European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 6, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 the stars and stripes thursday february 6, 1992 Legal eagles enjoy swapping ideas . Court martial is Eye opener for group of German attorneys by John Millar Wurzburg Bureau Wurzburg Germany a it Wasny to the nature of the crime but the nature of the court that surprised spectators at a recent military court martial held at Leighton Barracks in Wurzburg. The onlookers were a group of Young German attorneys most of whom had never before set foot in an american courtroom. The trial involved a Soldier accused of killing his infant child but More curious to the students than the crime was that every witness was sworn in before the court. A in the German system you Are not required to swear to Tell the truth unless someone within the process thinks you re going to lie a said capt. David Core an army Legal officer. If they think you re a liar then  make you swear before god. If you re not a liar then you just get up there on the stand a Core who Heads the 3rd inf dives Legal offices in kit Zingen escorted the German attorneys to the trial to give them a better understanding of How the american Legal system works. By doing so the 31-year-old army attorney Learned that much More about the German system a something he considers As payment in full for More than a month s Worth of classes on the american Legal system that he has Given to his european counterparts. The knowledge swapping process started when German Junior barrister Janine Fehn asked Core to give classes on american Law to 25 German attorneys. Fehn is the president of the lower Franconia chapter of pc Brand Der  a a German society for Junior Legal attorneys. Fehns group consists of Young attorneys who have passed the first of two German bar exams. After passing the first exam German attorneys Are trained by the state for two years and work on their own for one year More before they can take the second test and become full fledged lawyers. During that third year before the final exam Many travel to the United states and other English speaking countries to gain Legal experience by working in private Law firms Fenn said. Such experience abroad is seen As an additional qualification that might help the Young Legal eagles land positions in private Law firms when they return to Germany Fehn said. While teaching the classes Core said he found him self learning almost As much about the German Legal system As his students were learning about american Law. A quite often a Core said a a in la digress and say a now Tell me How this works in your  and  explain some aspect of Law that is different from  one big difference Between the two systems is the court process itself. A they were telling me for example that a general civil litigation a you be got a commercial dispute Between two merchants or something a could take As Little time As 25 minutes in some cases a Core said. Core said German lawyers appear in court to present the facts of a Case. A a there a no testimony there s none of that fun stuff that we get to do. And the judge makes a decision based on the facts presented by the attorneys we can run some kind of Complex suit for months and months. And they normally done to do that in Germany. A a dispute Between two individuals in Small claims court could last two Days in the states a Core said. A they said that would never happen  he tries to mix in humor or his own a personal War stories to help make classes interesting. Core also invited army capt. Allan Gay to teach some of the classes. Gay is chief of International affairs for the 3rd inf dives staff judge advocate. During his first class Gay threw miniature Candy bars at any student who asked questions Core said. A i thought that was a real Good approach because he actually got More questions in 30 minutes than i would normally get in a two hour Slot a Core said. Candy bars or not Core said his students were polite attentive and interested. One such Point of interest was the amount of Money some american lawyers make. A when i talk about an attorney making $10 million on a Case they just All shake their Heads a he said. A i shake my head  one of cores students Uwe Oestreicher said most of what he knew about american Law came from watching american movies and television shows such Asl a. Law after taking cores classes he said he was a surprised that even though the Legal systems Are completely different the ideas Are basically the  the classes gave Oestreicher a a great feel for american  he said he enjoyed watching the court mar Sas John Millar army capt David Core talks to German Junior lawyers about the american system during a class in Wurzburg. Tial and talking with the american lawyers. A you usually done to get a Chance to talk with them a Oestreicher said. A i think its a Good Deal. I took the class because in a interested in . Law and plan to go to the . And  Fehn said she tried to arrange classes on american Law for a year and a half before she contacted Core. And As his first series of classes wound up recently she said she hoped Core and Gay would hold their lectures again exposing other Young German lawyers to the american Legal system. Core said head be More than Happy a More for the Friendship possibilities. Just the Opportunity to meet Young people of a similar background to be Able to relate to them and vice versa. They re actually teaching  policeman sentenced to jail for indecent acts Raf Lakenheath England a amps a a Security policeman received a seven month jail sentence and a bad conduct discharge at a general court martial last month for committing indecent acts with a minor said a spokesman for Raf Lakenheath. Airman 1st class Cory s. Moore of the 48th Security police so was also ordered to forfeit $300 a month for five months and demoted to airman Basic by col. Michael b. Mcshane the 6th circuit court judge during the one Day trial held Jan. 23. Moore had pleaded not guilty. The incident occurred sept. 12 at the 21-year-old�?Ts Home in the stud lands Park government housing area in Newmarket about 15 Miles from the Lakenheath base said spokesman tech. Sgt. Rick Shick. The name of the minor who was 11, is being withheld to protect her identity. Moore of Onalaska Texas will serve his jail sentence at the Lakenheath confinement facility. The maximum sentence was seven years confinement forfeiture of All pay and allowances and a dishonourable discharge. Germans charge go with murder rapes Ellwanger Germany an american Soldier charged with a murder two attempted murders three rapes and an attempted rape is expected to face trial in late March in a German court. The Soldier is spec. Marcellus v. Singleton i currently assigned to he co 6th area support group according to a Vii corps spokeswoman. German officials filed the charges against Singleton in mid january Ell Wangen District attorney Harald Stephan said. When the crimes occurred in late 1990 and the Spring of 1991, Singleton was serving with he co 1st inf div fwd at Cooke Barracks in Goppinger about 25 Miles East of Stuttgart. The attacks he allegedly committed against four women All occurred in the same area. He was arrested last june. The most serious attack occurred dec. 24, 1990, in Schwabish Amund about 10 Miles from his Post. In that incident Singleton allegedly struck a 17-year-old pol ish girl in the head with a Hammer then raped her. The victim died from her injuries 12 Days later a Hammer also was used in the other attacks. The court has subpoenaed the surviving victims to testify at the soldiers trial Stephan said. German officials decided to retain jurisdiction of the Case. Ellwanger said last year that a conviction in a military court could result in the death penalty. Germany has no death penalty. Go faints during fitness test Dies next Day by the stars and stripes a Soldier died last week at Worms Germany a Day after participating in an army physical fitness test according to a Mannheim news release. Sgt. 1st class Arthur a. Mitchell jr., 32, died of suspected heart failure at 7 . Jan. 31, according to Worms City Hospital officials. Mitchell a systems Programmer assigned to he co . Army information systems engineering command Europe in Worms was performing a physical fitness test at the Community Park on Jan. 30 when he fainted. Soldiers in his unit administered first Aid and took him to the Worms City Hospital for observation overnight he died the next morning. Mitchell a native of Havre de Grace md., is survived by his wife Jacqueline Sintori Mitchell of Georgetown . Their children Eric 4 Tonya 3 and Gregory 10 months and his Mother Susie to Mitchell of Havre de Grace. The incident is under investigation officials said. Funeral set for of service members son Raf Alconbury England a amps a a funeral service will be held next week in California for the 4-month-old son of two air Force service members assigned to Raf Alconbury and Raf up Wood. Derrick Burbage died of pneumonia at about 9 15 . Jan. 29, according to the base Public affairs office. The infant was declared dead at Hinchin Brooke Hospital in Huntingdon located about three Miles from Alconbury. Derrick was the son of airman Keith Burbage and airman 1st class Marianne Burbage. Keith is assigned to Alconbury s 10th civil engr so while Marianne is assigned to the 608th . Air Force contingency Hospital at Upwood. The funeral is tentatively planned for monday in san Diego said base spokeswoman capt. Cecily Christian