Life Has Been Very Full Lately...

The past two weekends we have really managed to cram a lot of living into the space of a few hours.

Accepting Where You Are

Going through my email recently, I encountered two separate messages on the same theme. One was from A Purpose Driven Life:

Have you ever been somewhere you didn’t want to be? Maybe it was a job, a town, or a marriage. Maybe it was a stage in life, like singlehood, or a state in life, like a disability. It’s very possible that as you read this, you’re wishing you were somewhere else – anywhere else – living a different life, but you know it’s not likely that anything is going to change any time soon.

The second email linked to PS Pirro's blog, Crooked Mile:

Loving where you are means relinquishing all those comforting contingency plans that spare you the work of local affection – those plans that allow you to leave half your life packed in boxes in the garage or the attic, half your heart tucked away, and half your imagination wandering the map in search of a better place. Loving where you are means calling your imagination home and putting it to work right where you are: learning the names of the people and trees and plants and birds and creeks and flowers, and letting them speak to your heart – your whole heart -- and show you what needs to be done, right here, right now.

People usually end up on this blog after searching "living in Guam." Maybe the detailer offered you Guam and you were excited; maybe you didn't know what to think because you didn't know where Guam was. Maybe Guam is the last place on earth you'd rather be. Maybe it's all true. Maybe it's not.

In any case, I hope the messages I received today give someone comfort somewhere that this is where they are meant to be.

Yokosuka Article 32

Traveled to Yokosuka this week for an Article 32 hearing. An Article 32 hearing is analogous to a grand jury proceeding in civilian criminal law. An Art 32 officer, typically called the Investigating Officer, or IO, is appointed to conduct the hearing. The hearing is then scheduled for a specific date when the prosecution will present their evidence and the defense will have an opportunity to rebut the evidence and present their own evidence.

The purpose of the hearing is to give the IO the opportunity to examine all the relevant evidence and determine whether the prosecution has adequate evidence for trial. The burden the prosecution has to meet is “preponderance of the evidence,” sometimes described as 51%, or “more likely than not.” The prosecution does not have to meet the “reasonable doubt” burden at the Article 32, but will have to at the actual trial, if the case goes to trial.

After reviewing the evidence, the IO produces a report for the Command that convened the Article 32. The report provides the Commanding Officer with a comprehensive review of the case, including background data, the charges, the evidence, the witnesses, etc. The report also provides a recommendation to the Commanding Officer on how the case should be adjudicated.

I really like doing these Article 32’s. They give me a chance to keep my litigation skills honed, and also give me a chance to work with the other attorneys in the area. Plus, I have the opportunity to travel to Japan, one of my favorite places to visit.