Originally posted by: Pliablemoose
Was someone @ Ellsworth AFB being crucified?
Kinda. No comment on the judgment of the legal office there. At least they have a nice courtroom - it's worth checking out if they ever have a court going when you're there. It's octagonal, and has a pretty advanced A/V projection system - it's regarded as one of the best in the AF.
Both my clients ended up pleading guilty, when I went back to do the trials in January. I ended up doing two general courts-martial in one day, which is practically unheard of.
Actually, one of my clients pled guilty in front of members (essentially, a military jury), and the prosecutor argued for 2 1/2 years in confinement - she ended up getting 45 days!
In the other trial, in which my client was charged with using MJ and meth, breaking restriction, and DUI, the government insisted on calling a bunch of stupid sentencing witnesses, which led to some of the most fun cross-examination I've ever had a chance to do. This guy, Amn Wentling, was basically called to testify that he had seen my client smoke MJ 3-4 times, when my client had pled to 2-3 uses, so his testimony was pretty worthless for the government anyway:
"Amn Wentling, isn't it true that during the 1-year timeframe my client is accused of using drugs, you yourself used methamphetamine at least 2-3 times a week?" Yes.
"So you were under the influence of meth roughly one day in every three?" Yes.
"And in fact you also smoked MJ hundreds of times during this time frame, right?" Yes.
"Now, when you smoked methamphetamine, you sometimes stayed up for up to 4 days at a time, right?" Yes.
"And on one occasion, you stayed up for 4 days, without eating or drinking anything but blue Powerade, right?" Yes.
"You sometimes started to hallucinate when you didn't sleep, right?" Yes.
"Actually, you thought that was fun, didn't you?" Yes.
"Now, you sometimes drank alcohol when you smoked meth, right?" Yes.
"In fact, isn't it true that you and another airman once bought two fifths of hard liquor on a Sunday?" Yes.
"And you drank one, and he drank one?" Yes.
"All in one day, right?"
"Now, methamphetamine isn't good for your short-term memory, is it?" No.
"And MJ, that's not good either, right?"
"And it's safe to say that drinking an entire fifth of hard liquor isn't good for your memory, right?" Yes.
"So in fact your memory of this entire period is hazy, isn't it?" Yes.
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