Salvation - 129

Sgt Maj Krohn had been in prison for beating his wife unconscious with a brick. H (H) had defended him and tried to convince the jury that Krohn's testimony was true when he said that he had seen "the Padre" in a vision leading him to his injured wife and enabling her rescue. But, him being there had created circumstantial evidence against him. M (M) received a bloody knife in her package from the Leavenworth wood shop, a present for her wedding. In her investigation of the matter she "accidentally" found that Clark Palmer had been "converted to religion." There had been a stabbing and Krohn's prints were found on the knife. Harm defended but neither he or M could convince the warden that Palmer was capable of masterminding the whole incident just to "get at Harm." Then, while they were investigating, Palmer seemed to have a stroke and went unconscious with the doctors saying he wouldn't last through the night. Krohn stayed at his bedside all night praying and Palmer woke up saying he had his own "vision of the Padre" who showed him Krohn was innocent. H was pressured into arranging for both Krohn and Palmer to go out of prison to prove it. An emissary from the Vatican was sent to investigate the "miracle" for the "Padre's" sainthood. They were all present when Palmer had them waiting in a van for his "second" vision to lead them to "real" attacker. After waiting so long that H sent the police "backup" home and started back to the airport, Palmer said the Padre was leading them back the other way and did give some directions which proved to be true. While waiting for a train signal arm to go up Krohn had a "real" vision of the ambush Palmer was planning and informed H who brought up the waiting police and captured the accomplices. It actually turned out that in order to set up the ambush Palmers gang had bought a "hot car" which turned out to be Krohn's wife's stolen car and led to the overturning of Krohn's conviction and release.

M and Brumby (Brum) received other wedding gifts. Chegwidden (C) gave M & brum season tickets to Shakespeare plays. It was the Navy's turn in rotation and Bud (B) was assigned to carry the "nuclear briefcase" for the president. Tiner said that people felt that the "launch codes" should be implanted into the briefcase carriers' chest so that if the president wanted to push the button the first thing he had to do was to "cut open your chest." While the president was speaking at a function, B was left out in the hall. He went to the head but when he got back the president had gone. B ran all the way back to the White House but was relieved from duty in favor of the next in rotation, the Coast Guard. C said "it was probably for the best."

Liberty - 128

On liberty in Matzatlan from the Wake Island Mikey bought Colina Ojeda (prostitute) a drink. She asked to dance and her "boyfriend" Efran Minas came in and began hitting her. Mikey was pulled into a fight when he tried to defend Colina. The shore patrol was called and when Minas dies Mikey was charged. Lt Ferrari (JAG in San Diego) offered 3 yrs negligent homicide before Mikey was assigned an attorney. H asked for the assignment after C denied Bs request. C relented to H that B take 2nd chair but said "keep him out of trouble." Ferrari maligned and baited both B and H over their handling BBs case. "Like father like son," he said. Capt O'Byrne was determined to make an example out of Mike. BB offered his help but H turned him down as having nothing to offer but bad advice. Ferrari slammed Mike hard during cross examination and brought up his father beating his mother. He got Mikey to say that he had wanted to kill his father back then. Colina and Santos Ramirez were Ferrari's witnesses and completely lied on the stand. Mikey was found guilty but when B saw his watch that had broken at the beginning of the fight he noticed that the shore patrol had been called 5 minutes before the fight started. Gunny & H found Hector Valdez a fisherman who had gotten a settlement of $1,000 6 mos prior when "beaten up" by another sailor. They got Valdez to admit that Ramirez had paid him $100 to start a fight with a sailor then they had beaten him up to make it look "real." B found that Colina was really Ramirez's girlfriend. They pulled a "sting" where gunny faked shooting BB to convince Colina that her life was in danger from Ramirez. She exonerated Mikey; but he was assigned to work during the next 6 shore leaves for fighting.

M was tricked into defending Sgt Joe Dutch an "official" marine mascot bulldog who impregnated a Borzoi while UA. M held a hearing and convinced the XO not to "discharge" Butch but to allow him to go to boot camp for re-training. They also got him a mate so he wouldn't go UA. C was shown talking on the phone to Adm Don Guter an old friend who was the SECNAVs top troubleshooter. At the end M met Guter (the real JAG in a walk-on) who told C that they "couldn't pay him enough to be the JAG."

Valor - 127

Sgt Joan Steel was captured by terrorists and held in Iraq for 1 mo. She was then captured on boat of explosives heading for USS Vance but stopped in the enhance security proceedures and the terrorists aboard were killed. H & M investigate if she had been recruited by the terrorists. She had filed MECEP (officer) papers but was turned down by her CO based upon uncertainty about her judgement by saying that he didn't know her leadership well enough. When hearing an explosion she left her vehicle sending it back to ship and she ran to it armed only with a pistol. After being terrorized she helped them gain security code access to the harbor because "she thought it would make it easier to catch them." Her fingerprints were on the detonating device and she wasn't forthcoming with information. H & M found that she had gone into a shop alone to rent video's for the terrorists and warned the proprietor but didn't make any effort to escape out the back way. H felt she had impaired judgement due to captivity but M believed she had been recruited because of her Cos decision. Went to article 32 hearing but W came with information that her same terrorists were planning another bombing and needed her help to capture them. H told her it was foolish to go back but she went anyway. She wore a transponder belt but took it off and didn't give the prearranged signal when snuck out the back way and went w/ terrorists. While everyone was talking about where she had gone and why they all heard a bomb went off. It turned out that she had fought with the men in the van and detonated it before they could reach US students at archeological site.

Brum and Renae were miffed that they had to pack M & Hs suitcases and remain home "aiding and assisting." Brum took B out to McMurphys bar to talk about women and ask him to be his best man at the wedding. Ht & Renee have woman talk and get drunk on wine whining about H being an "immovable object" to Renae's "irresistable force." Ht said that some people had "diggity." C inquired to Ht if he had missed their engagement party and ended up accidentally volunteering to host it.

Retreat Hell - 126

Pvt Rafael Jesus Rivera, wounded in battle of Chosin reservoir in WWII, was found nearly 50 years later UA when he applied for benefits. He was being held in a redneck, corrupt New Mexico sheriff, Crease Madden's, jail. Mac (M) was assigned to investigate and Gunny (G) went to pick him up personally out of respect and fidelity with a marine hero. The sheriff ordered his two thugs to kill Rivera and prevent him from getting across the border. They blocked the highway and blinded G with lights which ran him off the road. Then they poured gasoline onto the car and set it on fire so they could shoot them when exiting.

Rivera had a claim to some land grant land that the Sheriff wanted and had killed Rivera's attorney for. Meanwhile, Chegwidden (C) went fishing in New Mexico with Gs sister, Maria, as his guide. G found out that Rivera, not speaking English when he enlisted, had misunderstood the doctor when he told him he could "go home" after his months of rehabilitation. He hadn't needed any benefits until the lawyer showed up with a possible claim. G called C and arranged to meet C at the trailhead to the lake to "work something out." When G didn't show up C responded and found the thugs shooting. Unarmed, C improvised a Molotov cocktail at a thug and Rivera shot the other. Rivera was exonerated and was shown receiving his belated Navy Cross.

Bud (B) was handling the case of the improper UA arrest of a civilian, who's SSN had been stolen and used by someone to join the military. Brumby, who had started new law firm suing the Navy (without telling M) was representing the man and wanted $2.5 million! Harm (H), as acting JAG, negotiated an $80 thousand settlement.

H fell backward in Admiral Cs chair and hit his head. He then had hallucinations of M in several provocative situations. He even called Renee Ms name. He asked B if he had ever "seen things" and said "what if you were seeing things that were different than you expected and were changing how you saw things." Brum & M had lunch to set their wedding date. Both B and M thought H should get an MRI for being nice to Brumby.

Iron Coffin - 125

Capt Alex Volkonov (AV) came to the US and asked Harm for assistance in investigating the demise of the Russian sub Vladivostok. At first Capt Baxter stonewalled H then C called in a favor of Adml Crawford at SUBLANT then Cmdr Flagler spoke with H and the angry AV. Baxter questioned Hs loyalties so C & H spoke w/ him; he finally admitted that the experimental Russian Shkval 2 torpedo did a 180 and sunk their own ship. But he said, "How we know is security classified."

Mac and Bud assisted female Ensign Terry Childers in testifying before Latham's committee regarding her wanting to serve on submarines, despite policies against it. L shanghaied M into taking a "fact finding" sub cruise on the Watertown with Flagler and reporting to her. H was, at the same time, also invited for a Public Relations cruise on the Russian sub Minsk. The irrational Russian Captain was firing another Shkval 2 torpedo putting H & M in "tap dance mode." Finally M convinced Flagler into breaking the subs radio silence. M told the Russians that the US had "placed listening devices aboard all Russian ships" trying to convince him not to fire the defective missle. The Russians fired anyway so Flagler fired a drone (toward Minsk) so that when the torpedo finally did its 180 and came back at the Minsk, it acquired the drone at the last minute and prevented it hitting the Russian sub.

Brum & Renee went to a concert together; both said they were afraid to ask M & H if they had had an affair.

Killer Instinct - 124

Seaman Oliver Celluchi was seen to go overboard the USS Benjamin Harrison; but, was dead when the rescue boat arrived. He was found to have been bludgeoned and choked before going over the side, and a small piece of cloth was found in his belt buckle. His shipmates said that he had been a screw-up and a 'puddin' - that you could push him around with a spoon. Harm and Bud had to endure 'full-of-himself' Captain Archambault's rant about "doing better than their best and get the killer off MY ship." They then reported to him Duell's animosity and that he had been seen on the catwalk before the incident; but, had to refuse the captain's offer to attend their interview "so as to put the fear of God into him." Duell denied ever going to the catwalk or having anything to do with the incident. Meanwhile, the Capt. illegally searched Duell's locker and found a torn shirt. Mattoni, defense, motioned to have the shirt excluded and the Capt. pestered H to tell him "what to say" on the stand so the shirt won't be excluded. H, annoyed, told him to tell the truth. Then the Capt. deliberately misled Mattoni by saying that H had told him of Duell's lie before he searched. So Mattoni called H as a witness and found the lie. B's cross of H tried to show "inevitable discovery" but the judge disallowed the evidence but wouldn't dismiss the case. B searched records from Duell's previous ships finding 2 previous filed charges of harassment. Seaman Chuck Gaynor went "overboard" the USS Bar Harbor when Duell was there and Fred Mirvis went overboard the Assateague when Duell was there as well. Seaman Harbinson testified that Duell was, in fact, on the catwalk 5 minutes before the murder and requested transfer because he was afraid of Duell. Celluchi had been given loading drills all night with live rounds - for punishment. PO Canton testified that he had worked with Duell on the Assateague. Duell had them stand at attention holding 25# boxes of C-4 explosives in each hand. Mirvis dropped the box and started to cry, which drew Duell's anger. Canton also brought up that Mirvis had gone overboard, to which Mattoni flew off the handle demanding a mistrial. H was allowed to have a forensic investigator testify to the judge before he decided. In Duell's hearing the investigator said the murderer profiled small, young, immature, inexperienced men with poor service records. He said the murder was highly organized victim of a delusional disorder who would feel justified in what he was doing. Duell sat smugly until H began restating that he was deranged and crazy.

When H was allowed to continue Mattoni grandstanded by bringing in Charles Gaynor who was alive and only had gone UA. Then Mattoni fought to keep H from having him testify. Gaynor said that he had gone UA because Duell had tried to kill him. He was holding him over the rail of the fantail and only let go because Gaynor wet on him. He yelled so loudly that another person heard so he fled. Gaynor hid for 8 days then jumped ship because if no one believed him "Duell would have killed me. Celluchi just glared at him with a smug look. Back at the trial Mattoni called Celluchi who lied through his teeth: it had only been 'dummy' C-4 and only 10 pounds, and he had caught Gaynor asleep. He denied killing Celluchi. H cross examined him and began by massaging his ego. He got agreeing with him that the navy was letting in screw-up's. Duell said that it was his job to "weed them out"; but, when the examination got to a rapid pitch and H led with "you took matters into your own hands" he stopped short with a smug look that he had "bested" H's lawyer tricks. Then, by pre-arrangement, H deferred to B who acted the buffoon, repeating questions, stumbling, dropping papers, etc. He deliberately got Duell upset then dropped papers on him again asking "what did 'Ka-luchi' ever do to you. Duell shot back with "some people don't being in the US Navy (referring to B)." B surreptitiously said "no but he navy won't kill them" and Duell blurted "no but somebody has to." B raised up and calmly said "somebody has to, sir." Duell's smug look disappeared. Gaynor was given an "other than honorable" discharge and Duell a psych eval. He thought that the navy wanted him to kill the screw-up's and that's why he was given his last promotion. H told M that Duell would spend the rest of his life either in Leavenworth or in a mental hospital.

Chegwidden complained about his sore back from his tiny rental car. When Mac talked to him about her defense of a Bigamist, C told her that "people tend to hang onto relationships even after they are over." "Look at me," he said, "I'm still hanging onto that crappy rent-a-car (after Dr. Walden's relationship was over)." He then went to the car dealer that sold Harriet her van and talked about buying a high end van. When the greedy salesman offered 10% discount for military personnel, C pointed at the real one he wanted.

M was assigned to defend a bigamist. Wife #1 said she "owed everything" to her husband who supported her in getting her commercial pilot's license. She wanted M to help him plea bargain out of the MC so they could be together. Wife #2 said it was the MC's fault for forcing her husband to live a double life. He had also helped her with her career. M was dumfounded at their lack of outrage - she was feeling it for them, despite being his defense. She wanted to get a psychologist to testify that Staff Sgt Hart had a sexual compulsive disorder. Hart said "no" then tried to act seductively to M. Completely unexpectedly wife #3 showed up with two kids! Nothing was finished about this case except M commiserating with H that maybe Hart could do time in Leavenworth with Duell.

Miracles - 122

[Marginally written script not establishing credible rationale for the guilty verdict.] Harm (H) defended Sgt Major Jarvis Krohn who was found next to his beaten, unconscious wife after having been led there by a vision of beatified Chaplain Wiggins, "Padre," now being considered for sainthood. Krohn described that the "padre" had selflessly ran into enemy fire attempting to save some of his platoon but was cut down. Bud (B) prosecuted flippantly and childishly, derisive stated: "God thinks Krohn's wife was worth saving but our daughter not?" A Vatican representative said that, previously, seven year old Clay Norberg's metastatic neuroblastoma completely disappeared after the "intercession of the Padre." A detractant, Mr. Hamill, claimed that he had seen the "Padre" acting cowardly in battle. However, H showed that Hamill had been scheduled to be sent home for cowardice in Vietnam; but, during the last battle had a total change of heart when he "visioned" padre's act. Uncharacteristically going on to save the platoon after Wiggins had been killed.

Despite completely circumstantial evidence Krohn was found guilty. The Vatican investigator said that he was going to proceed with his recommendation for sainthood of the "Padre" so Krohn said it was "worth it" and that his wife's attacker would eventually be found so he would be vindicated. Tiner installed a "Seti" screensaver on Chegwidden's (C)computer which amazingly found "life" that needed to be reported to the "Seti People." However, it turned out to be only "5 million year old light - the standard emission from the Binion-Pratt pulsar." Renee & Mac (M) arrange to double date with H and Brumby (Brum). Renee belittled Hs apparent belief in miracles, then jerked the subject to the "miracle" of M & Brums "becoming one," pressuring H for it "to happen" with them.

Collision Course - 123

During war games between Greece and the US, Capt James Merrick came out of fog, closed on the Greek Gelibolu to shoot, just as it turned into them. Not able to avoid collision they rammed leaving 7 dead and 2 missing. The SECNAV, again acting like ass, circumvented Harm (H) and Mac's (M)investigation then lied to them that the other countries were also charging their captains and demanded Chegwidden (C) prosecute personally. C appointed H and M to defend and called the XO to testify against Merrick who seemed to be determined to fall on his sword. A third ship, Turkish, were claiming the Greek ship was in their waters (an uninhabited rock). An 8 minute "pissing" contest ensued then the Turks tried to ram the Greek ship; who was then caused to turn into the US ship. H and M impeach Greek and Turk captains for their own dereliction on the stand. But Merrick wouldn't let H impeach his XO claiming that it would ruin his career. Instead, he told H to get a "plea."

C found that the SECNAV had lied to him and stood up to him saying that he thought "you would look out for your people." So C told H that his plea was "unacceptable" in a sort of "code" that they should press forward. H & M then continued their investigation and discovered that Gelibolu had radar troubles prior to the games so the games should have been postponed or cancelled. However, Adm Picato (the exercise commander) colluded with the Greeks to continue before the end of the fiscal year. H put that information in a damaging report and they all delivered it to the SECNAV who realized that it would embarrass the UN. He threw it in the garbage and gave Merrick the chance to retire. Adm Picato was charged ("just as long as it's not the Greeks or Turks").

Mikey (Mk) visited Bud (B) and met Gunny's (G)sister Valerie. Mk took her on a date to Gs dismay and they were out all night. Singer (S), in sort of comic relief this episode, was stuck with extra work as long as H & M were out. When G intercepted a phone message for Valerie he headed straight for Mk but S headed him off pointing out that Valerie and Mk were "not in the same league." Tiner complimented her for her kindness and she threw it back at him saying that "as long as the Hatfield's and McCoy's are feuding she had more work." Mk thought he was in love but Valerie showed up with her boyfriend which G disliked even more. G told Mk that Valerie never listened to him and always did the opposite so he would tell her that he hated Mk "every chance he got."

Baby It's Cold Outside - 121

Chegwidden (C) headed a captain selection board and had Mac (M) take his place as temporary JAG. The SECNAV pressured C to promote Lindsey carefully avoiding using his name directly. C presented Lindsey personally but he clearly wasn't as good as the other candidates we saw presented. Under direct questions from Capt. Ingles C couldn't say that he would have Lindsey on his staff "because he goes beyond the limit." Lindsey ran around apologizing to C & M but it didn't help. The SECNAV then wouldn't sign the selection boards recommendations and ordered C to "have them do it again" paying particular attention to those with "computer and clerical background"! When the board wouldn't be bullied he finally threatened C with dumping on him in his next fitness evaluation.

An ex-Staff Sgt Daniel Craig, parking attendant, struck a black man who was abusing his son. The states attorney Alton Foreland was trying to get life imprisonment under the "3 strikes" law and needed to use records of Craig's court-martial where there was a death of a recruit. Harm (H) defended but was not successful in getting the previous court-marshal, where he "fallen on his sword" and plead guilty in the death of a recruit by hypothermia, overturned. Foreland said he "held black men to higher standard." On the stand Craig said that he did the same thing for his recruits. "The only thing they had to do to survive was stick together but they weren't a team." He commented that "if Foreland was in his position, he would be on trial." Foreland dropped the life charge, and eventually said he agreed "it would have been me."

Tiner successfully helped Gunny (G) contest 7 parking tickets using his limited law school experience. In a final scene at McMurphy's C confided to M that he had effectively put a bullet in his career but wouldn't give specifics. He reminisced that Napolean had said in choosing commanders "he just chose the lucky ones" then said that he "was lucky in his people." He told her that there was no more girlfriend Walden and when M started to give some consoling words he pulled back saying "ok, we've just reached the limits of touchy-feely." As others came in he had to tell them all the same thing in turn. The jukebox played "baby it's cold outside" and each joined in singing.

Touch and Go - 120

Caitlin Pike is back at JAG, TDY, and Chegwidden (C) offered her a position which made Singer (S) jealous. Adm Curt Hollenbeck, friend of Cs, was selected to be the new Inspector General. Pike told Harm (H) that Hollenbeck had groped her 4 years earlier and they were overheard by S. Pike also told Mac (M) of an additional un-amicable affair with another senior officer who had then given her a bad fit rep which hurt her career. The story about Hollenbeck leaked to the press and H accused S of doing it. She didn't deny it - just 'You know me so little." Hollenbeck was charged with conduct unbecoming and M got C to recuse her from defending him in an article 32 hearing. H prosecuted. Mattoni defended and asked S to "dig up dirt" on Pike for his defense.

Bud (B) defended a female Cpl, with a tattoo on her gluteus, whose CO wouldn't approve her promotion without the standard photo disclosure. The Cpl refused, claiming gender discrimination. B failed to be able to circumvent the CO so the Cpl finally relented. Then the CO didn't even look at the photo, but tore it up saying he "just didn't want to give her special treatment." Mattoni then brought out Pikes previous affair to discredit her on the stand and Pike accused M of "tattling." M told pike that she was "indiscrete" and to "shut her big mouth before she said something else that M shouldn't hear." Hollenbeck explained that he had accidentally slipped; but, that when he tried to explain it, Pike had cut him off so he just let it lie. H got the SECNAV to waive the confidentiality of Pikes previous promotion board and found that Hollenbeck had been on the promotion board. On the stand he questioned Hollenbeck why Kate had been "deep selected" from the "low zone" over Brockman's bad report and suggested impropriety. Hollenbeck's appointment as Inspector General was cancelled. Brum finally realized that how he pursued M could be considered sexual harassment - "I was relentless." Cs toast to Brum & Ms engagement was: "the only gift greater than the air in your lungs is the hand you hold." Pike left Washington telling S she held her in contempt. She told H that the last thing he needed in his life was a third woman - her, Mac and Renee (who had all been very awkward with each other.)