PEARL HARBOR, ISLAND OF OAHU, Hawaii -- PEARL HARBOR -- A love triangle turns deadly with a web of lies and deception, and one Marine ends up behind bars and another one stands trial in connection with the murder.
Unfortunately, real cases like this one are often heard in courtrooms aboard military installations all around the world.
On one side of the courtroom is a trial counsel, who prosecutes those charged with crimes. On the other side is a defense counselor protecting the defendant.
The love triangle, and the web of lies and deception, were all part of a mock courtroom setting in which a Marine had been convicted of murdering his girlfriend's husband. He was now testifying against the girl who arranged the murder.
It was the job of the lawyers to make the convicted murderer's story sound unbelievable and prove the innocence of the widow.
While the mock court was in session, the minutes were videotaped. Defense counselors from all branches of the military were tasked with unraveling the web of lies as the videotape recorded everyone's actions.
As the training proceeded, several experienced lawyers took notes and pointed out the good and the bad to the officers in training June 25.
"I want to be a lawyer when I get out of the Marine Corps," said Lance Cpl. Dave Reinman, a legal services clerk at the Base Legal Services Center, MCB Hawaii. Reinman played the role of the convicted murderer. "I got to see firsthand how difficult it can be for the legal officers to work with all the technicalities and try to uncover the truth in a real case."