Real Deal Seal - 107

[This episode had such a ridiculously implausible plot line so as to be insulting to regular viewers and damaging to DJ Elliot's character (Harm) who was shown to lie to Mac, unrealistically put his life in danger, and be derelict in his legal skills.] Lt Curtis Rivers, using his medal of honor, crashed an election rally for "Wild Bill" Layton running for the senate, and called him an imposter. Layton, who was wearing his navy pin on his lapel, told everyone that he was a "Navy SEAL" and running on the platform of "integrity in government and family values." Rivers removed the pin and Layton took a swing at him. Rivers held his hands up and stepped back until Layton came at him again so he decked him. Chegwidden (C) told Harm (H) that Layton wasn't a SEAL but had received a Navy Cross. Also that Rivers was in a group of retired SEALS who exposed imposters. B said there were "more fraudulent SEALS than real ones." C assigned H to try and obtain an apology from Rivers so any charges would "go away." Senator Henry Barrington asked C for permission to submit his name for a federal judgeship then segwayed, without gratification, into Layton's case. Rivers refused H the apology and instead told him of another imposter who was a gun for hire. The FBI knew about him but were stymied. C asked Bud (B) to help with the application and B told he would be good for the job but would the job be good for him. Mac (M) was assigned to prosecute but wanted 24 hours to reason with Layton. Instead she found a campaign manager who quoted a focus group that said to "convict Rivers" and that "compassion was in this year." When M pointed out that the spotlight would be turned on him, Layton said he "had nothing to hide." H offered to defend Rivers but he declined saying he'd "do it himself" and that H could be 2nd chair. Instead he told H of the imposter-assassin, Earl Ticktin, who washed out of Navy after basic and had three confirmed kills. Rivers smugly told H that he'd hired Ticktin to kill H as bait(?!!). Then convinced him to go along with it by basically calling him "chicken" (?!!) He introduced H to Pops Munchak and Vic Velasco who were arguing with each other. Rivers said "relax, I'd trust them with my life," and H retorted "I'd trust them with YOUR life too." They then offered to "call off the hit" if H said so and he didn't (?!!) Rivers made his own opening statement and began eloquently using rhetoric about SEALS. M objected, and the judge asked him if H could perform the duties of a SEAL. He responded "no," so she asked him "what makes you think you do the job of a trial lawyer." He responded "because he knew the truth" and she quipped "obviously you've never been to law school."

H went jogging with Rivers who was explaining his defense strategy to claim that he was making a citizens arrest. H pointed that he hadn't arrested only forcibly removed the pin and punched him. Rivers claimed "in self-defense" but then macho-ly claimed that he had not felt the least bit threatened by Layton. Munchak took a shot at a sniper targeting H but missed and lost him on a motorcycle. Rivers said "we'll get him next time" and H merely shook his head (?!!) The sniper loaded his own shells, 7.62 mm with soft rim primers and hollow point. Rivers remembered a previous FBI case sighting of a motorcycle so they went to talk to police chief Carson. There was a report of someone shooting transformers and setting off explosives in the Vallecito Mtn's. The FBI had investigated after someone had confessed hiring a contract killer and made a pay drop in the location but couldn't find anything. H told M that he didn't know why anyone would try and kill him. M said she "hoped he wasn't involved in one of Rivers crazy scheme's and H said "you know me better than that!" (?!!) M made the motion to prevent H from bringing up Layton's military record and the Judge Granted the motion. Layton lied that Rivers assaulted him. H did convince Rivers to let him cross-examine Layton. Rivers told the judge "there are different kinds of beaches to storm, this one is Cdr Rabb's." H let Layton pontificate and his playing to the crowd brought up his military service so, with the door open, H was able to impeach his military record. Layton claimed that he "didn't go around touting his own horn about his decorations." He said he "earned his trident in the field (?!!) when he rescued 3 POWs." H showed only one American had ever been rescued from captivity during the entire Vietnam war. Layton claimed that it was a black op, and no-one would admit it. The rest of his platoon disappeared in Cambodia- he was on solo recon and never made the mission.

Barrington began trying to pull strings with C for his friend "Bill Layton." Carson called H to come up to a cabin he found in the mountains before the FBI got there and H went without telling anyone (?!!) Rivers had his buddies check if Layton's Navy Cross was really classified. (?!!) Claiming that Ticktin had been sighted, he got H to go with him to the cabin. H called M to ask her to request a continuance but didn't reveal anything (?!!). When M was receiving the continuance Rivers objected claiming that he was ready (?!!) then, only after Layton was on the stand, Munchak rushed in with evidence he'd just obtained. Rivers asked how he obtained his Cross and Layton described a "riverine OP on the Mekong Delta where he captured a North VN Major on an ambush and abduction mission under fire then interrogated him to reveal a weapons stockpile. Rivers pointed out that Layton had been in a public affairs office writing press releases and Layton gloated "before he was transferred to combat unit." Rivers had Layton read one of his press releases which turned out to be of PO Mora with the exact same details Layton had just claimed for himself! Rivers asked him to describe any of the men in his unit that disappeared or give names and his couldn't. Rivers called him a coward, liar and imposter and Layton just sat there. Carson sent H around to the back of the cabin and claimed that he was an excellent shot and could cover him. He said he loaded his own ammo and described the same ammo that H knew of the sniper. Suspicious, H found a booby trap and set it off drawing Carson in for the kill. H took pot shots at him until, as he tried to escape, H got the drop on him. Instead of dropping his gun, he turned to shoot H but was shot himself. H returned to stand by Rivers as the verdict was read. Found "not guilty" of conduct unbecoming but "guilty" of assault and battery (?!!), with forfeiture of one day pay. Barrington told C that "in time he would learn to be a team player." When he became a judge he would "remember who got you that appointment." When C advised of constitutional separation of powers, Barrington spoke of "the difference between the platitudes of civic lessons and cold hard realities; and that it would be a mistake to disagree." C advised "no, the mistake was yours." H told C that he would "miss him" and C retorted "why? Are you leaving us again?"