US Air Force Judge Advocates in Wyoming
Activity Summary:
Judge advocates (JAGs) spoke to more than 500 9th graders at two local junior high
schools. JAGs talked to small class groups and used a variety of interactive techniques
--mini courts-martial, search and seizure hypotheticals, etc. (see attached)--to involve
students. Further, JAGs set up a legal question and answer session in the base dining hall
and held an estate planning seminar at the base family support center.
Activity Narrative:
The 90th Missile Wing Office of the Staff Judge Advocate is the installation legal
office at Francis E. Warren Air Force Base, an intercontinental ballistic missile complex
employing 5,000 military personnel across parts of eastern Wyoming, northern Colorado and
western Nebraska.
The base legal office is located in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and is composed of eight
attorneys: seven active duty Air Force and one civilian. All participated in the 40th
Annual Law Day 1997. Our office's three-pronged approached maximized a group of creative,
enthusiastic attorneys on a small budget. In fact, there was no budget. All materials for
our programming were created by individual lawyers at negligible cost to taxpayers.
Our programs expanded public awareness of the rule for large audience. Key media
coverage - a May 1 editorial in the Wyoming Tribune-Eagle and a page one base newspaper
article - described Law Day's history and the ABA's involvement in preserving our freedoms
to thousands of reader in Cheyenne (pop. 50, 000). In addition, our attorneys spoke with
more than 500 ninth graders at two local public junior high schools about freedoms and a
career as a Judge Advocate (JAG). On-base seminars gave military members the opportunity
to ask questions about the law.
Our JAGs to Schools program in particular emphasized this year's theme, Celebrate Your
Freedom. Using visual aids such as copies of the Declaration of Independence, U.S.
Constitution and Bill of Rights, and other materials obtained from the ABA and Internet
(see attached materials), attorneys developed their own unique in-class curriculum,
highlighting topics such as search and seizure, students' freedoms and the interactions of
courts and the law. The resulting presentations were high-quality and drew praise from
several instructors.
Conversations with students focused on current legal happenings, such as a First
Amendment rights controversy between a local high school principal and student newspaper
staff regarding a sensitive Senior Poll question. Students questioned their free press
rights as limited by Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeir. Also discussed were the rights
warning derived from Miranda v. Arizona and the California trial of The People v. Simpson.
Courts-martial proceedings from recent sexual harassment cases in the military were also
discussed.
At R.E. Warren AFB, judge advocates held Law Day Lunch with the JAG questions and
answer session at the base dining hall and the evening Military Wills 101 estate planning
seminar that covered the law of basic wills, federal estate tax and trusts. Both were
advertised through public affairs channels.
Our activities helped forge new bonds with civilian Wyoming attorneys. JAGs to Schools
was organized in conjunction with similar efforts by the Laramie County Bar Association in
Cheyenne. Previously, no liaison relationship existed between the bases legal office and
the local bar. As a result of planning and implementing Law Day 1997, our organizations
now communicate regularly and our attorneys participate in joint social functions. The
90th Missile Wing legal office now has an official representative to the bar and we look
forward to working with them more on future projects.
ATTORNEY LAW DAY:
TALKING PAPER Thursday, May 1st
WARM-UP/CHECKOUT AUDIENCE
How many in military families?
How many have visited F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming?
How many have seen "A Few Good Men" with Tom Cruise and Demi Moore?
INTRODUCE SELF
INTRODUCE AIR FORCE JAG CORPS
Overview
Military justice, courts-martial, & administrative discharges
Claims
Contracts
Preventive Law & Legal Assistance
International Law
Space Law
QUESTIONS? ABOUT AIR FORCE/NUCLEAR MISSILES/LIFE AS A JAG? FREEDOMS...
what are we celebrating today? what freedoms?
*speech, press, assembly, religion, speedy trial/jury of peers/5th Amendment
*bear arms, vote, no unreasonable search and seizure
where do we find these freedoms? Where written down? Who decides?
*Constitution
*Miranda case--case law/courts/judges
*Declaration of Independence
*Wyoming state legislature
*Bill of Rights
*Cheyenne City Council
so, we've got something to celebrate...what freedoms do YOU enjoy?
*read a newspaper today?
*watch TV today?
*speak your mind freely?
*hang out at mall?
LET'S CELEBRATE!
How about we go to Frontier Mall and shout "fire!" in crowded movie house?
*Why not? Who says?
*Why do we care?
OKAY, then I'm going to express myself another way...(what's wrong with these?)
**wear T-shirt with profanity to school
**tell airport security I have a bomb
**run naked in front of police station
**start new "marijuana" religion
WHY DO WE HAVE ALL THESE LIMITS ON OUR FREEDOMS?
WHY IMPORTANT?
CONCLUSION
QUESTIONS ON FREEDOMS
1. You are walking down the street in downtown Cheyenne. You do not match the
description of any wanted criminal suspects and no crimes have recently been committed in
the area. A police officer walks up to you, asks you your name and some identification.
Can you walk away without answering?
2.You and two friends are walking up and down in front of the same store front in
downtown Cheyenne. Every once in a while you stop and whisper to each other and then look
nervously around. You continue to talk back and forth in front of the store, stopping to
peer in the windows. A police officer walks up to you, asks you your name and for
identification. Can you walk away without answering?
3. You and two friends are driving around Lyons Park at 10:30 at night. A police
officer drives by. He doesn't like your looks or the looks of your two friends. He thinks
you look like troublemakers. You don't break any law. Can he pull you over and ask you for
your license and registration?
4. You and two friends are driving around Lyons Park at 10:30 at night. A police
officer drives by. He doesn't like your looks or the looks of your two friends. He thinks
you look like troublemakers. You have a broken headlight. Can he pull you over and ask you
for your license and registration?
5. You and two friends are driving around Lyons Park at 10:30 at night. A police
officer drives by. He doesn't like your looks or the looks of your two friends. He thinks
you look like troublemakers. You have a broken headlight. He pulls you over. He approaches
your car and knocks on your window. As you roll down your window a wave of marijuana smoke
blows out and hits him in the face. He asks you to step out of the car and then proceeds
to search it for drugs. Can he do that?
6. You and two friends are driving around Lyons Park at 10:30 at night. A police
officer drives by. He doesn't like your looks or the looks of your two friends. He thinks
you look like troublemakers. You have a broken headlight. He pulls you over. He approaches
your car and knocks on your window. As you roll down your window, he asks you if he can
search your car. You say yes. He searches your car and finds drugs. Can he arrest you and
use that evidence against you?
7. You and two friends are driving around Lyons Park at 10:30 at night. A police
officer drives by. He doesn't like your looks or the looks of your two friends. He thinks
you look like troublemakers. You have a broken headlight. He pulls you over. He approaches
your car and knocks on your window. You roll down your window and he asks you if he can
search your car. You say no. There is no sight or smell of anything illegal. He searches
your car and finds drugs. Can he arrest you and use that evidence against you?
8. Police have been watching your house for days. They see all shorts of shady
characters showing up at all hours of the night. They arrive carrying nothing and leave
with brown paper bags. You are spending a lot of money around town on clothes, food and
entertainment. You buy a new Jeep Cherokee. Known drug dealers are showing up at your
house. Finally, the police catch Bob Jones, a known druggie, smoking pot around the corner
from your house. He says he bought it from you. The police come and knock on your door.
They rush in and search you house and find marijuana, cocaine, crack, LSD etc. in large
quantities. Will they be able to use this evidence against you at your trial for dealing
drugs?
9. Police have been watching your house for days. They see all sorts of shady
characters showing up at all hours of the night. They arrive carrying nothing and leave
with brown paper bags. You are spending a lot of money around town on clothes, food and
entertainment. You buy a new Jeep Cherokee. Known drug dealers are showing up at you
house. Finally, the police catch Bob Jones, a known druggie, smoking pot around the corner
from your house. He says he bought it from you. The police go downtown to a judge, tell
her what they know and are issued a search warrant. They come and knock on your door and
show you the warrant. You tell them you don't consent to the search. They rush in and
search your house anyway and find marijuana, cocaine, crack, LSD etc. in large quantities.
Will they be able to use this evidence against you at your trial for dealing drugs?
10. You and two friends are driving around Lyons Park at 10:30 at night. A police
officer drives by. He doesn't like your looks or the looks of your two friends. He thinks
you look like troublemakers. You have a broken headlight. He pulls you over. He approaches
your car and knocks on your window. As you roll down your window a wave of marijuana smoke
blows out and hits him in the face. He sees a marijuana cigarette in your hand. He asks
you to step out of the car, put out the joint and then arrests you for possession of
marijuana. On your way to the police station, in the squad car, he asks you if you have
any more marijuana at your house or at school. He has not read you your rights. You tell
him yes that you are growing marijuana in your basement. Can he use what you just told him
against you in court?
11. You and two friends are driving around Lyons Park at 10:30 at night. A police
officer drives by. He doesn't like your looks or the loo ks of your two friends. He thinks
you look like troublemakers. You have a broken headlight. He pulls you over. He approaches
your car and knocks on your window. As you roll down your window a wave of marijuana smoke
blows out and hits him in the face. He sees a marijuana cigarette in your hand. He asks
you to step out of the car, put out the joint and then arrests you for possession of
marijuana. On your way to the police station you feel the urge to clear your conscience.
You tell him yes that you are also growing marijuana in your basement. He has not read you
your rights. Can he use what you just told him against you in court?
12. You've been arrested for marijuana possession. No one has read you your Miranda
rights. They take you to the station and want to fingerprint you. You don't consent. They
do it anyway. Your fingerprints show you to be the mysterious third who helped Timothy
McVeigh in the Oklahoma City bombing. Can they use those fingerprints against you in court
to prove you are that person?
13. You've been arrested for marijuana possession. A police officer reads you your
Miranda rights. You say you want to speak to a lawyer. Can she continue to question you?
14. You've been arrested for marijuana possession. A police officer reads you your
Miranda rights. You say you wish to remain silent. Can she continue to question you? What
if it is about a completely unrelated car theft that happened last Saturday?
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