won by the lawyers so remember poker faces  don't flinch in front of the court members  

something doesn't go our way don't hang your  head don't shift in your seat don't scribble  

furiously whatever happens you have to look like  it's exactly what you knew was going to happen  

you pass me documents do it  swiftly don't look over anxious  

don't wear that perfume in court wrecks my  concentration really i was talking to sam  

what time is it it's time to go home try to  get some sleep tonight yeah give me a ride sure

you're a good man charlie brown  i'll see you in court counselor

danny i know what you're gonna say you  don't have to we've had our differences  

i said some things i didn't mean you said some  things you didn't mean but you're happy that i  

stuck with the case and if you've gained a certain  respect for me over the last three weeks we'll  

of course i'm happy about that but we don't have  to make a whole big deal out of it you like me  

that won't make you sad i was just gonna  tell you to wear matching socks tomorrow

okay good tip

we're ready better believe it

we're gonna get creamed

you are gonna save our son aren't you  

i'll do my best danny i'd like you  to meet jenny miller alvin's aunt

your aunt jenny uh-huh

i'm sorry i i was expecting someone older so is i

last chance i'll flip you  forward all right too late

all those having business with  this general court martial  

stand forward and you shall be heard colonel  julius alexander randolph is presiding  

is the government prepared to  make an opening statement yes

the facts of the case are these on midnight of  september 6 he accused entered the barracks room  

of their platoon mate pfc william santiago they  woke him up tied his arms and legs with tape and  

forced a rag into his throat a few minutes later  a chemical reaction called lactic acidosis caused  

his lungs to begin bleeding he drowned in his own  blood and was pronounced dead at 37 minutes past  

midnight these are the facts of the case  and they are undisputed that's right  

the story i've just told you is the exact same  story you're going to hear from lance corporal  

dawson and it's the exact same story  you're going to hear from private down  

furthermore the government will also  demonstrate that the accused soak the  

rag in poison and entered santiago's  room with motive and intent to kill  

now lieutenant cathy is going to try  and pull off a little magic act here  

just going to try a little misdirection going to  astonish you with stories of rituals and dazzle  

you with official sounding terms like code red he  might even try to cut into a few officers for you  

he'll have no evidence mind you none  but it's going to be entertaining  

and when we get to the end all the magic  in the world will not have been able to  

divert your attention from the fact that wheelie  santiago is dead and dawson and downey killed him  

these are the facts of the  case and they are undisputed

look at cafe there was no poison on the  rag and there was no intent to kill in  

any attempt to prove otherwise is  futile because it just ain't true  

when dawson and downey went into santiago's  room that night it wasn't because of vengeance  

or hatred it wasn't to kill her harm and  it wasn't because they were looking for  

kicks on a friday night it's because  it was what they were ordered to do  

let me say that again it's because  it was what they were ordered to do  

now out in the real world that means nothing and  here at the washington navy yard doesn't mean a  

whole lot more but if you're a marine assigned  to rifle security company windward guantanamo  

bay cuba and you're given an order you follow it  or you pack your bags make no mistake about it  

harold dawson and loudon downey are sitting  before you today because they did their job

is the government ready to call its first witness  

please the court the  government calls mr r.c mcguire

squad would you raise your right hand please  do you solemnly swear that the testimony you  

will give this general court marshall will be the  truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth so  

help you god i do have a seat please sir would you  state your full name and occupation for the record  

robert steve mcguire's special agent naval  investigative service thank you mr mcguire  

did your office receive a letter from a pfc  william santiago on three september of this year  

we did what did that letter say that a  member of private santiago's unit had  

illegally fired his weapon over the fence line  was that marine identified in the letter no  

i notified the barrack ceo colonel jessup  that i would be coming down to investigate  

and what did you find the shift reported only  one century returned his weapon to the switch  

with a round of ammunition missing who was that  lance corporal harold dawson you're a witness

mr mcguire have you questioned lance  corporal dawson about defense lane shooting  

yes he claims to have been engaged in some  manner by the enemy but you don't believe them  

it's not my place it's corporal dawson's been  charged with a number of crimes why wasn't he  

charged with firing at the enemy without cause  there was enough evidence to support such a charge  

thank you mr mcguire i don't understand what  you mean when you say there wasn't enough  

evidence to support such a charge  you had william santiago's letter  

santiago was the only eyewitness i never  had the chance to interview him so i  

don't know what he saw and now we'll  never know what will be mr maguire no

no more questions witnesses excused

corporal carl edward hammacker marine barracks  rifle security company windward sec platoon bravo  

corporal were you present at a meeting that  lieutenant kendrick held on the afternoon of  

september 6 with the members of the second platoon  yes sir would you tell the court the substance of  

that meeting lieutenant kendrick told us we had  an informer in our group that private santiago had  

gone outside the chain of command and reported to  the nis on a member of our platoon did that make  

you mad you could tell the truth corporal it's  all right did it make you mad yes sir how mad