now Graves is working
for you? No, not officially,
but she pointed out
an interesting anomaly
in the forensics report, so
I flew down to El Astillero.
There's only one
hospital in the area,
so it wasn't difficult
to trace Mr. Godoy.
He's telling the truth, ma'am.
Lieutenant Vukovic and the truth
are rarely on speaking terms.
And I'm surprised
at you, Lieutenant.
I thought you, at least,
would have some ethics.
Ma'am, I know
better than anybody
the deception Vukovic is
capable of... believe me...
But this time,
he's being straight.
Hello? Can we talk
about me as if I was here?
Withdraw the witness.
No can do, Colonel.
If he's a fraud,
I will prove it.
I welcome the scrutiny, ma'am.
We'll see.
We are going to win this one.
This guy is for
real... isn't he?
Have I ever lied to you?
You wanted to see me, Colonel?
Yeah. Sit down,
please, Lieutenant.
I have a job for you.
Yes, ma'am.
But I'm not sure I can
rely on your discretion.
Oh. May I ask why, ma'am?
Because of the way you
look at Lieutenant Vukovic.
Whatever feelings I
may or may not have
for Lieutenant
Vukovic... They in no way
affect how I perform my duties.
I'd like to believe you.
Respectfully, ma'am,
may I ask the colonel
how many times
she's been accused
of letting her emotions
rule her judgment?
Wrongly accused?
Point taken.
What's the job, ma'am?
There's a bright spot
on the MRI around C-4.
It indicates a possible
spinal cord transection.
Meaning?
She could be paralyzed
from the neck down.
Could be?
We won't know for sure until
she regains consciousness.
Well, when will that be?
Weeks, months.
We don't know.
You people don't seem
to know very much.
Uh...?
Dr. Rosenbaum,
this is Tom Johnson, Mattie's
father.
How is she doing?
Pulse is steady,
her vitals are good.
She's holding her own.
What's going to
happen to my little girl?
With this type of injury,
Mattie could be
respirator-dependent
the rest of her life.
What does that mean?
It means, she'll be unable
to breathe without assistance.
Um, eventually,
if Mattie remains in a coma,
a decision will have to be made.
What kind of decision?
Whether or not to
keep her on life support.
Will you excuse us, Doctor?
Yeah.
Where have you been, Tom?
Uh, yeah, uh, you know,
I had a lot of things to do.
You know, I had a lot
of things to take care of
in case Mattie needs me.
Mattie does need you.
She's needed you
for the last four days.
Yeah, yeah, I
know that, but I...
See, I had a lot of
things to... to take care of.
Like what? Your bar tab?
No.
You're wrong
about that. I just...
I had stuff to do.
You're drunk.
Yeah, I had a drink.
The kind they keep pouring.
She's all I have, man.
I mean, she is the whole reason
I got sober.
Now, it's, like,
what is the point?
What's the point?
Didn't you listen
to the doctor, Tom?
She's alive.
She's your daughter.
She's your responsibility,
now more than ever.
Oh, God.
Oh, God.
Colonel?
Colonel?
I have the test
results right here.
Is this accurate?
Yes. I have no reason
to believe otherwise, ma'am.
Thank you, Lieutenant.
And you've...
Been discreet.
Yes, ma'am.
No one's seen
the report but you.
Colonel MacKenzie,
are you prepared
to cross examine the witness?
No, Your Honor, I am...
Your Honor, counsel has
no basis upon which to...
Rather, I would like to
request a continuance
to contact the
convening authority
and recommend the
charges be dismissed.
On what grounds?
MacKENZIE: Lack of
evidence, Your Honor.
Can you be just a tiny bit
more specific, Colonel?
MacKENZIE: Yes, sir.
In an effort to
discredit the witness,
I conducted an investigation.
I asked the forensics
lab to compare the blood
on the M-16 stock with a sample
from Mr. Godoy.
I have the lab report here.
It was a match.
Mr. Godoy is, indeed, the
person that Corporal Duran struck.
There is no evidence
that the Corporal struck
anyone else, which
establishes reasonable
doubt as to his culpability.
Does the defense
have any objections?
Uh, none, Your Honor.
Very well, Colonel.
Given the
government's discovery,
I have no doubt that
General Warbet will agree.
This court-martial is
in recess until my call.
Thank you,
Lieutenant. Thank you.
You're welcome.
Thank you for everything, sir.
Thank you. I told you
everything would work out.
Now that's ethics.
♪ ♪
Looks like a nice place.
Oh, yeah.
Uh, it came highly
recommended, sir.
As did you.
Sir?
Commander Rabb.
And, uh, I agree
with his assessment.
You did an outstanding job
with the conference, Lieutenant.
Thank you, sir.
I, uh, I understand
you're up for orders.
Uh, have you, uh, ever
considered a billet at JAG?
Well, the thought
had crossed my mind
after working with
Commander Rabb.
Well, good.
'Cause I'd like to
have you on my staff.
Oh.
Wow. Well, the honor
would be all mine, sir.
Gosh, I have the
strongest urge to curtsy.
Hi. The general's here.
What kind of mood is he in?
He's good.
He's a sweetheart.
Not quite the word I'd use.
MacKENZIE: Oh, I don't know.
I see an occasional
twinkle in his eye.
How would you
describe, uh, Vukovic?
Vukovic is a perfect example
of reverse evolution.
Starts off a prince,
ends up a frog.
Details, please.
Permission to speak freely?
Yeah. The freer the better.
All right.
If you're looking for a
guy in black leathers
to ride up on a Harley
so you can jump up behind him
for a wild, nasty weekend...
Mm. Who doesn't?
That's one thing.
But if you want a relationship
with someone you can depend on,
that's something else.
Okay. Which do
you prefer, Colonel?
I've been on the Harley.
I heard that. Yeah.
MacKENZIE: But
there's a third type.
The guy who used
to wear leathers.
And now he wears
a suit and a tie.
Or a uniform with
commander's stripes?
Okay, getting back to Vukovic...
Sweetie, we never left him.
So what are you
saying, stay away?
Far, far away.
Yeah, that sounds
like good advice.
Except for she won't take
it. Look at her. She can't
wait to mount that Harley.
That is not true.
Oh, okay, 'cause you're gonna
stay detached, right? Aloof.
He's not going to get to you,
'cause you're just
in it for the fun.
Why not?
Because it won't work like that.
Well, I think that maybe
you're misjudging him.
Colonel, please talk to this
girl, 'cause she won't hear me.
No, no, no. I
appreciate your concern.
It's just, I can handle myself.
Oh, my God.
Thank you, ladies,
for your sound advice.
If you'll excuse me.
She didn't hear us.
No, not a word.
God, you're beautiful.
I'm sorry.
I didn't just say that.
I meant to say the table
is ready.
What am I going to
do with you, Vukovic?
I could make a list.
Hello.
Mac, it's Harm.
Hi. We were just about
to sit down to dinner
with the general.
Can I call you back?
Yeah. Sure.
You sound strange.
Is everything all right?
Enjoy your dinner.
We'll talk later.
Yeah, okay. I'll call you back.
Uh, Commander Rabb.
Shall we?
I, uh, just wanted
to say, um,
your actions in court today...
Dropping the charges...
Very admirable.
Well, your witness was real.
Your client wasn't guilty.
There was nothing
admirable about it.
Still, I-I admire your integrity
and the thoroughness
of your investigation.
Matching the blood on the M-16
with Mr. Godoy's was brilliant.
I wish I'd thought of it.
You did.
I did?
Yeah, you knew the blood
samples would match.
You figured I'd discover
it and present it in court.
Well, if you knew,
then why did you do it?
Because an innocent
man was exonerated.
When will I stop
underestimating you?
I bow to your wisdom
and your morals.
No. You wouldn't dare.
What?
Tamper with the evidence,
get the blood samples to match.
What? No, I'm not that clever.
Was it Lieutenant Graves?
Did she show me
a phony lab report?
Uh, if you don't mind
my saying so, Mac,
I think you're being
a little paranoid.
Yeah, maybe I am, but I hope
I never find out that
there was tampering.
You won't.