JAG s08e13 Episode Script
Standards of Conduct
( beeping ) ( rapid beeping ) ( electronic gunfire ) MAN: You are now one dead Marine.
Pretty slick, huh? It's like a video game.
It's what ground warfare's going to be like in the 21st century.
Come see how you did.
So I gave you an enemy above and behind you.
You hear him you target him You shoot But you are now one dead Marine.
Can I quote you on this? You can quote me on a lot more than this.
I didn't bring you in here for video games.
If the Marine Corp goes ahead with this Men are going to die.
Good morning, sir.
Morning, Lieutenant.
Tiner, do you know where the military justice CD-ROMs are? We moved them, sir.
They're right over here.
At least, they used to be.
Looking for the M-J CDs? Commander Manetti has them.
They're supposed to be put back.
Have either of you see Commander Rabb yet this morning? He called to say he was on his way, sir.
I don't think he'll be late to his own award ceremony, sir.
Hmm.
No doubt.
Colonel, take a look at this and join me in my office, please.
Yes, sir.
Wow.
What? A Navy lieutenant down at Quantico, working on a new combat helmet system for the Marines He says the system doesn't work but the D.
O.
N.
's going ahead with it anyway? Hmm, a whistle-blower.
"Lieutenant Jeremy Duncan is quoted in the local paper "accusing the Secretary of Defense of pimping for private enterprise.
" A violation of Article 88.
Unbelievable.
He called campaign contributions to the Governor of Virginia "bribes.
" The Lieutenant not only pushed the envelope he broke right through.
It could be slander.
( knocking ) Enter.
Have a seat.
So what do you think of Lieutenant Duncan's contemptuous words? Textbook Article 88 violation, sir.
His command wants him court-martialed.
However, the SECNAV does not want him brought up on charges.
He wants this handled quietly.
Understood, sir.
Apparently, Lieutenant Duncan is some sort of a specialist in psychoacoustics on T.
A.
D.
to the Combat Development Command.
When this ceremony's over, I want you to go to Quantico, interview Lieutenant Duncan.
Speak to his Officer in Charge.
See if you can put this fire out before it gets completely out of control.
Aye, aye, sir.
Something else? There is one thing that bothers me, Admiral.
He said Marines are going to die.
What if he's right? ( horns honking ) ( car horn honking ) ( car horn honking ) ( sighs ) Are you all right, ma'am? I don't know.
I think so.
That was quite a little jolt.
You must be in the Navy.
Yes, ma'am, I am.
I'm really sorry about this.
Yes, well, accidents will happen, won't they? Look, here's my ownership and insurance.
I'll write down the rest of my information for you.
Oh, my.
Uh, this seems to have expired.
Oh, no.
Mr.
Roberts.
Roberts: Attention to orders.
Person to be decorated front and center.
"The President of the United States "takes pleasure in presenting "the Bronze Star medal to Commander Sturgis Turner "United States Navy "for meritorious achievement while on T.
A.
D.
"to the USS Watertown, in the Arabian Sea, "on 21 May, 2002.
"By his courage and effectiveness, "Commander Turner reflected great credit upon himself "and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
" Commander Rabb, front and center.
Sorry I'm late, sir.
I had an accident.
Let's give you this medal before I decide to take the damn thing away.
Mr.
Roberts.
"The President of the United States "takes pleasure in presenting "the Silver Star medal "to Commander Harmon Rabb Jr.
, United States Navy, "for conspicuous gallantry and heroism in an F-14 Tomcat "on 21 May, 2002.
"By his superb airmanship and loyal devotion to duty, "Commander Rabb defeated a grave threat to the fleet "from an enemy missile, "reflecting great credit upon himself "and upholding the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
" I'm proud of both of you.
JAG dismissed.
ALL: Aye, aye, sir.
( applause ) Congratulations.
Thank you.
What happened? Oh, I rear-ended a nice little old lady on the parkway.
Anybody hurt? Only my bank account.
I let the auto insurance lapse.
How'd you manage to do that? I didn't receive the renewal notice, like I usually do.
Probably thought it was junk mail, threw it away.
That fiberglass is going to cost a few thousand.
Tell me about it.
( men counting cadence ) MacKENZIE: Lieutenant, when you made your comments to the reporter who quoted you were you aware that using contemptuous words against the Secretary of Defense and the governor of the state of Virginia would constitute a violation of Article 88 of the UCMJ? I've never been very good at regs, ma'am.
I guess it just never crossed my mind.
Why did you have an unauthorized meeting with a reporter in the first place? I didn't know how to get my message through the chain of command.
This is real high-tech stuff, ma'am.
A Marine doesn't just carry a weapon into combat anymore, he wears a complete computer system.
I have degrees in physics and electrical engineering and even I have trouble sometimes.
The Navy paid for the engineering degrees, didn't it? Yes, ma'am.
I've got three years left on my service obligation.
I thought I was doing the right thing.
By being a whistle-blower? I wanted to make my point.
There's a serious bug in the DSP algorithm of the HRA for the Integrated Helmet Assembly.
English, please.
Sorry, ma'am.
This will be a lot easier once I give you the demonstration.
( keypad buttons beeping ) This Is your Integrated Helmet Assembly.
It includes Your head orientation sensors, audio pickups, laser detector Video camera Boom Mic, and your helmet-mounted display.
What this gives you Is complete situational awareness.
Try it out, ma'am.
Stand over here.
I'll feed the first simulation into the helmet.
See anything? No.
You will.
I'm going to start the first simulation.
What you want to do is see how fast you can put the gunsight on the sniper when you hear the warning.
( typing ) ( beeping ) ( rapid beeping ) ( slow beeping ) ( rapid beeping ) ( ectronic gunfire ) MacKENZIE: Am I dead? Yes, ma'am.
Because the digital signal processing algorithm has a flaw in it.
Here's the problem: The high-resolution audio subsystem is designed to give you a three-dimensional holographic sound field, so you know exactly where a sound is coming from without having to turn your head, but it's locating the sound in the wrong place.
That's why the system thinks it's acquired the target when it hasn't.
Very convincing, Lieutenant.
Thank you, ma'am.
I just wish the Marine Corps thought so.
Why do you think the Corps doesn't? The system works properly some of the time.
I just don't think some of the time is good enough.
MacKENZIE: Sir, Lieutant ncan has been relieved of duty.
His Officer in Charge has agreed to no court-martial and nonjudicial punishment with immediate resignation.
Basically, they want to flush him from the service ASAP.
What does Lieutenant Duncan want? He doesn't seem to be sure about that but what he doesn't want is for the Navy to go ahead with a contract for Psycoustics, Incorporated.
Hmm.
Well, he got what he wished for.
D.
O.
N.
's pulled the plug on the project before it gets any more bad publicity.
What? Sir, I think the Lieutenant was right in what he did just wrong in the way he went about it.
Truth is not a defense in an Article 88 violation so what's your point? The Navy wants to punh him for being a whistleblower while the Marine Corps might just owe him a debt of gratitude.
Project's canceled, Colonel.
It's a moot question.
Yes, sir.
I'll wrap things up.
( sighs ) TROOPS: My Corps! Your Corps! Your Corps! Our Corps! Our Corps! Marine Corps! ( helicopter passing ) How do you do, Colonel MacKenzie? My name is Harlan Bradford.
I'll be representing Lieutenant Duncan in this matter.
Ma'am.
Lieutenant, I didn't expect you to have civilian representation.
As you can understand, Lieutenant Duncan doesn't want to be where he's not appreciated.
We've drawn up his letter of resignation.
What if you got orders to a new duty station, Lieutenant? The Navy's made a big investment in you.
I feel like I've done my part, ma'am.
Served my country.
If even one Marine's life gets saved that's something, isn't it? That's more than something, Lieutenant.
Do you not want to stay in the Navy? I don't think the Navy wants me, ma'am.
"Formal hearing waived, "punitive letter of reprimand accepted commission resigned.
" Official boilerplate downloaded from the JAG Web Site.
So I see.
Looks like you've done your homework, Lieutenant.
I'll advise the convening authority of your wishes and recommend approval.
Thank you, ma'am.
Pleasure doing business with you.
Yes, I realize it's my responsibility to pay the premium on time.
I don't understand why I didn't get my renewal notice like I usually do.
I never received it.
( mouthing ) Thank you, anyway.
There's a Raymond Harrick on line two for you, sir.
Raymond Harrick? My name is Raymond Harrick, Commander.
I represent Mrs.
Eleanor Motley the woman whose car you hit yesterday.
Represent? Yes.
I'm her lawyer.
Why would she need a lawyer? Mrs.
Motley just called me from her doctor's office.
It seems that she's in a considerable amount of pain.
( sighs ) She was fine yesterday morning.
I understand you have no insurance coverage.
I would just suggest that you contact an attorney, Commander.
I am an attorney.
Is that so? Well, may I suggest we have a meeting with Mrs.
Motley? How about this afternoon, say, uh, 2:00, my office? That would be fine.
Good.
And Commander, bring your checkbook.
( button clicks ) ( dial tone ) MacKENZIE: You wanted to see me, sir? Um, close the door, have a seat.
Yes, sir.
What's the status of Lieutenant Duncan's case? Concluded, sir.
Lieutenant Duncan's letter of resignation was forwarded by his commanding officer and accepted by the Chief of Naval Personnel.
Well, Psycoustics, Incorporated, has filed a bid protest with the GAO and a complaint with the Navy for canceling their contract and going with a competitor's product.
The governor of the state has asked for an inquiry into the entire matter.
I'm sorry to hear that, sir.
I thought I'd successfully put out the fire.
Oh, it gets worse.
Psycoustics is accusing Lieutenant Duncan of hacking their code, specifically and I quote, "Duncan modified the DSP algorithm "without authorization so as to cause the HRA subsystem of the combat helmet system to malfunction.
" You know what the hell that means? Yes, sir.
Lieutenant Duncan sabotaged the high-resolution audio-digital, signal-processing program and then he lied about it to the Navy, to the press and to me.
Well, I suggest that you find Lieutenant Duncan.
I will, sir.
Dismissed.
Aye, aye, sir.
HARRICK: Mrs.
Motley is a widow, Commander living on a fixed income.
She's 61 years old, so she doesn't qualify for Medicare.
I have a letter from her doctor.
"Pain in the back, pinched nerve in the neck double vision.
" HARRICK: As you can see, he says surgery may be necessary, but we won't know until she's completed the six-month course of physical therapy.
I've advised against it but she's willing to settle with you now, even thought the projected costs may not cover all the treatment she'll need.
What are the projected costs? Mmm.
Take a look.
Physical therapy: $5,000.
Doctors and specialists: $10,000.
In-home care: $5,000.
Special equipment: $5,000.
Contingency: $5,000.
Legal fees: $5,000.
Very reasonable, under the circumstances.
Also, $500 for the damage to her car.
You wouldn't want to forget that.
$35,000 I don't have that kind of money right now.
The accident wasn't my fault, Mr.
Robb.
It's Commander Rabb, ma'am.
HARRICK: The longer you wait, the more it'll cost, Commander.
Well, I'll just have to take my chances.
I'm sorry.
Take this with you, Commander.
In an abundance of caution, I filed today in Superior Court.
You've been sued.
( sighs ) Sturgis, you got a minute? Yeah, sure.
You're being sued over the auto accident? Yeah.
And so far, I've got a fool for a client.
You're representing yourself? Well, I sincerely hope not.
You don't want me to represent you.
Well, you know, the thought did cross my mind.
I've never done civil litigation.
You should hire a competent lawyer, Harm.
Well, you know, if you took a look at my bank account, you'd see I was financially challenged at the moment.
Look, this is going to take some reseah, and I'm swamped.
I might be able to get to this in a couple of weeks, but then you got a fool for a lawyer.
I'd be happy to help you fix your car, buddy, but this? I'm sorry.
Good luck.
Thanks.
Oh, sir, finished proofing your brief.
It's very good.
Thank you, Bud.
Were there many mistakes? Hardly any at all.
Is there anything else I can do for you? Uh, you look like a man who wants a case of his own, Lieutenant.
I am anxious to get up to speed, sir.
Understandable.
I don't have a case I can turn over, but Commander Rabb might.
( indistinct conversation ) Thank you, sir.
Good afternoon, sir.
Oh, hey, Bud.
How you doing? Good sir.
Come on in.
I'm on hold.
"Your First Computer"? Is that for Chloe? No, it's for little A.
J.
's fifth birthday.
Isn't that in four months? So? I like to get my shopping done early.
Yeah, I'm still here.
Five years from this moment, if neither of us is in a relationship, we'll go halves on a kid.
You and me, have a baby together? What do you say Deal? Don't make a promise you can't keep.
I see.
Thank you.
I don't believe it.
Believe what? ( sighing ): Lieutenant Duncan's lawyer doesn't exist.
There's no Harlan Bradford licensed to practice law in Virginia.
He downloaded the boilerplate from the Web Site.
Anybody could do that.
( baby crying ) Are you all right? Yeah.
Did you want to see me about something? No.
( stammering ): It can it can wait.
Excuse me.
If you're looking to rent, the unit's not ready yet.
I'm looking for Lieutenant Jeremy Duncan.
This is his apartment, right? Was.
He's gone now.
But his car's parked in the garage.
Not his car.
Not anymore.
I don't understand.
When did he move out? Day before yesterday, just like that.
And he left his car? Oh, damnedest thing ever, if you ask me.
He had six months left on his lease.
Said he wanted out.
He paid me $2,000 in cash signed over the car to cover the rest.
It's a pretty nice car, too.
But he didn't even leave a forwarding address, huh? Nope.
He didn't even want his cleaning deposit back.
What do you make of that? I'd say the Lieutenant came into some money, suddenly.
Thank you for your help.
You're welcome.
Oh, the apartment's available the first of the month.
( sighs ) MacKENZIE: You little rat.
You lowlife scum.
What is it? I checked every bar association on the eastern seaboard, guess what I found? There is a Harlan Bradford in the legal department of a company in Maryland called Mad Hampster, Inc.
It's a game company.
MAN: Ground Strike: Force III.
Isn't that what the whistle-blowing was all about? Damn right it was.
He stole it.
He stole Psycoustics' technology.
I'd bet on it.
( sighg ) Hang on, I wonder ( dialing ) MAN: Mad Hampster, Incorporated.
How may I direct your call? Jeremy Duncan, please.
One moment, please.
Hi, this is Jeremy.
You've reached my voice mail.
Leave me a message and I'll get right back as soon as I can.
Gotcha.
MacKENZIE: We've located Lieutenant Duncan, sir.
Good.
He's working at an electronic game company in Maryland.
And, uh The whole thing was a setup.
He knew exactly what he was doing when he gave the interview to the reporter, sir.
He wanted out of the Navy and he wanted Psycoustic" contract canceled so he could take the technology with him when he left.
You sure about this? Not yet, not completely but it's so obvious, the way he disappeared, throwing money around Colonel Arrogant little S.
O.
B.
is not going to get away with this.
Sounds like the Lieutenant He made a fool out of me, sir.
Colonel.
I'm sorry, sir.
I'd like to request permission to pursue Lieutenant Duncan and rectify the situation.
How do you plan to do that? I don't know, sir.
You don't know? Hmm.
Commander, do you have time to assist the Colonel on this case? Maybe between the two of you we can find a certain balance.
Yes, sir.
You okay with that, Colonel? Yes, sir.
Thank you, sir.
Good night.
Well, something tells me that Lieutenant Duncan will be sorry he messed with this Marine.
( sighing ) ( door slams ) RABB: Hey, slow down a little.
MacKENZIE: I don't want to be late for this appointment.
RABB: We're not going to be late.
Okay, maybe a little late.
Mac, hold on.
What? Are you upset because I'm here with you? No.
I mean, I'm usually the one who needs the minder.
Well, I don't need a minder But I don't mind the help.
What is bothering you? Is it the lawsuit? There's nothing bothering me.
Sure seems like something is.
Well, maybe it's just a clock I hear ticking.
What's that suppose to mean? Oh, nothing.
GUARD: Who are you here to see? Jeremy Duncan.
He's expecting us.
Sign these, please.
What are they? Nondisclosure agreements.
This is a high-security campus.
No one's allowed in the building without an escort.
An intern will take you to Mr.
Duncan's office.
All this for video games.
Electronic gaming is a $15 billion a year industry, sir.
That's more than movies and music combined.
We take industrial espionage very seriously.
So do we.
( phone ringing ) Hello, Colonel.
Come on in.
This is Commander Rabb.
Hi.
RABB: Lieutenant.
Not anymore, sir.
Welcome to the private sector.
Sure beats the Navy, huh? Actually, I'm a little surprised you agreed to see us.
I've got nothing to hide.
What is it you want to see me about? I'm a little curious about something.
Does the word "ethics" mean anything to you? Sure.
It means loser.
Let me do the math for you.
This new game of ours, Ground Strike: Force III, was an $80 million title before we incorporated Now, it's $100 million title.
You put these babies on and play the game and it's as close as you can get to virtual reality at home.
The military just doesn't know what to do with this kind of technology.
So that makes it okay for you to steal it? Was that just the way you were raised? Come on.
The physics has been around for years it just wasn't proprietary, though it is now.
This place knows how to protect its assets.
Psycoustics didn't.
Hey, you snooze, you lose.
It's the law of the jungle.
No conscience at all, huh, Jeremy? I'm sorry, but it was the chance of a lifetime.
No one in the service got hurt, so what's the problem? We're bound by a different standard of conduct in the service, Jeremy.
When you agreed to accept your commission, you, too, were bound by that standard.
So sue me.
Let me ask you a question.
What do you two make as lawyers in the Navy? Come on, Harm, let's go.
I'm losing the struggle.
I was making $50,000 a year as a lieutenant.
Now I'm making ten times that plus $50,000 for a signing bonus.
What are you two making? Chump change.
Want to try these on, Commander? They're a lot of fun.
Yeah, maybe some other time.
I used to have a bumper sticker that said, "Die, Yuppie Scum.
" I'm going to get another one.
Well, at the very least you've got to admire his honesty.
Or not.
I'm going to take him up on his offer.
I'm going to get Psycoustics, Incorporated to sue him.
Oh, don't mention that word around me, huh? He is right about one thing, though.
With all our trial experience we could be making a fortune in private practice.
I tried that, remember? Yeah, but that was four years ago.
What were you offered then? A lot.
I still think about it.
You know what it costs to raise a kid and put him through college these days? Why would I know that? Almost $300,000.
Problem is, I didn't like myself very much in private practice.
Yeah, but things change, you know, Mac.
Hell, I could be using you right about now.
Yeah, I'd probably be the one suing you.
MacKENZIE: Thank you for meeting with us.
I'm Lieutenant Colonel MacKenzie, this is Commander Rabb.
Greetings, I'm Ashok Pradesh.
This place is so empty.
Oh, we've had to lay off our entire staff due to the lost contract.
Can you explain to us what Lieutenant Duncan did to your DSP source code? Yes, of course.
This way, please.
MacKENZIE: Thank you.
Just compare the original waveform created by the DSP algorithm and this contaminated copy created by Lieutenant Duncan.
Take a look at the phase shift in the pinna cues.
It is clear that early reflections have been distorted so as to place the sound source in a completely incorrect location.
Well, it might be clear to you, Ashok but it is not clear to the rest of humanity.
How was Lieutenant Duncan able to get away with this? Well, we allowed it, Commander.
With this transformation going on in your military there is so much competition to be first.
The Marine Corps, the Army Both are developing new combat systems.
Does the Army system wo better? Not if the Marine Corps system is deployed first.
And so we worked on weekends and at night and because we trust theavy we allowed Jeremy full access to our source code to debug.
To help us succeed.
Why didn't you file criminal charges against him? But why? He broke no laws.
We failed to lock the chicken house.
MacKENZIE: You're not just going to let him get away with it? PRADESH: But this is life in high-tech, Colonel.
We lose, we move on.
There's no time for regret.
MacKENZIE: That's ridiculous.
That's actually kind of healthy if you think about it.
Lonel, why look back? Just over the horizon is the next big thing.
Yeah, maybe.
But in my world there's a thing called justice.
CHEGWIDDEN: You're telling me he got away with it? MacKENZIE: The Navy cleared his record with his discharge and Psycoustics isn't interested in pursuing the matter, which means Lieutenant Duncan used Navy regulation for his own benefit and stole technology from Psycoustics.
I think the Navy should reinstate the contract, sir.
That's not going to happen.
Navy refuses to rebid the contract.
Then Psycoustics is going out of business, sir.
Nature of capitalism, the weak fail.
Yes, sir.
RABB: Hey, what do you say I buy you dinner? Not hungry.
Did you even bother to eat lunch? I don't remember.
Mac, you got a raging case of low blood sugar.
I don't care, I'm beat.
I feel dirty.
I need a long, hot bath.
What, are you going to wash Lieutenant Duncan out of your hair? Is that it? You're giving up? It's over, isn't it? Well, maybe not.
Good morning, sir.
Good morning, Lieutenant.
Good morning, Commander.
You're pregnant too, Coates? Due any day now, sir.
How are you today, sir? I'm fine, Harriet.
You're going to make such a wonderful father.
( alarm buzzing ) Ugh.
Hey.
Hey.
Got a surprise for you.
Hope it's a good one.
I think you're going to like it.
Made some calls to Quantico this morning Our Lieutenant Duncan was in such a hurry to get out of there I had a hunch he might have made a mistake.
Like what? It seems he's accumulated some leave on the books I like it already.
It gets better.
He didn't stick around for his out briefing so he didn't get his final orders.
They've got two paychecks waiting for him already and two more before his discharge becomes effective.
Harm, those are the best words I could ever hope to hear "before his discharge become effective.
" Ah, you just made my day.
Maybe even my week.
What's the matter? Nothing.
Sir, can I see you for a moment? Sure.
Uh, I was wondering if I could ask you a personal question? Yeah.
Go ahead.
Sir, do you feel that I'm handicapped as far as my legal abilities are concerned? No, I don't feel that at all, Bud.
Why are you asking? Well, Commander Turner told me about Your problem, sir, and that you asked him for his help.
Yeah.
Well, Si I was wondering, why didn't you ask me? I don't know, Bud.
I, uh I guess I'm guilty of underestimating your recovery.
Would you consider representing me in this lawsuit, Lieutenant? I've already started work on it, sir.
Been investigating this lawyer Raymond Harrick.
He's an ambulance chaser, sir.
He files literally hundreds of lawsuits, and as far as I can tell, he always settles out of court.
So I went down to legal assistance to see if there were any local Navy people who'd been involved in automobile accidents within days of their insurance lapsing.
Turns out there were quite a few.
Over 20 this year.
All fender-benders within days of lapsed insurance.
The accident was a total setup.
Someone from the insurance office "forgets" to mail out the renewal notice This guy Harrick waits for the policy to expire and sets up an accident.
Then he starts harassing the victim until they decide to settle.
Yeah, and it almost worked, Bud.
Almost.
Why don't you and I go see the Admiral.
You're being sued? RABB: Yes, sir.
And what does Lieutenant Roberts have to do with it? I've asked the Lieutenant to help me with the court case, sir.
With your permission, obviously.
You don't think I have anything better for you to do? Well, sir, any assignment that you would give me would certainly take precedence.
Got a strategy? Yes, sir.
( sighs ) All right.
Good luck.
Thank you, sir.
HARRICK: Right this way, Mrs.
Motley.
Commander Rabb requested this meeting.
This time he brought counsel with him.
Lieutenant Roberts.
There you go.
Commander, I hope you've come to put an offer on the table.
As you can see, she's having a difficult time getting around.
Yes, it would appear your condition is getting worse, Mrs.
Motley.
Physical therapy isn't easy for a person my age, young man.
Your therapist's name is Preston, isn't it, Mrs.
Motley? Dr.
Preston.
Yes, mm-hmm.
And you've seen him before, haven't you? Tell me, was it this hard the previous three times? I don't know what you're talking about.
We've checked into Mrs.
Motley's doctors.
This is the fourth accident in the last 18 months.
Rear-ended each time.
That's some pretty bad luck, I'd say, Mrs.
Motley.
I will not allow you to intimide my client.
Oh, we're not here to do that, Mr.
Harrick.
We're here to intimidate you.
Now this here is a list of the Navy personnel who have been sued by you in the last three years.
The names look familiar? Each of them have had an accident right after their auto insurance lapsed.
Quite a coincidence, wouldn't you say? What's going on here, Raymond? Sit down.
Why, you said that they would pay like all the others.
Sit down! I will not sit down! I am not listening to you any more! I I'm sorry, young man.
I'm ashamed of myself.
Was any of it true, Mrs.
Motley? Well, I certainly wasn't hurt.
But I am a widow, and on a fixed income.
Well, I know that's not an excuse, but I used to be an actress, you know.
A very good one.
I I'm going to need a lawyer, aren't I? Roberts: Yes, ma'am.
I'd call one soon.
Roberts: And this Is a bill for the damages to Commander Rabb's Corvette.
RABB: We've notified the insurance company and the U.
S.
Attorney's Office.
The renewal notices that never got sent That's fraud and conspiracy to commit fraud.
Both federal offenses, Mr.
Harrick.
We'll be seeing you in court.
You have a nice day now.
Roberts: Oh You might consider getting yourself a lawyer.
( sighs ) You want to see me about something? Printed out some more JAG boilerplate for you, Mr.
Bradford.
Subpoena to appear for a court-martial? Jeremy Hang on a minute.
I'll be right with you.
On your feet, Lieutenant.
Hey! What's this? Orders, Lieutenant, to report for duty at 1500 today.
What are you talking about? I'm out.
No, you're not.
You should have paid more attention to those Navy regs, Lieutenant.
Maybe if you'd shown up for your out briefing or picked up your orders.
RABB: You still have leave on the books, Jeremy.
The government still owes you money.
Until you're paid everything you're entitled to you're still on terminal leave.
And still in the Navy.
You're kidding.
Government owes you $8,000.
$8,000? MAN: Will the Senior Member please publish the court's findings.
Lieutenant Jeremy Duncan, United States Navy: As to charge one and the specification alleging violation of Article 92, disobedience of DOD standards of conduct, a lawful general regulation: Guilty.
As to charge two and its specification alleging violation of Article 108, willful damage of military property: Guilty.
This court sentences you to confinement at hard labor for a period of one year, to be fined $50,000, and to be dismissed from the Naval Service.
This court is adjourned.
Well, congratulations.
Thanks.
You got a minute? Sure.
Can we talk in your office? Okay.
Um You, uh, you said that you bought this for little A.
J.
's fifth birthday.
I did? But he's not going to be five, he's going to be four.
Exactly.
That's what's been bothering you Our deal to have a baby together after five years? Well, I wouldn't exactly say it was bothering me, but Well, something was bothering you.
Like the comment about the clock ticking.
Was that supposed to be my biological clock? Harm, why didn't you just tell me what was on your mind? Well, because you seemed to have a little too much on your mind.
You know, I'll bet that you were afraid to ask.
Why would I be? Maybe you didn't want to hear the answer.
Or maybe you were afraid that I'd want to up the timetable.
Now, that never occurred to me.
Do you? Harm, it wasn't a Freudian slip, okay? It was just a mistake.
You're sure? You want to go back on your promise? No.
Then why the sudden worry? It's over a year away.
Well well, I mean I mean, Singer got pregnant, and then Harriet and And you just assumed that I'd want to join the club.
You're funny.
Pretty slick, huh? It's like a video game.
It's what ground warfare's going to be like in the 21st century.
Come see how you did.
So I gave you an enemy above and behind you.
You hear him you target him You shoot But you are now one dead Marine.
Can I quote you on this? You can quote me on a lot more than this.
I didn't bring you in here for video games.
If the Marine Corp goes ahead with this Men are going to die.
Good morning, sir.
Morning, Lieutenant.
Tiner, do you know where the military justice CD-ROMs are? We moved them, sir.
They're right over here.
At least, they used to be.
Looking for the M-J CDs? Commander Manetti has them.
They're supposed to be put back.
Have either of you see Commander Rabb yet this morning? He called to say he was on his way, sir.
I don't think he'll be late to his own award ceremony, sir.
Hmm.
No doubt.
Colonel, take a look at this and join me in my office, please.
Yes, sir.
Wow.
What? A Navy lieutenant down at Quantico, working on a new combat helmet system for the Marines He says the system doesn't work but the D.
O.
N.
's going ahead with it anyway? Hmm, a whistle-blower.
"Lieutenant Jeremy Duncan is quoted in the local paper "accusing the Secretary of Defense of pimping for private enterprise.
" A violation of Article 88.
Unbelievable.
He called campaign contributions to the Governor of Virginia "bribes.
" The Lieutenant not only pushed the envelope he broke right through.
It could be slander.
( knocking ) Enter.
Have a seat.
So what do you think of Lieutenant Duncan's contemptuous words? Textbook Article 88 violation, sir.
His command wants him court-martialed.
However, the SECNAV does not want him brought up on charges.
He wants this handled quietly.
Understood, sir.
Apparently, Lieutenant Duncan is some sort of a specialist in psychoacoustics on T.
A.
D.
to the Combat Development Command.
When this ceremony's over, I want you to go to Quantico, interview Lieutenant Duncan.
Speak to his Officer in Charge.
See if you can put this fire out before it gets completely out of control.
Aye, aye, sir.
Something else? There is one thing that bothers me, Admiral.
He said Marines are going to die.
What if he's right? ( horns honking ) ( car horn honking ) ( car horn honking ) ( sighs ) Are you all right, ma'am? I don't know.
I think so.
That was quite a little jolt.
You must be in the Navy.
Yes, ma'am, I am.
I'm really sorry about this.
Yes, well, accidents will happen, won't they? Look, here's my ownership and insurance.
I'll write down the rest of my information for you.
Oh, my.
Uh, this seems to have expired.
Oh, no.
Mr.
Roberts.
Roberts: Attention to orders.
Person to be decorated front and center.
"The President of the United States "takes pleasure in presenting "the Bronze Star medal to Commander Sturgis Turner "United States Navy "for meritorious achievement while on T.
A.
D.
"to the USS Watertown, in the Arabian Sea, "on 21 May, 2002.
"By his courage and effectiveness, "Commander Turner reflected great credit upon himself "and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
" Commander Rabb, front and center.
Sorry I'm late, sir.
I had an accident.
Let's give you this medal before I decide to take the damn thing away.
Mr.
Roberts.
"The President of the United States "takes pleasure in presenting "the Silver Star medal "to Commander Harmon Rabb Jr.
, United States Navy, "for conspicuous gallantry and heroism in an F-14 Tomcat "on 21 May, 2002.
"By his superb airmanship and loyal devotion to duty, "Commander Rabb defeated a grave threat to the fleet "from an enemy missile, "reflecting great credit upon himself "and upholding the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
" I'm proud of both of you.
JAG dismissed.
ALL: Aye, aye, sir.
( applause ) Congratulations.
Thank you.
What happened? Oh, I rear-ended a nice little old lady on the parkway.
Anybody hurt? Only my bank account.
I let the auto insurance lapse.
How'd you manage to do that? I didn't receive the renewal notice, like I usually do.
Probably thought it was junk mail, threw it away.
That fiberglass is going to cost a few thousand.
Tell me about it.
( men counting cadence ) MacKENZIE: Lieutenant, when you made your comments to the reporter who quoted you were you aware that using contemptuous words against the Secretary of Defense and the governor of the state of Virginia would constitute a violation of Article 88 of the UCMJ? I've never been very good at regs, ma'am.
I guess it just never crossed my mind.
Why did you have an unauthorized meeting with a reporter in the first place? I didn't know how to get my message through the chain of command.
This is real high-tech stuff, ma'am.
A Marine doesn't just carry a weapon into combat anymore, he wears a complete computer system.
I have degrees in physics and electrical engineering and even I have trouble sometimes.
The Navy paid for the engineering degrees, didn't it? Yes, ma'am.
I've got three years left on my service obligation.
I thought I was doing the right thing.
By being a whistle-blower? I wanted to make my point.
There's a serious bug in the DSP algorithm of the HRA for the Integrated Helmet Assembly.
English, please.
Sorry, ma'am.
This will be a lot easier once I give you the demonstration.
( keypad buttons beeping ) This Is your Integrated Helmet Assembly.
It includes Your head orientation sensors, audio pickups, laser detector Video camera Boom Mic, and your helmet-mounted display.
What this gives you Is complete situational awareness.
Try it out, ma'am.
Stand over here.
I'll feed the first simulation into the helmet.
See anything? No.
You will.
I'm going to start the first simulation.
What you want to do is see how fast you can put the gunsight on the sniper when you hear the warning.
( typing ) ( beeping ) ( rapid beeping ) ( slow beeping ) ( rapid beeping ) ( ectronic gunfire ) MacKENZIE: Am I dead? Yes, ma'am.
Because the digital signal processing algorithm has a flaw in it.
Here's the problem: The high-resolution audio subsystem is designed to give you a three-dimensional holographic sound field, so you know exactly where a sound is coming from without having to turn your head, but it's locating the sound in the wrong place.
That's why the system thinks it's acquired the target when it hasn't.
Very convincing, Lieutenant.
Thank you, ma'am.
I just wish the Marine Corps thought so.
Why do you think the Corps doesn't? The system works properly some of the time.
I just don't think some of the time is good enough.
MacKENZIE: Sir, Lieutant ncan has been relieved of duty.
His Officer in Charge has agreed to no court-martial and nonjudicial punishment with immediate resignation.
Basically, they want to flush him from the service ASAP.
What does Lieutenant Duncan want? He doesn't seem to be sure about that but what he doesn't want is for the Navy to go ahead with a contract for Psycoustics, Incorporated.
Hmm.
Well, he got what he wished for.
D.
O.
N.
's pulled the plug on the project before it gets any more bad publicity.
What? Sir, I think the Lieutenant was right in what he did just wrong in the way he went about it.
Truth is not a defense in an Article 88 violation so what's your point? The Navy wants to punh him for being a whistleblower while the Marine Corps might just owe him a debt of gratitude.
Project's canceled, Colonel.
It's a moot question.
Yes, sir.
I'll wrap things up.
( sighs ) TROOPS: My Corps! Your Corps! Your Corps! Our Corps! Our Corps! Marine Corps! ( helicopter passing ) How do you do, Colonel MacKenzie? My name is Harlan Bradford.
I'll be representing Lieutenant Duncan in this matter.
Ma'am.
Lieutenant, I didn't expect you to have civilian representation.
As you can understand, Lieutenant Duncan doesn't want to be where he's not appreciated.
We've drawn up his letter of resignation.
What if you got orders to a new duty station, Lieutenant? The Navy's made a big investment in you.
I feel like I've done my part, ma'am.
Served my country.
If even one Marine's life gets saved that's something, isn't it? That's more than something, Lieutenant.
Do you not want to stay in the Navy? I don't think the Navy wants me, ma'am.
"Formal hearing waived, "punitive letter of reprimand accepted commission resigned.
" Official boilerplate downloaded from the JAG Web Site.
So I see.
Looks like you've done your homework, Lieutenant.
I'll advise the convening authority of your wishes and recommend approval.
Thank you, ma'am.
Pleasure doing business with you.
Yes, I realize it's my responsibility to pay the premium on time.
I don't understand why I didn't get my renewal notice like I usually do.
I never received it.
( mouthing ) Thank you, anyway.
There's a Raymond Harrick on line two for you, sir.
Raymond Harrick? My name is Raymond Harrick, Commander.
I represent Mrs.
Eleanor Motley the woman whose car you hit yesterday.
Represent? Yes.
I'm her lawyer.
Why would she need a lawyer? Mrs.
Motley just called me from her doctor's office.
It seems that she's in a considerable amount of pain.
( sighs ) She was fine yesterday morning.
I understand you have no insurance coverage.
I would just suggest that you contact an attorney, Commander.
I am an attorney.
Is that so? Well, may I suggest we have a meeting with Mrs.
Motley? How about this afternoon, say, uh, 2:00, my office? That would be fine.
Good.
And Commander, bring your checkbook.
( button clicks ) ( dial tone ) MacKENZIE: You wanted to see me, sir? Um, close the door, have a seat.
Yes, sir.
What's the status of Lieutenant Duncan's case? Concluded, sir.
Lieutenant Duncan's letter of resignation was forwarded by his commanding officer and accepted by the Chief of Naval Personnel.
Well, Psycoustics, Incorporated, has filed a bid protest with the GAO and a complaint with the Navy for canceling their contract and going with a competitor's product.
The governor of the state has asked for an inquiry into the entire matter.
I'm sorry to hear that, sir.
I thought I'd successfully put out the fire.
Oh, it gets worse.
Psycoustics is accusing Lieutenant Duncan of hacking their code, specifically and I quote, "Duncan modified the DSP algorithm "without authorization so as to cause the HRA subsystem of the combat helmet system to malfunction.
" You know what the hell that means? Yes, sir.
Lieutenant Duncan sabotaged the high-resolution audio-digital, signal-processing program and then he lied about it to the Navy, to the press and to me.
Well, I suggest that you find Lieutenant Duncan.
I will, sir.
Dismissed.
Aye, aye, sir.
HARRICK: Mrs.
Motley is a widow, Commander living on a fixed income.
She's 61 years old, so she doesn't qualify for Medicare.
I have a letter from her doctor.
"Pain in the back, pinched nerve in the neck double vision.
" HARRICK: As you can see, he says surgery may be necessary, but we won't know until she's completed the six-month course of physical therapy.
I've advised against it but she's willing to settle with you now, even thought the projected costs may not cover all the treatment she'll need.
What are the projected costs? Mmm.
Take a look.
Physical therapy: $5,000.
Doctors and specialists: $10,000.
In-home care: $5,000.
Special equipment: $5,000.
Contingency: $5,000.
Legal fees: $5,000.
Very reasonable, under the circumstances.
Also, $500 for the damage to her car.
You wouldn't want to forget that.
$35,000 I don't have that kind of money right now.
The accident wasn't my fault, Mr.
Robb.
It's Commander Rabb, ma'am.
HARRICK: The longer you wait, the more it'll cost, Commander.
Well, I'll just have to take my chances.
I'm sorry.
Take this with you, Commander.
In an abundance of caution, I filed today in Superior Court.
You've been sued.
( sighs ) Sturgis, you got a minute? Yeah, sure.
You're being sued over the auto accident? Yeah.
And so far, I've got a fool for a client.
You're representing yourself? Well, I sincerely hope not.
You don't want me to represent you.
Well, you know, the thought did cross my mind.
I've never done civil litigation.
You should hire a competent lawyer, Harm.
Well, you know, if you took a look at my bank account, you'd see I was financially challenged at the moment.
Look, this is going to take some reseah, and I'm swamped.
I might be able to get to this in a couple of weeks, but then you got a fool for a lawyer.
I'd be happy to help you fix your car, buddy, but this? I'm sorry.
Good luck.
Thanks.
Oh, sir, finished proofing your brief.
It's very good.
Thank you, Bud.
Were there many mistakes? Hardly any at all.
Is there anything else I can do for you? Uh, you look like a man who wants a case of his own, Lieutenant.
I am anxious to get up to speed, sir.
Understandable.
I don't have a case I can turn over, but Commander Rabb might.
( indistinct conversation ) Thank you, sir.
Good afternoon, sir.
Oh, hey, Bud.
How you doing? Good sir.
Come on in.
I'm on hold.
"Your First Computer"? Is that for Chloe? No, it's for little A.
J.
's fifth birthday.
Isn't that in four months? So? I like to get my shopping done early.
Yeah, I'm still here.
Five years from this moment, if neither of us is in a relationship, we'll go halves on a kid.
You and me, have a baby together? What do you say Deal? Don't make a promise you can't keep.
I see.
Thank you.
I don't believe it.
Believe what? ( sighing ): Lieutenant Duncan's lawyer doesn't exist.
There's no Harlan Bradford licensed to practice law in Virginia.
He downloaded the boilerplate from the Web Site.
Anybody could do that.
( baby crying ) Are you all right? Yeah.
Did you want to see me about something? No.
( stammering ): It can it can wait.
Excuse me.
If you're looking to rent, the unit's not ready yet.
I'm looking for Lieutenant Jeremy Duncan.
This is his apartment, right? Was.
He's gone now.
But his car's parked in the garage.
Not his car.
Not anymore.
I don't understand.
When did he move out? Day before yesterday, just like that.
And he left his car? Oh, damnedest thing ever, if you ask me.
He had six months left on his lease.
Said he wanted out.
He paid me $2,000 in cash signed over the car to cover the rest.
It's a pretty nice car, too.
But he didn't even leave a forwarding address, huh? Nope.
He didn't even want his cleaning deposit back.
What do you make of that? I'd say the Lieutenant came into some money, suddenly.
Thank you for your help.
You're welcome.
Oh, the apartment's available the first of the month.
( sighs ) MacKENZIE: You little rat.
You lowlife scum.
What is it? I checked every bar association on the eastern seaboard, guess what I found? There is a Harlan Bradford in the legal department of a company in Maryland called Mad Hampster, Inc.
It's a game company.
MAN: Ground Strike: Force III.
Isn't that what the whistle-blowing was all about? Damn right it was.
He stole it.
He stole Psycoustics' technology.
I'd bet on it.
( sighg ) Hang on, I wonder ( dialing ) MAN: Mad Hampster, Incorporated.
How may I direct your call? Jeremy Duncan, please.
One moment, please.
Hi, this is Jeremy.
You've reached my voice mail.
Leave me a message and I'll get right back as soon as I can.
Gotcha.
MacKENZIE: We've located Lieutenant Duncan, sir.
Good.
He's working at an electronic game company in Maryland.
And, uh The whole thing was a setup.
He knew exactly what he was doing when he gave the interview to the reporter, sir.
He wanted out of the Navy and he wanted Psycoustic" contract canceled so he could take the technology with him when he left.
You sure about this? Not yet, not completely but it's so obvious, the way he disappeared, throwing money around Colonel Arrogant little S.
O.
B.
is not going to get away with this.
Sounds like the Lieutenant He made a fool out of me, sir.
Colonel.
I'm sorry, sir.
I'd like to request permission to pursue Lieutenant Duncan and rectify the situation.
How do you plan to do that? I don't know, sir.
You don't know? Hmm.
Commander, do you have time to assist the Colonel on this case? Maybe between the two of you we can find a certain balance.
Yes, sir.
You okay with that, Colonel? Yes, sir.
Thank you, sir.
Good night.
Well, something tells me that Lieutenant Duncan will be sorry he messed with this Marine.
( sighing ) ( door slams ) RABB: Hey, slow down a little.
MacKENZIE: I don't want to be late for this appointment.
RABB: We're not going to be late.
Okay, maybe a little late.
Mac, hold on.
What? Are you upset because I'm here with you? No.
I mean, I'm usually the one who needs the minder.
Well, I don't need a minder But I don't mind the help.
What is bothering you? Is it the lawsuit? There's nothing bothering me.
Sure seems like something is.
Well, maybe it's just a clock I hear ticking.
What's that suppose to mean? Oh, nothing.
GUARD: Who are you here to see? Jeremy Duncan.
He's expecting us.
Sign these, please.
What are they? Nondisclosure agreements.
This is a high-security campus.
No one's allowed in the building without an escort.
An intern will take you to Mr.
Duncan's office.
All this for video games.
Electronic gaming is a $15 billion a year industry, sir.
That's more than movies and music combined.
We take industrial espionage very seriously.
So do we.
( phone ringing ) Hello, Colonel.
Come on in.
This is Commander Rabb.
Hi.
RABB: Lieutenant.
Not anymore, sir.
Welcome to the private sector.
Sure beats the Navy, huh? Actually, I'm a little surprised you agreed to see us.
I've got nothing to hide.
What is it you want to see me about? I'm a little curious about something.
Does the word "ethics" mean anything to you? Sure.
It means loser.
Let me do the math for you.
This new game of ours, Ground Strike: Force III, was an $80 million title before we incorporated Now, it's $100 million title.
You put these babies on and play the game and it's as close as you can get to virtual reality at home.
The military just doesn't know what to do with this kind of technology.
So that makes it okay for you to steal it? Was that just the way you were raised? Come on.
The physics has been around for years it just wasn't proprietary, though it is now.
This place knows how to protect its assets.
Psycoustics didn't.
Hey, you snooze, you lose.
It's the law of the jungle.
No conscience at all, huh, Jeremy? I'm sorry, but it was the chance of a lifetime.
No one in the service got hurt, so what's the problem? We're bound by a different standard of conduct in the service, Jeremy.
When you agreed to accept your commission, you, too, were bound by that standard.
So sue me.
Let me ask you a question.
What do you two make as lawyers in the Navy? Come on, Harm, let's go.
I'm losing the struggle.
I was making $50,000 a year as a lieutenant.
Now I'm making ten times that plus $50,000 for a signing bonus.
What are you two making? Chump change.
Want to try these on, Commander? They're a lot of fun.
Yeah, maybe some other time.
I used to have a bumper sticker that said, "Die, Yuppie Scum.
" I'm going to get another one.
Well, at the very least you've got to admire his honesty.
Or not.
I'm going to take him up on his offer.
I'm going to get Psycoustics, Incorporated to sue him.
Oh, don't mention that word around me, huh? He is right about one thing, though.
With all our trial experience we could be making a fortune in private practice.
I tried that, remember? Yeah, but that was four years ago.
What were you offered then? A lot.
I still think about it.
You know what it costs to raise a kid and put him through college these days? Why would I know that? Almost $300,000.
Problem is, I didn't like myself very much in private practice.
Yeah, but things change, you know, Mac.
Hell, I could be using you right about now.
Yeah, I'd probably be the one suing you.
MacKENZIE: Thank you for meeting with us.
I'm Lieutenant Colonel MacKenzie, this is Commander Rabb.
Greetings, I'm Ashok Pradesh.
This place is so empty.
Oh, we've had to lay off our entire staff due to the lost contract.
Can you explain to us what Lieutenant Duncan did to your DSP source code? Yes, of course.
This way, please.
MacKENZIE: Thank you.
Just compare the original waveform created by the DSP algorithm and this contaminated copy created by Lieutenant Duncan.
Take a look at the phase shift in the pinna cues.
It is clear that early reflections have been distorted so as to place the sound source in a completely incorrect location.
Well, it might be clear to you, Ashok but it is not clear to the rest of humanity.
How was Lieutenant Duncan able to get away with this? Well, we allowed it, Commander.
With this transformation going on in your military there is so much competition to be first.
The Marine Corps, the Army Both are developing new combat systems.
Does the Army system wo better? Not if the Marine Corps system is deployed first.
And so we worked on weekends and at night and because we trust theavy we allowed Jeremy full access to our source code to debug.
To help us succeed.
Why didn't you file criminal charges against him? But why? He broke no laws.
We failed to lock the chicken house.
MacKENZIE: You're not just going to let him get away with it? PRADESH: But this is life in high-tech, Colonel.
We lose, we move on.
There's no time for regret.
MacKENZIE: That's ridiculous.
That's actually kind of healthy if you think about it.
Lonel, why look back? Just over the horizon is the next big thing.
Yeah, maybe.
But in my world there's a thing called justice.
CHEGWIDDEN: You're telling me he got away with it? MacKENZIE: The Navy cleared his record with his discharge and Psycoustics isn't interested in pursuing the matter, which means Lieutenant Duncan used Navy regulation for his own benefit and stole technology from Psycoustics.
I think the Navy should reinstate the contract, sir.
That's not going to happen.
Navy refuses to rebid the contract.
Then Psycoustics is going out of business, sir.
Nature of capitalism, the weak fail.
Yes, sir.
RABB: Hey, what do you say I buy you dinner? Not hungry.
Did you even bother to eat lunch? I don't remember.
Mac, you got a raging case of low blood sugar.
I don't care, I'm beat.
I feel dirty.
I need a long, hot bath.
What, are you going to wash Lieutenant Duncan out of your hair? Is that it? You're giving up? It's over, isn't it? Well, maybe not.
Good morning, sir.
Good morning, Lieutenant.
Good morning, Commander.
You're pregnant too, Coates? Due any day now, sir.
How are you today, sir? I'm fine, Harriet.
You're going to make such a wonderful father.
( alarm buzzing ) Ugh.
Hey.
Hey.
Got a surprise for you.
Hope it's a good one.
I think you're going to like it.
Made some calls to Quantico this morning Our Lieutenant Duncan was in such a hurry to get out of there I had a hunch he might have made a mistake.
Like what? It seems he's accumulated some leave on the books I like it already.
It gets better.
He didn't stick around for his out briefing so he didn't get his final orders.
They've got two paychecks waiting for him already and two more before his discharge becomes effective.
Harm, those are the best words I could ever hope to hear "before his discharge become effective.
" Ah, you just made my day.
Maybe even my week.
What's the matter? Nothing.
Sir, can I see you for a moment? Sure.
Uh, I was wondering if I could ask you a personal question? Yeah.
Go ahead.
Sir, do you feel that I'm handicapped as far as my legal abilities are concerned? No, I don't feel that at all, Bud.
Why are you asking? Well, Commander Turner told me about Your problem, sir, and that you asked him for his help.
Yeah.
Well, Si I was wondering, why didn't you ask me? I don't know, Bud.
I, uh I guess I'm guilty of underestimating your recovery.
Would you consider representing me in this lawsuit, Lieutenant? I've already started work on it, sir.
Been investigating this lawyer Raymond Harrick.
He's an ambulance chaser, sir.
He files literally hundreds of lawsuits, and as far as I can tell, he always settles out of court.
So I went down to legal assistance to see if there were any local Navy people who'd been involved in automobile accidents within days of their insurance lapsing.
Turns out there were quite a few.
Over 20 this year.
All fender-benders within days of lapsed insurance.
The accident was a total setup.
Someone from the insurance office "forgets" to mail out the renewal notice This guy Harrick waits for the policy to expire and sets up an accident.
Then he starts harassing the victim until they decide to settle.
Yeah, and it almost worked, Bud.
Almost.
Why don't you and I go see the Admiral.
You're being sued? RABB: Yes, sir.
And what does Lieutenant Roberts have to do with it? I've asked the Lieutenant to help me with the court case, sir.
With your permission, obviously.
You don't think I have anything better for you to do? Well, sir, any assignment that you would give me would certainly take precedence.
Got a strategy? Yes, sir.
( sighs ) All right.
Good luck.
Thank you, sir.
HARRICK: Right this way, Mrs.
Motley.
Commander Rabb requested this meeting.
This time he brought counsel with him.
Lieutenant Roberts.
There you go.
Commander, I hope you've come to put an offer on the table.
As you can see, she's having a difficult time getting around.
Yes, it would appear your condition is getting worse, Mrs.
Motley.
Physical therapy isn't easy for a person my age, young man.
Your therapist's name is Preston, isn't it, Mrs.
Motley? Dr.
Preston.
Yes, mm-hmm.
And you've seen him before, haven't you? Tell me, was it this hard the previous three times? I don't know what you're talking about.
We've checked into Mrs.
Motley's doctors.
This is the fourth accident in the last 18 months.
Rear-ended each time.
That's some pretty bad luck, I'd say, Mrs.
Motley.
I will not allow you to intimide my client.
Oh, we're not here to do that, Mr.
Harrick.
We're here to intimidate you.
Now this here is a list of the Navy personnel who have been sued by you in the last three years.
The names look familiar? Each of them have had an accident right after their auto insurance lapsed.
Quite a coincidence, wouldn't you say? What's going on here, Raymond? Sit down.
Why, you said that they would pay like all the others.
Sit down! I will not sit down! I am not listening to you any more! I I'm sorry, young man.
I'm ashamed of myself.
Was any of it true, Mrs.
Motley? Well, I certainly wasn't hurt.
But I am a widow, and on a fixed income.
Well, I know that's not an excuse, but I used to be an actress, you know.
A very good one.
I I'm going to need a lawyer, aren't I? Roberts: Yes, ma'am.
I'd call one soon.
Roberts: And this Is a bill for the damages to Commander Rabb's Corvette.
RABB: We've notified the insurance company and the U.
S.
Attorney's Office.
The renewal notices that never got sent That's fraud and conspiracy to commit fraud.
Both federal offenses, Mr.
Harrick.
We'll be seeing you in court.
You have a nice day now.
Roberts: Oh You might consider getting yourself a lawyer.
( sighs ) You want to see me about something? Printed out some more JAG boilerplate for you, Mr.
Bradford.
Subpoena to appear for a court-martial? Jeremy Hang on a minute.
I'll be right with you.
On your feet, Lieutenant.
Hey! What's this? Orders, Lieutenant, to report for duty at 1500 today.
What are you talking about? I'm out.
No, you're not.
You should have paid more attention to those Navy regs, Lieutenant.
Maybe if you'd shown up for your out briefing or picked up your orders.
RABB: You still have leave on the books, Jeremy.
The government still owes you money.
Until you're paid everything you're entitled to you're still on terminal leave.
And still in the Navy.
You're kidding.
Government owes you $8,000.
$8,000? MAN: Will the Senior Member please publish the court's findings.
Lieutenant Jeremy Duncan, United States Navy: As to charge one and the specification alleging violation of Article 92, disobedience of DOD standards of conduct, a lawful general regulation: Guilty.
As to charge two and its specification alleging violation of Article 108, willful damage of military property: Guilty.
This court sentences you to confinement at hard labor for a period of one year, to be fined $50,000, and to be dismissed from the Naval Service.
This court is adjourned.
Well, congratulations.
Thanks.
You got a minute? Sure.
Can we talk in your office? Okay.
Um You, uh, you said that you bought this for little A.
J.
's fifth birthday.
I did? But he's not going to be five, he's going to be four.
Exactly.
That's what's been bothering you Our deal to have a baby together after five years? Well, I wouldn't exactly say it was bothering me, but Well, something was bothering you.
Like the comment about the clock ticking.
Was that supposed to be my biological clock? Harm, why didn't you just tell me what was on your mind? Well, because you seemed to have a little too much on your mind.
You know, I'll bet that you were afraid to ask.
Why would I be? Maybe you didn't want to hear the answer.
Or maybe you were afraid that I'd want to up the timetable.
Now, that never occurred to me.
Do you? Harm, it wasn't a Freudian slip, okay? It was just a mistake.
You're sure? You want to go back on your promise? No.
Then why the sudden worry? It's over a year away.
Well well, I mean I mean, Singer got pregnant, and then Harriet and And you just assumed that I'd want to join the club.
You're funny.