Original subtitles

Andy? It got so late I thought you weren't coming.

I'd about given up on you.

Missy.

Did you tell her?

Tell me what?

Then do it, Andy. Tell her.

He doesn't love you.

Put your hands in the air!

And Kingsley, you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say may be

against you in a trial by court -martial. You have the right to consult

attorney prior to questioning.

You have the right to have a lawyer present during this questioning. Do you

understand these rights?

Yes, ma 'am.

Do you waive the rights to remain silent and consult with an attorney?

I don't need an attorney, ma 'am.

How did you meet Misty James?

My wife was a dispersing officer on the John O 'Connor, ma 'am.

Her ship was on deployment in the Med.

One night I stopped by the mini -mart on base for ice cream, and that's where I

met Misty.

I thought he was just being sweet, sir.

Bringing me ice cream.

He was having an affair.

A friend of mine saw them together.

So what'd you do then?

I confronted him.

I told him we were married for keeps, and we needed to work this out.

He promised he would break it off.

What was your wife's reaction?

Well, Susan went ballistic, ma 'am.

She wouldn't listen to reason.

I had to restrain her.

That's why you arranged your meeting with Miss James?

Yeah. Then Susan got in the car to go with me.

She told me I had to tell Misty in front of her.

Why did you agree to accompany your husband?

Andy made me go with him.

I didn't want to.

It was degrading.

What did you do once you got to the meeting place?

He got out of the car and they started hugging.

So I got out of the car.

I told him if he was going to do it, he should do it.

I think I was crying.

What happened then?

The girl, she came at me with some kind of pipe.

She swung it at me.

My wife had a pipe in her hand.

She must have brought it with her.

Before I knew what was happening, she was attacking Misty.

Did your wife say anything?

No. I tried to stop Susan.

I tried to protect Misty.

And then Susan turned on me.

I never saw her like that before.

Well, what happened then?

I must have ducked. I don't remember.

She came at me again.

I grabbed the pipe.

And I swung it.

Did you strike the blows that killed Misty James?

She tried to kill me, sir.

She and my husband.

He tried to grab me to help her.

Why would your husband and Misty James want to try to kill you?

But they were having an affair. I was in the way.

Why not just file for divorce?

My family is rich, sir.

Andy wanted my money.

I think that's all he ever wanted.

He never really loved me.

Hey.

Did you guys have a good time last night?

Well, the theater, that's where you and my mom went, right?

You always get home at 5 .30?

Well, no, I fell asleep on a friend's couch. You always get up at 5 .30. Gives

me time for a five -mile run before work.

God.

You know, I wanted to say I'm sorry about messing up your day with my mom on

birthday.

Apology accepted.

You know, I didn't get her a present yet myself.

And, well, you know how she's a gardening freak, so I wanted to get her

dogwoods, you know, but my car's too small to pick them up.

Well, you want to use mine?

Well, you know, if it's not a problem.

I don't have any spare time today, but... Well, you don't have to come with

No, I don't mind.

Maybe another morning this week.

Oh, not before one of your five -mile runs. How's your afternoons?

Give me a call. We'll work something out.

Outstanding.

You should have seen her, Mac. She was breaking my heart.

Her husband says she was more into breaking heads.

Well, she says they tried to kill her.

Kind of takes he said, she said to a whole new level.

Ma 'am, sir, I've got the preliminary autopsy report on Misty James and the

forensics. Great. Thanks, Gunny.

Hey, Gunny, you worked homicide in New Mexico, didn't you?

Yes, sir. Until I got shot in the left posterior.

Stick around, will you? I'll see.

The decedent received three blows to the head with a heavy linear object. A

short length of pipe recovered from the scene was found to be consistent with

the injury sustained.

Well, there's no argument there. Both parties concur.

Ensign Kingsley swung the pipe.

Yeah, but was it murder or self -defense?

Any defensive wounds on the victim, ma 'am?

No marks on the hands, no marks on the arms.

So she was caught by surprise, ma 'am.

Yeah, which matches the husband's story.

Ensign Kingsley didn't have any marks on her body. Sounds like a one -sided

fight, sir.

Two sets of fingerprints on the pipe, Anthony King named Miss James.

Supporting her story that they struggled for it.

Miss James' prints were formed in part in cerebral fluid.

She grabbed onto the pipe after her brains were splattered all over it.

Kind of hard to do.

Morning, Tyner. Morning, sir. Dr. Walden called twice, Admiral. She can't make

lunch. Let's see if dinner will work.

Aye, sir. Also, Rose Palermo will be here at 0945, and Colonel McKenzie and

Commander Rabb are waiting for you, sir. Who isn't?

Morning. At ease.

Thank you, sir. Morning, sir. Morning. Have a seat.

We're here to give you a recommendation on the Misty James murder, sir.

Did somebody actually name her Misty?

Yes, sir.

Sir, we believe Anson Kingsley murdered her.

Jealous wife kills husband's lover?

Yes, sir. The forensic evidence is pretty clear, and the husband is an

eyewitness.

Apparently, the ensign thought you might pick her as a killer. She's hired a

lawyer.

Colonel, how do you feel about going up against your old professor?

Want to eat a wrestler?

Ensign Kingsley's going first class.

I'd welcome the opportunity, sir.

Good. Roberts will assist.

Commander, you look into the death of Petty Officer Mateo Palermo.

The suicide investigation, sir?

Suicide investigation aboard the USS Seahawk.

You can keep up your carrier quals while you're there.

Oh, thank you, sir.

Are you sure you should be carrying him, sir?

He's too small to carry me.

Hey. Hi.

Quite a bruiser. I'm teaching him how to eat, sir.

I understand the Redskins are looking for a new lineman.

Excuse me, Commander.

Mrs. Palermo's waiting in your office.

Oh, thanks, Captain. Sir. Can I hold him?

Oh, until the next one comes along if you want to, ma 'am. Can I hold you,

sweetie? It's okay. It's okay.

He's tired.

You guys are so lucky having a girl this time, one of these.

Ma 'am, I better say we would like to talk to you.

Is everything okay?

Yes, ma 'am.

It's about Sarah.

Who's Sarah?

Technically, you are, ma 'am.

Sarah. So we decided to call our baby girl Sarah.

If that's okay with you, Colonel.

I brought these.

Mateo wrote to me every week. Never miss one.

How many boys do that?

Well, I know I didn't, ma 'am.

I want you to read this one.

Dear Grandma, good news.

Everything I wanted to happen is coming true.

I got accepted to SEAL training.

I go to Coronado in November, but first I get 30 days leave.

And that's enough time to see you.

And now that I got a start in life, I'm going to ask your sister if she wants to

get married.

Can't wait for her to meet you.

Love, Mateo.

That was right before it happened.

Does that sound like the letter from somebody who's going to kill himself?

Well, ma 'am, things aren't always the way they seem.

I want to bury Mateo next to his mother.

But if he took his own life, I can't.

But that's what the church says.

Here.

Read the rest of these letters.

And you tell me if he committed suicide.

I'll get Ensign Kingsley's academy records. I want you to go out to the

'Connor. Talk to her commanding officer.

Ma 'am.

I have a friend at Viewpurse who has a friend at Nafdy that heard a rumor that

Ensign Kingsley was taken to Captain's Mast for fighting with a fellow female

officer. The Captain's Mast where, Lieutenant?

I don't know, ma 'am.

Well, maybe your friend at Viewpurse has a friend in Surfland who could find

out. I'll ask her, ma 'am.

Colonel?

Why you went with your husband that night to see Misty James?

It was Andy's idea.

He wanted me to know that he'd carry through on his promise.

Or at least that's what he said. That's how they lured me there.

Male discharge is outrageous.

Ensign Kingsley is the victim here.

Susan, you had no idea what lay in store for you that night?

How was I supposed to know my husband wanted to murder me?

I went with him because I love him.

Because I wanted to save my marriage.

And then that woman attacked me, and he attacked me.

I'm sorry, she's dead.

But I was fighting for my life, ducking and trying to hold on to the pipe and

screaming, they're trying to kill me.

My own husband, he wanted me dead.

Call Judge Morimoto in the morning. I want a gag order on Ensign Kingsley and

Ms. Rethler.

Forget it, Colonel.

Sir, I don't want the whole country crying with this girl. You don't have a

choice. She's got off the phone with SECNAV. Three months ago, he agreed for

first time to allow trial TV to broadcast a court -martial.

This is the one they want.

I'm standing in front of the headquarters of the Judge Advocate

building that houses the elite cadre of military lawyers known as JAGs. With me

is the kind of lawyer they don't go up against very often.

Juanita Resler, known for her courtroom dramatics and media savvy, is about to

make her appearance.

Good morning. Ms. Resler, can you tell me what approach you're going to take to

this case?

The truth, Lynn, just the truth.

Ensign Kingsley is basically a naive young woman who suddenly found herself

brutally attacked by her husband and his mistress.

She screamed, they're trying to kill me. That's the message we're going to be

getting out in court.

Miss Ressler, the prosecutor, Lieutenant Colonel Sarah McKenzie, is one of your

former students.

Nice picture, ma 'am.

Despite having had to overcome a series of personal and professional

difficulties.

We have a pile of messages. People magazine wants an interview. The

Post, 60 Minutes 2.

Tell them I have better things to do. But I think she's failed to learn one

basic lesson. You don't prosecute the victim.

Thank you.

Good morning. Be seated.

As all parties are aware, and as consented to by the accused, this court

-martial will be televised.

This has been approved so that the general public might have a better

understanding of how military justice works.

But I caution all counsel that they are to conduct themselves as if the cameras

were not present. I will not tolerate any grandstanding and or theatrics.

Does counsel understand me?

We do, Your Honor. Yes, Your Honor. Good.

Colonel McKenzie, you may begin with your opening remarks.

Thank you, sir.

Good morning.

During the course of this trial, we will present clear and convincing evidence

that Ensign Susan Kingsley killed Misty James, that her husband was having an

affair with Miss James, and that Ensign Kingsley knew about it, that she

arranged for her husband to take her to Miss James so she could confront her,

that she brought the murder weapon with her to the scene of that confrontation,

that in full view of her husband, she struck Miss James repeatedly with that

weapon.

Those are the facts in this case. They are simple and clear.

And they indicate beyond any reasonable doubt the accused is guilty as charged

of premeditated murder.

Thank you.

Ms. Ressler.

That's what this case is really about.

Colonel McKenzie wants to talk about facts, but there are a few surprising

she did not mention.

The fact that her star witness is a man who cheated on his wife in the first

year of their marriage. The fact that Ensign Kingsley expected to see her

husband break off an adulterous relationship with a teenage girl.

Only to find herself under physical attack.

The fact that Ensign Kingsley fought to save her life only to

find herself charged with murder.

Ensign Kingsley has been a victim once.

Don't let it happen again.

Thank you.

Joining us now are two people who know the combustible combination of law and

media better than anyone.

Gloria Allred and Johnny Cochran.

Well, what do you think? Did Miss Ressler outplank the Colonel?

Mel, maybe I'm partial to the defense, but I like Miss Ressler's take -no

-prisoner style.

It's a close one, Mel. Two powerful women slugging it out. Miss Ressler's

on points. She's fiery and passionate.

You always like flash, Johnny. All Colonel McKenzie needs is time to build

case. What she needs, Gloria, is an appointment with a Beverly Hills

hairstylist. That's incredibly sexist, Johnny. But I guess she can't do

about her outfit.

Unlike some lawyers, Colonel McKenzie bleeds in sticking to the facts.

The fact, if the husband was breaking off his affair, why would his wife kill

the other woman?

If the motive's ruled out, there's a reasonable doubt.

Yeah. Sir, Danny Walden's on line, too.

Tell him not today, Tyner. Tell him after tomorrow at 12 noon sharp.

Petty Officer Palermo was a good kid, sir. Excuse us, Jen.

He was a third -class ordnance man.

He wasn't on duty the day it happened.

He just showed up during flight ops.

You were there?

Affirmative. I don't like losing a man on my watch, Commander.

Tell me how it happened.

We were in the middle of a recovery.

The last F -14 was landing.

It passed within 20 feet of the island.

That's when he ran out of the hatch.

He deliberately jumped in front of the aircraft.

He got hit head -on by the starboard main mouth.

Petty Officer Palermo got dragged 100 feet down the deck.

Did he say anything before he ran out?

Yes, sir.

As he came out of the hatch, he yelled, Let's rumble.

Let's rumble?

What do you mean by that?

I have no idea, sir.

Had he seemed distracted or depressed, at least?

No, sir. He had a very positive attitude.

I still don't get it, sir.

And Matt and I were pretty close.

His grandmother said he was excited about starting SEAL training and his

girlfriend. Yeah, well, he had a little problem there.

Wait, had girlfriend trouble?

You know how it goes with women, sir.

Cinta, his girlfriend, she kind of dumped him two, three days before the

accident.

How was he dealing with it?

I told him she'd come back.

You know, sir, they do.

Sometimes.

And we hung out a lot together.

We like to shoot pool at the lounge, watch videos.

I thought he was feeling better, sir.

That one's mine.

Do you know Captain Atomic, sir?

No. It's an awesome book, sir.

He has uranium isotopes implanted into his brain that give him superpowers.

But in real life, he's just a garage mechanic.

Matt and I traded stuff back and forth all the time, sir.

Dr. Winston, you're a chief medical examiner at Norfolk Hospital?

That's correct.

Can you tell us, please, ma 'am, how Misty James died?

Misty James received three blows to the head from a heavy linear object. She

died from blunt force trauma.

Lieutenant.

Lieutenant, do you have another question?

Yes, sir.

Oh, yes, sir.

Dr. Winston, could you light and

lighten us as to whether

this pipe found at the crime scene inflicted the deadly blows?

Yes, Lieutenant, in my opinion, it did. It has the necessary mass and it has the

residue of blood, hair, and brain tissue that match the decedents.

Dr. Winston, can you explain to us the...

significance of small pebbles found embedded in the victim's scalp?

The assailant knocked the victim to the ground, perhaps even with the first

blow. The pebbles indicate the victim's head was on the ground when at least one

of the other blows landed.

And what are defensive wounds, Doctor?

They are marks on the hands, wrists, and arms that suggest a struggle to defend

oneself. Were any of these present on the victim's body?

No, which indicate the victim was struck by surprise.

Thank you, Dr. Winston.

No further questions.

Dr. Winston, on the night Misty James died, were you at the scene?

No. So you don't know what happened?

Not from eyewitness knowledge, no.

If Misty James swung the first blow and instant Kingsley ducked, you would have

no way of knowing that, would you?

If she dodged every blow without injury, I would know that that was remarkably

good dodging. Did you know that Ensign Kingsley lettered in varsity track at

Lake Forest High School? I did not.

Could a fifth young woman with an athletic background dodge one or more

swings of a pipe before grabbing it away and swinging it back at her attacker?

Yes. It is possible.

Jack Headquarters, Gunnery Sergeant Galindez.

Uh, Commander, looks like your hunch paid off. What do you got, Connie?

Uh, the extended tox scan on Petty Officer Palermo. His body had high

lysergic acid diethylmide.

LSD. Yes, sir, and based on the levels, he probably didn't know where he was or

what he was doing.

I'll fax you the report.

Oh, and his grandmother keeps calling here, sir. What should I tell her?

Not that.

Gunnery Sergeant, when you arrived at the scene, did the victim have a pipe in

her hand?

Yes, ma 'am.

Where was Ensign Kingsley?

Standing over the body, ma 'am. So it is possible that Ensign Kingsley was

placing or had just placed the pipe in the victim's hand. I'm catching your

honest speculation.

Sustained.

As the security chief for PMO, have you been trained in homicide investigation?

Yes, ma 'am. In your experience, have you ever seen anyone club themselves to

death? No, ma 'am. Then how do you account for the fact that given her

the victim had the pipe in her own hand?

I can't, ma 'am. Unless someone had placed it there.

Objection. Speculation.

Sustained. No further questions.

Gunnery Sergeant Dandridge, was it dark that night?

Most nights are, ma 'am.

Yes, they are.

How was visibility that night?

Not good.

It was foggy.

Well, if it was difficult to see, then one has to rely on other senses. Did you

hear anything?

There was some shouts.

Grunts, groans.

Any shouts in particular?

I don't recall, ma 'am.

Connery Sergeant, that night a woman was fighting for her life.

Take a moment and think back.

Did you hear anything?

I recall hearing...

Ensign Kingsley yelling, they're trying to kill me.

I interviewed him three times, Colonel. He never said that to me. Ensign

Kingsley didn't say it at the crime scene, but she said it on TV.

I didn't even expect Susan to get out of the car, ma 'am.

And all of a sudden, there she was.

What were you doing when she appeared, Lieutenant?

Misty had put her arms around me, ma 'am.

She thought I was just there to, you know, love her.

What did your wife do next?

She said, do it.

Tell her.

But before I could say anything, she swung something and hit Misty in the

After a second, I realized it was a pipe.

Did Ensign Kingsley bring the pipe with her?

Objection. Call for speculation.

Sustained. Did you have a pipe in your car, Lieutenant?

No, ma 'am.

I cleaned it out that afternoon.

There was no pipe. Did you see Ensign Kingsley pick a pipe up off the ground?

No, ma 'am.

Can you describe what happened after Ensign Kingsley struck Misty James the

first time?

I tried to stop her, and she swung at me.

She hit me here.

Misty had fallen to the ground, and Susan hit her a couple more times.

Lieutenant Kingsley, had your wife expressed anger at Misty James for what

had done?

Objection, hearsay.

Accused state of mind, Your Honor.

Objection overruled.

Lieutenant, you may answer the question.

Susan said she thought that what I did was Misty's fault.

But Susan got it mixed up in her mind.

Had that happened before, that your wife got things mixed up in her mind?

Something would set her off.

She would just lose it. Move to strike.

Irrelevant. Goes to a pattern of impulsive, angry behavior, Your Honor.

Objection sustained.

I couldn't track down anything on Anthony King, who's Captain's master.

anyway. But I did pick up some rumors that she had some juvenile arrests.

Where? When?

I don't know, ma 'am. I need something hard, Lieutenant.

Do my best, ma 'am.

Ratings have never been higher for trial TV since they started coverage of a

military trial in Virginia.

But it's not case law male viewers are drooling over. It's prosecutor Colonel

Sarah McKenzie. It seems this sexy, sassy lady lawyer is one giant Mac

the TV competition.

Her sizzle factor gives the phrase body of evidence a whole new meaning.

I've died and gone to hell. McKenzie has a reputation as a straight shooter and

looks great in a bikini.

Oh, Colonel, come on in. Have a seat.

Admiral, this is getting out of control.

Never knew you led such an interesting life.

Her favorite hobby, working on dinosaur bones. She has a skeleton of an

Icarosaurus.

Icarosaurus? Icarosaurus in her apartment. What the hell is an

It's the oldest airborne vertebrate, sir. A lizard with wings. Its wingspan

exceeds it.

Never mind. Most fascinating fact. Can field strip an M -16 blindfolded in 16

seconds. Where are they getting all this? I didn't even talk to them. That

whets their appetite, Colonel.

Anytime a public figure says no comment, they wonder, what's she really like?

What's she hiding?

You cooperate with them.

You can help your case.

I'm trying a murder case, sir. So is Juanita Ressler, and she gave him a tour

her office.

If she wants to try her case in the press, let her, sir. Court -martial

are different than civilian jurors. They take seriously their order to listen

only to what they hear in the courtroom.

Like the testimony of the gunner and sergeant who said he heard Ensign

yelling that they were trying to kill her?

Well, I guess congratulations are in order.

Sir? On your engagement.

All attempts to interview Colonel McKenzie were rebuffed, as were attempts

interview Australian attorney Mick Brumby, who said he would not violate

fiancée's privacy.

If you're respecting my privacy, you don't tell a magazine that we're engaged

when we're not.

And at this rate, we're not damn well likely to be.

Call me before I attack you with a lead pipe.

Now, officially, she's a colonel in the Marines, but to me, she's a major babe.

I think we now know why the Marines are first on the beach.

Zoinks!

Well,

here

I am.

As promised, even if it is before noon. I'm sorry, I left you a message.

I've got another full day.

Oh, really? I didn't get it.

All right, I guess I can call my mother and have her come pick me up.

Have it back by six, huh?

Got it.

So what's going on over here?

Justice? Yeah.

Heard of that.

Is there ever any evidence it brought use to Petty Officer Palermo's physical

stock? No, sir.

And I gave him a rigorous physical prior to SEAL training.

You don't test for LSD, though.

It's not part of the standard physical.

Is it possible he was using and just never got caught?

Commander, I see drug uses all the time.

Kid didn't have any to sign.

Except having LSD in his system and running in front of an F -14.

Dear Grandma.

Good news.

Everything I wanted to happen is coming true.

I got accepted to field training.

I go to Coronado in November, but first I get 30 days leave.

And that's enough time to see you.

And now that I got a start in life, I'm going to ask Jacinta if she wants to get

married.

I can't wait for you to meet her.

All my love, Mateo.

Yeah. Excuse me, Admiral, but were you expecting a Detective Grady, Loudoun

County Police?

No. Then the men.

Admiral Teguiden.

Hi, how are you?

Admiral, do you own a blue SUV, a license plate 291 IPL?

Yes.

Can you tell me why it was abandoned, mired in a mud pit on a dirt road in

County Park?

Uh, no.

Can you explain why we found eight ounces of street -grade marijuana in

locked vehicle?

Admiral, I parked your car at the nursery.

I went inside to pay for the dogwoods. I came out, and the car was gone. It was

stolen. And you just kept this your secret?

You didn't file a police report.

Well, I was embarrassed, you know. I left the keys in the car.

I was trying to get up my nerve.

Mr. Walden, did you leave anything else in the car?

Maybe a jacket.

Not a quantity of marijuana?

No. No, that must have belonged to whoever stole the car.

Danny, are you sure you didn't put off calling me or the police because you got

too stoned?

No.

Thank you, Mr. Walden.

We'll talk again.

Admiral?

I can't believe this happened.

What are you going to tell my mother?

Nothing.

Good. Good, because she'd freak.

You're going to tell her.

Lieutenant Kingsley, don't you find it strange for a husband to meet with his

mistress in front of his wife?

Yes. On his answer at last.

Objection. She's commenting on the testimony. Sorry, Your Honor.

Yet you did it, Lieutenant.

You drove your wife to your private lover's lane to meet your schoolgirl

mistress. Because that's what Susan wanted. Not what you wanted.

No, ma 'am. Lieutenant Kingsley, didn't you lure your wife to a deserted road in

order to kill her? Objection. Lieutenant Kingsley is not on trial here.

He should be. Your Honor. It's legitimate cross -examination, Your

it is.

Just watch the grandstanding.

Lieutenant Kingsley, is your wife rich?

Her family has...

Considerable means.

She has a trust fund and a generous allowance.

Yes.

Lieutenant Kingsley, have you ever withdrawn a sum of money from your

account without asking for her permission?

Yes. Did you use that money to buy a gift for your teenage mistress?

Yes.

Lieutenant Kingsley, did you love Misty James?

No further questions.

Why did you go with him?

Because I wanted closure.

What happened when you got there?

That woman, Miss James, was waiting.

Andy got out of the car and they embraced.

What did you do then?

I made a mistake.

I got out of the car to see what was going on.

Susan, what happened then?

Miss James attacked me with a pipe.

I tried to get it away from her.

Did you succeed?

Yes. That's when the worst thing happened.

Andy grabbed me.

I remember yelling, they're trying to kill me.

And then I guess I hit him by reflex. Things happen so fast.

I just know he stopped coming at me.

And then Miss James attacked me again.

I swung the pipe to keep her away from me.

Were you afraid for your life?

Yes. Ensign Kingsley, that night, was it your intention to kill Misty James?

No, ma 'am.

I regret very much what happened.

Ma 'am, the polls are running four to one against you.

Were you able to find out anything about those rumors about Ensign Kingsley?

Somebody thinks they heard about her assaulting a classmate at Annapolis.

Somebody heard.

Her juvenile arrest would probably be found in Illinois. That's where she went

to high school.

The juvenile record just sealed.

There could be some way to use them. We have sealed records, rumors, unconfirmed

reports, the name of a state. There's nothing that we can get into testimony.

Except the forensic evidence.

Ma 'am, we could track down this other stuff if we had enough people looking.

You've turned us down so many times before we'd given up hope, girl.

Well, Mel, I've just been a little busy.

Tell me, how does it feel to go up against one of your old law professors

that courtroom?

Juanita is a great teacher, Mel.

In fact, I'm still learning and profiting from her example.

Is it true she once said that you would do better as a lap dancer than as a

lawyer? You'd have to ask Juanita Ressler.

She's the one who told me, Colonel.

Juanita is a tough opponent.

When you go up against her, she makes you better.

Well, that's a very generous thing for you to say.

But you do seem to have your own style.

You're straight ahead. You let the facts speak for themselves. I believe in

facts. That's why I'm a little frustrated by all the rumors flying

case. Yes, there are all kinds of rumors about Lieutenant Kingsley. I'm talking

about the defendant.

I'm hearing stories about juvenile arrests, assaults on fellow naval

you name it. Really?

Assaults on fellow naval officers?

They're just rumors, Mel. Until and unless they are proven to be facts, I

deal in them. I can't deal in them.

Only people who have known Ensign Kingsley through the years can tell if

true.

They might be out there somewhere.

Thanks for coming. Have a seat. Yes, sir.

There's a few loose ends we need to tie up.

Like why Petty Officer Palermo would yell, let's rumble, before he ran out of

blood.

Did he really, sir?

That's what the guy said he did.

It's a familiar phrase, isn't it?

Captain Atomic's battle cry, sir.

So why would your friend yell Captain Atomic's battle cry?

Jump in front of an F -14.

I don't know, sir.

I guess he was upset about his girlfriend.

So he also let her rumble?

That doesn't make sense, sir.

Your friend was hallucinating.

He was high on LSD when he died.

You didn't know that?

No, sir.

You said that Petty Officer Palermo was fine an hour before the incident,

that... He was writing this letter to his grandmother.

Where would he get LSD from?

I don't know, sir.

That stamp's different from the other ones, isn't it?

Maybe Petty Officer Palermo ran out of stamps and he

borrowed one from your stash.

Only these stamps here were not meant to be licked for postage, were they?

They were dosed with LSD.

Oh, God.

It was a mistake, wasn't it?

Killed him first.

He was my best friend.

Ensign Kingsley, you've testified that you struck Miss James several times.

It was self -defense, ma 'am. Were you enraged when you struck her?

I wasn't anything, ma 'am. It all happened so fast.

You weren't enraged, even though she'd been sleeping with your husband, even

though she embraced your husband right in front of you?

I wasn't enraged. I was sad.

That's why you got out of your car, because you were sad?

I wasn't thinking straight, ma 'am. I was emotional.

You have trouble controlling your emotions, don't you?

Objection relevant.

Overruled. Do you have trouble controlling your emotions, Ensign

No, ma 'am. Didn't you lose control over your emotions as soon as you heard of

your husband's affair?

No, ma 'am. Did you resolve to seek vengeance for what had happened?

No, ma 'am, I didn't.

So you made your husband take you to meet his girlfriend.

That was his idea, ma 'am. And you hid this pipe in your husband's car.

I didn't do that, ma 'am. And you swung it at the woman who had stolen your

husband. She attacked me. She did attack you by stealing your husband, and you

wanted to teach her a lesson.

So you hit her once, and you hit her again. No. And you hit her again after

was helpless on the ground. No, I wouldn't. Time and again, breaking her

beating her to death with no remorse and no pity. No, that isn't me. I wouldn't

do that.

You wouldn't?

Isn't it a fact, Ensign Kingsley, that in 1996 you punched an ex -boyfriend's

new girlfriend in front of a movie theater?

Objection. Alleged prior misconduct is not admissible.

MRE Rule 404, Your Honor. The witness's claim that she wouldn't commit an

assault is subject to rebuttal.

Indeed it is.

She opened the door, Ms. Ressler.

Overruled. Ensign Kingsley, I'm sorry to upset you, but please answer the

question.

It was an accident. I didn't mean to hit her. A juvenile court judge assigned

you to anger counseling.

My lawyer told me I had to do that.

To avoid a conviction?

Yes.

During the summer program before your first year at the Naval Academy, didn't

you assault a woman named Karen Starling? No charges were filed, ma 'am.

not what I asked.

Did you assault Karen Starling for flirting with your boyfriend?

We had words.

You hit her with a five -pound weight.

I told her I was sorry!

An apology's not good enough for Misty James, Ensign.

She can't hear you. She's dead.

This morning was jam -packed with excitement and surprises.

After a fiery cross -examination, closing arguments followed. I said this

was about surprises.

And in an effort to defame the defendant and obscure the issues, Colonel

McKenzie has engaged in a mud -slinging contest.

But the oath you swore?

demand that you ignore the slander and consider only the

facts.

But Colonel McKenzie fought back in her closing. In addition to the forensic

evidence, the prior acts of the defendant are at the heart of this case.

Ensign Kingsley has a history of violent attacks on those who, in her mind, have

sinned against her.

In this instance, her desire for revenge cost a young woman her life.

I'm bad.

Bless you for believing me.

Well, you didn't really give me much choice, ma 'am.

It was a lovely service, Commander.

Who shall I thank for Mateo's receiving the military honors?

The many served with me.

Will the defense please rise?

You may publish your findings.

Ensign Susan Kingsley, on the charge and specification of violating Article 118

of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, premeditated murder, this court finds

you guilty.

It's court dismissed.

It's only the beginning. We have a half dozen grounds for appeal.

Colonel McKenzie, this is a great victory for you.

How would you critique the performance of the attorneys on both sides?

I would fault Miss Ressler for trying to obscure the truth, and I would fault

myself for using trickery to reveal it. With all due respect, Colonel, isn't

that what lawyers do?

Unfortunately, Miss Kennedy, it is.