European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - July 15, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Magazine ass photo to cu5 Schuet tur Navy la Timothy Mullen left a detente attorney Andelt Christopher n. Morin a prosecutor Are Oft to another trial at sea. They take the court to the Fleet an average of 15 to 10 Days each month seagoing lawyers by j. King Cruger Mediterranean bureaus Hile Many lawyers practice lava Oil of briefcases. Chansl Ophir Morin and Timothy Mullen do so out of suitcases Trio 29 year old Navy lieutenants based in Nlaly Are lawyers and hang their Hals at the naval air station Al Simonella Sicily the Hals Seldom hang Lor Long Morin and Mullen Are Mojas Short for Mobile judge advocate and hey average 15 to 20 Days a month on the Road taking the court la thru Fleet the pair is assigned to a detachment a Sigo Nelin of the naval Legal service office at Naples Italy the office Wilh Oiher Deluc ments at Rola. Spain and London exercises uri3dicion for Navy Law Over a vast territory from Scotland to Bahrain put simply. The  worm from Jacksonville. F a. 15 a prosecutor and Mullen from Chol Milord mass. Is a defense attorney provide trial service to deployed ships of  to certain naval Shore  Morin and Murien Are ready logo on Shori Noi to when a ship requests trial and Delesc  it s o very Short muted system Morin said i be left on As lil lie As two hours Nolice. The trips average i to or three Days at a time but my longest trip lasted six weeks and involved More than half a dozen  at one time everyone involved in a Navy court action the accused witnesses Legal officers and evidence had to Convene Al a porn tac Lily. Nowadays the Mojas Lake criminal Justice work to the Fleet mostly to ships underway. The Way Morin and Mullen practice Law is far removed from the to image of lawyer client conferences held in Plush offices and iras conducted in magisterial courtrooms reality is a pre trial conference in a Busy ladder Well and courts martial hat arc forced to recess when Carrier to Light operations drown out testimony frequently. Morin and Mullen travel together usually by military air Lopo is and i Here Onward by helicopters or Small boats to a ship. Upon arrival they go their separate ways once we ave. We split up. The prosecutor usually works with to ship s exec have officer or Legal Allicer to prepare the Case Morin said. I evaluate the Case to determine a Hal recommendation i la make Tor ils disposition in 99 percent of cases i la recommend a special court martial " to said the majority of costs involves transgressions committed by sailors or marines against older  either Al sea or in port. The cases run Iho Gamut from  to attempted murder there is no such Ihirg is a routine Case or a routine offence the whole Kojag program requires the fur rids in  to said while worm is preparing the pros Tulion s Case. Mullen huddles Wmk or client the accused the defender is guaranteed Access to a if the prosecution s evidence again in the Chen and with Hal  Puis what to learns Horn his client and witnesses he advises and defends him "11 in t uncommon to begin work immediately after arriving aboard am then to work non Stop through Iho trial Morin said on Shore the evidence is usually spread Oul. Bill on a ship Etc Ryling is in one place the client. Witnesses and Iho evidence. That can be very helpful one drawback is that often i have Little Lime to gel to know my client to work a a very intense atmosphere because we have to be available to work Wilh people whenever they get Oil  said Mullen. My client is usually a Young kid on his firs assignment aboard a ship who gets Inlo trouble and when does t understand what is happening to him the Only discussions outside the courtroom that Moren and i have concerning our cases take place at official meetings Between us to never discuss a Case Over a meal or a Beer h s sort of a Cal and mouse game Al those official me clings von Wani to disclose your hand but you want to find out what the other Guy has. So you be got to give a Little to get a Little said Mullen. Although sometimes we May even be bunking together in the same compartment our Friendship disappears when we walk info the cout room. My goal is to give Chris a bad Day. While he s Liying to ruin my Day by convicting my  complicated cases and those involving Many witnesses often Are prepared during the duo s initial shipboard Vista but frequently the cases Don t come to trial until a follow up visit. Morin the prosecutor said problems with Lime and logistics Are no allowed to diminish the rights of the accused.  he said. La sour Paramount concern in this program when he and Mullen Are ready logo to court Morin Calls in the other players in the Navy s Justice system the military judge and the Cour reporter i message Iho Headquarters at Naples and say that the Case is prepared and we now need a judge said Marin. A judge from the trans Atlantic judicial circuit two Are based in Naples and one in Rota Spain comes to the ship. Morin said that frequently the layering is secondary for the prosecutor. Mrs real Challenge involves gelling the lawyers judge court reporter witnesses accused and evidence together in one place. Much of that task is his Solo responsibility. Only when he has covered All Whoso bases can he begin to Shinji about witness preparation and trial la clips. Occasional deployment to ships lied up in the belief Liberty ports help ease the grind of the pair s Mobile rial work. They say Fiat getting to and from Ftp is the Lough est part of their Job. Practising Law she Way they do Means having no Law Library or support assets to fall Back on. Because they can t do routine research once they Are out in Iho Heel they must study As much current Law As possible Between deployments. They have of go Oul to the ships prepared to keep time oils to a minimum. One Befetil of the of is the wealth of Inal experience i be had More trial experience than any of my Law school classmates except perhaps or those who Well o work As prosecutors or Public defenders Morin said. Both lawyers arc married Morin and his wife Jennifer have an infant daughter Natalie. Mullen and his wife Sheila have no children How do the wives adjust to the frequent separations they get used to it because they gel a to of support from the people in our of lice and their wives,1 Mullen said. Our reunions Are always Good and we always try to bring Back things from our trips Hal arc i obtainable on the  wednesday july 16, 19b7 the stars and stripes Pago 13