Chapter 7 - The Trial of Mercer Defense
Six months later, the federal trial of United States v. Mercer Defense Systems commenced at the U.S. District Court in Norfolk.
The courtroom was packed with military personnel, federal prosecutors, press, and families of sailors who had served on Atlantic Fleet ships.
I sat in the front row of the prosecution's gallery, wearing a sharp charcoal suit. Beside me sat Admiral Judith Carrow, who had taken personal leave to attend the opening statements.
Across the room sat Greg Mercer in a dark prison jumpsuit, flanked by three high-priced defense attorneys.
Beside him sat Marin. Through a plea agreement arranged by her defense team and supported by NCIS due to her full cooperation, Marin had pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of negligent misrepresentation, receiving a sentence of eighteen months in a low-security federal facility, followed by community service.
In the second row directly behind Marin sat our father, Captain Hugh Alden.
He didn't wear his white dress uniform. He wore a modest black suit, his head bowed, his hands folded quietly in his lap. For six months, he had attended every pre-trial hearing, paid for Marin's legal representation out of his own life savings, and visited her every single week in holding. He had finally stepped off his pedestal to be a real father.
The federal prosecutor called me to the witness stand on day three.
I walked up to the box, took the oath, and sat down before the jury.
"Lieutenant Commander Alden," the prosecutor began, "can you describe for the court what happened on the night of October 14th aboard the USS Gettysburg?"
For the next two hours, I spoke clearly and calmly.
I described the sudden alarm, the thick black smoke that filled Main Machinery Room Two within seconds, and the horrifying realization that the secondary fire suppression valves had melted into slag under standard operating temperatures.
I described the blistering heat, the sound of the metal bulkheads groaning, and the terrifying rescue of sixty-eight young sailors who thought they were going to burn to death in the dark.
When I finished my testimony, there was absolute silence in the courtroom. Several jurors were wiping away tears.
The prosecutor turned to Greg Mercer's defense team. "Your witness."
May you like
Greg Mercer’s lead attorney stood up, looked at me, looked at the jury, and slowly sat back down. "No questions, Your Honor."
There were no questions left to ask. The truth was absolute.
