Tuesday, October 29, 2002

Offensive Action - 164

Commander Beth O'Neil was charged w/ sexual harassment by Lt. Cursey who she had given a poor fitness report. H & Manetti defend but differ in their assessment of O'Neil. Manetti believed she was innocent, H that she was hiding something. Cursey claimed that she had called him into her BOQ in the evening, commented on his girlfriend, and paused before she signed his report. He believed she was waiting for him to offer sexual favors and she wouldn't sign it although she never actually said anything of the kind. He told M "I don't know how to say this w/o being vain but I've been approached by women before, a lot." He never actually warned O'Neil before filing charges. During the case others testified that O'Neil had seemed inappropriate to them referring to male personnel. Lt. Murtaugh wanted to testify that she "danced with him." Lt Cdr Nancy Yorkin said O'Neil asked if she had ever fantasized about sleeping with Cursey. Manetti pursued the answer until Yorkin admitted "yes" but never acted on it- then understood that O'Neil probably never acted either. O'Neil said that she only talked about Cursey costing 14hrs of flying time and missing a Japanese sub by carelessly deploying sonar buoys. She paused to see if he had understood and he just glared back. She said this one was too important to let go.

M asked O'Neil if she had had any sexual encounters in 3 years since her divorce over Hs objections. O'Neil said no and M badgered her until the judge had to back her down. When both Manetti and H said they didn't believe her, O'Neil admitted that she was gay and had probably overcompensated in front of female personnel. M offered another deal to H which he couldn't take. In their discussions he told M that O'Neil was innocent (but of course he couldn't reveal how he knew). M said case was pure and simple; but, H replied that "the truth is rarely pure and never simple, Mac." Manetti gave H a ring from a cigar and explained that when young she would give the ring's from her daddy's cigars to her friends. H asked if she considered him a friend and she said she would "when you learn to trust me." He said that she should learn to trust him- they were both right: O'Neil was innocent and she was hiding something. H showed that Cursey was still making mistakes under his new commander and suggested that "perhaps you are so used to being defined by your looks" that he had overlooked the real story. He asked him if it was possible he had misunderstood and Cursey finally admitted that it was possible. The judge dismissed the charges. T & M argued: T- that Cursey was mistaken, M- that H had snowed Cursey into thinking he was mistaken. M asked "what was she hiding" and both H & Manetti answered at once: "don't ask."

Ht pulls away from intimacy with B. B walks out on Styles in a bar when Styles went to pick up a woman with his prosthetic showing. B apparently seemed to think that Styles wasn't sufficiently ashamed of not being whole. He then started malingering in his rehab. Finally Styles came to confront B with hurting his feelings and B surprised to see that Melissa had actually found Styles interesting.

C sent Meredith flowers and she responded with an embarrassing videotape. H complained to C that Meredith had been leaving messages on his answering machine but C wouldn't give him any suggestions on what to tell her. She cooked fish for C leaving a bone which he choked on. She gave him at least 2 heimlick's and had a fire in the kitchen. Then she forced a back massage on him, called herself a "professional" and broke his rib.

Tuesday, October 22, 2002

In Thin Air - 163

H investigated the death of Cdr Phil Zuzello by asphyxiation due to LOX (liquid oxygen) system failure. He was the RIO and long time friend of Lt Sam Albrecht. When H said that "things didn't add up" Albrecht said that Zuzello had "barely passed his O2 demonstration" and it was his last mission. Then a Sr Chief told H to "look at" PO Moritz, the plane captain, who had been fouling up a lot recently. Moritz admitted that he had used graphite to get the LOX bottle to attach to the plane because it always stuck but didn't get any in the fitting. Apparently H didn't believe him because he recommended charging Moritz when tests revealed graphite in the LOX system.

M was sent for a JAG consult to the widow who eventually had to decide to "pull the plug" which raised the charge to negligent homicide. Then C assigned H to defend Moritz over Hs vehement objections- but was told that Moritz had specifically requested him on the recommendation of one of Hs previous clients. But H didn't do a very thorough job of defense and Moritz finally requested that C appoint someone else. C "severed" H and gave the case to Turner. When H pointed out that he had been forced into the assignment in the first place C informed H that the assignment had been "a test" to see if he could be impartial and trusted for judgeship. T took over and recalled witnesses and did the thorough job that H should have done. He saw M & H talk about the case despite being severed & when M used "aviator talk" in court he claimed misconduct. T & H traded sarcasms when C talked to them about it. H said that he believed that Moritz should have to take the whole blame and would like to prove it. C asked if "this involves a trip to a carrier" then told H "not to press his luck" while he waits for the judges ruling on Ts charge. H convinced Albrecht to replicate the flight looking for a roll-sas failure and "wing rock" but uncovered that Albrecht had vertigo which nearly killed them both. Zuzello had told his wife that he had had "a close call" before he died.

M, seeking the truth, helped T discover that Albrecht had been using his backup O2 for 4 minutes before he reported the oxygen failure and began a slow descent and had also been a LOX tech before becoming a pilot. He had killed Zuzello to prevent him from reporting Albrecht's problem. Moritz apologized and thanked H for what he had done. T heard it and asked if H would be "as easy on him." H said he would if T bought him a drink.

Ht manipulated & interfered w/ B behind his back. She said she would take him to rehab and he said he had a week off. Then she called the doctor behind his back to find that he had "overworked" his good leg and then indignantly accused B of lying to her. She told Tiner to stop sending a list of cases to B then to lie and say that it had been Cs new policy and C was out of the office. B found out & finally blew up at her over-protection. She claimed that all her manipulation was done "for him" prompting B to finally tell her "well it's MY life, so leave the DOING to me." B & Ht visited JAG bringing pizza.

Tuesday, October 15, 2002

Dangerous Game - 162

Harriet & B pulled up in front of their new two story house that daddy bought behind Bs back; in their new SUV that Ht pressured B to let daddy help them buy; into the den with a big screen TV that daddy bought and a piano that mommy thought would be good for AJs music lessons. She babied B until he complained to Coats by Email. Coats said Singer had thrown up every day since coming on board. AJ brought wine, Tiner Star Trek DVDs, Turner a submarine book, H an Enterprise CD and M a Seahawk model.

The SECNAV was "fired" and replaced by Sen. Sheffield who had been his accuser in previous hearings (blue screen footage w/ pres Bush in oval office for swearing in). SECNAV Sheffield forced C to bring a "friend" into JAG- LT Cdr Tracy Manetti who's tobacco farmer father had contributed substantially to his election. She and her 3 brothers are all lawyers. When Sheffield showed familiarity w/ Manetti, she told C that she wasn't part of SECNAVs agenda and didn't expect special treatment. C told her "you won't be disappointed."

SEAL Lt Brad Reynolds & PO Pittman were on a training mission in the community of Somerville when Deputy Ray Gault clocked them speeding. He got instructions from his sheriff, who was watching smoky & the bandit, to give chase and was killed in rollover. Reynolds knew he wasn't speeding and thought the pull over was part of the exercise, like a previous time, and didn't stop. Manetti wanted to increase the charge to reckless endangerment from negligent homicide. When M called Reynolds arrogant he said "confident" because he "made myself that way." OP orders were to obey civil authorities. The 'Old boy sheriff, dishonest, arrogant claimed he didn't receive either the fax or telephone call notifying him of the training mission. H & Manetti showed that Reynolds had been involved in a bar altercation 10 days previously and had threatened the deputy. M told T that they wouldn't do any re-direct because "how can you patch the Titanic." They found that it was the sheriff who had instigated the bar incident by shaming Gault in front of the SEALs that he had washed out. They found that the sheriff had lied and did receive fax. Also that another deputy had called the sheriff in the office twice: both before and 5 minutes after the SEAL office had made their direct phone call notification. phone log show sheriff was in office. The radar gun was miscalibrated 10 MPH fast. They intimated that the states attorney would have questions with the sheriff when they were through. Reynolds took a plea so he could stay in navy. Turner told H that Reynolds had volunteered to take a "career hit" because he felt he should be "held to a higher standard as a SEAL."

Meredith coerced C to coerce H to take her flying. H asked it "it was an order" but then was shamed to agreeing to "gas up Sarah." C thought Hs plane was named after M but it was named after his grandmother. Like the scatterbrained, buffoon she is, Meredith pushed the stick into a power-dive and was oblivious to the ground and Hs shouting "let go of the stick." Then smashed into the rudder looking over the side and was oblivious to the plane flipping over and Hs shouting "get off the rudder." She offered to "help" H land and was oblivious to his emphatic "NO" then told C that she "couldn't wait until the next 'lesson'."

Tuesday, October 8, 2002

Family Business - 161

Singer was shipping out. Everyone was extremely polite, had a party, but were gone so fast with excuses she couldn’t even finish her "goodbye and thanks for the party" speech. M told H that the reason she was happy was because of her dream of "seeing S on television 'standing on the Seahawk.'" T told her that he had two presents: one- he wouldn't tell about her being Jewish lie as long as she acted the part and as far as he was concerned she was Jewish; and two- he gave her a Mezuzah that she was supposed to put up on "the doorway of her quarters."

DNA testing was inconclusive so Sergei didn't get citizenship. He told H that he was lonely most of the time and that he had decided to go back to Russia. H had tried to warn him about Singer to which he "blew up" claiming H was trying to overprotect him. S charmed Sergei who told H that she was "Russian in spirit, and deeper than he realized." When H was a bit late to take him to the airport Sergei ended up calling S who gave him ride. Sergei told H that "I will miss you and that is all you need to know."

The Pres accepted the SECNAVs resignation. Cpl Shawn Stiles (amputee) was dogging B in rehab where B was "giving up." Mk had to shame BB into visiting B. B whined at Stiles [at least you've got your fathers support]. B finally recognized the folly of his ways after H talked to him. He went down to rehab by himself and fell while trying to walk on the bars but was caught by Mk and BB who had finally come to visit.

H defended Gunny Sgt Akers on a murder charge for shooting his wife. M prosecuted and refused to talk about a settlement and went for "premeditation." Akers claimed "self defense" as his wife was an alcoholic who had "abused" him before. Akers also refused to let H talk to his 10 y/o son Tommy & said that he had not reported either his own previous broken arm and scalding by his wife or her abuse of Tommy because he considered it "family business." When M revealed that Akers had been previously charged with "assault" of his wife H blew up at Akers stating that "the death penalty just came into play." Because he knew Akers was lying to him H discussed the case w/ B. During the discussion he realized that Tommy had shot his mother and his father was covering up for him. H told B "there is a God" cause "he only took your leg not your head." H then found that Tommy had a knife wound on his back where he was attacked by his drunken mother. Tommy fled and tried to hold her back with an (unregistered) gun from a drawer but when she came at him he shot her. Akers told Tommy that she was just wounded and he would try to calm her down. Then wiping Tommy's fingerprints off the gun he stabbed himself to make it look like self-defense and shot her in the shoulder to make it look like Tommy was the one who only wounded her. When finally confronted with all of this he claimed he was trying not to have Tommy go through life knowing that he'd killed his mother. He was found "not guilty" but the judge told him he hadn't acted worthy of a marine.

Tuesday, October 1, 2002

The Promised Land - 160

B came home in a wheelchair as was met at the airport by C, T, M, H, Mk, Ht, aj (No BB). C came to the hospital and tried to give him a purple heart but he wouldn't receive it. B refused rehab while Harriet was there ostensibly because he didn't want her to see his stump. Harriet wasn't talking to B about his injury ostensibly because she "was being supportive." After C confronted Ht she and B began talking about him loosing his leg. Finally she demanded to pin the Purple Heart on him and he demanded to stand up to receive it. BB made excuses and refused to visit B. B finally called him and said "I love you" to which BB didn't respond.

Chegwidden began dating Meredith Cavanaugh who, besides being a Shakespearian scholar and college professor played a complete fool. She brought him food "thinking she could cook" but it tasted foul; she made a fool of herself by taking over the piano players microphone in a fancy restaurant (NO karaoke bar) and wailed apparently oblivious to the winces of the patrons. She did give C insight about how to handle his sensed resentment from Harriet. C described her to H as "the brightest most perceptive woman he's met. There's nothing that doesn't interest her and nothing that she's afraid of trying. Her capacity for expanding herself is becoming an issue. She is remarkably unskilled but doesn't know it. She has no sense of her own limitations - and she wants H to teach her to fly!" C asked Ht point blank "Do you resent me?" Harriet didn't answer. When he asked "do you hold me responsible?" she said "Yes." Then she said that "if Bud had to choose between his leg and having you in his life HE would choose Cs leadership."

H & M together defended an deserter cpl Peter Mars who was found fighting in the Israeli army after: becoming Jewish; being rejected by his mother & his Jewish fiancé; and being relieved as fire team leader after breaking cpl Fogal's nose when Fogal threatened w/ him with circumcision. The (I'm better at obeying orders than you) T prosecuted along with S as co-council. S "shut H up" by claiming to be Jewish herself and never feeling "put upon" in the service enough to desert." When T questioned her about her "hiding" her religion she lied even deeper. Mars was found guilty but received a light sentence. During the case T asked the jury: "what is ultimately the moment of truth? It is the intersection of what you want for yourself and what is expected of you."

C told S of her new assignment to the Seahawk to replace Bud. T told S that "it saved him from requesting to never be partnered with her again" & he's "considering revealing her lie" (he had checked her service record and revealed her lies). S asked what she could do. "Anyone else but you I'd tell to pray."