USD Magazine Spring 2007

Never Rests When at torney Nea l Pucket t ’s on the c ase, expec t i ntens i t y, squar ed by Julene Snyder illustrations by Barbara Ferguson T h e Defense Marine Corps Recruit Depot. Her posture is perfect, her demeanor polite, her gaze level. She is, of course, armed. There’s not the slightest bit of doubt that if the situation demanded it, she would use her weapon. Visitors are instructed to slowly maneuver their cars around a series of staggered concrete barriers and make their way directly to their particular destination. Constant vigilance, dogged efficiency and the faint smell of freshly-mown grass mingle in the air. Inside the courtroom, it’s quite pleasant. Six ceiling fans keep air circulating; open windows let in the roar of jets from nearby Lindbergh Field along with occasional distant yells and incongruous bursts of bugle song. When Judge Lt. Col. Jeffrey Meeks calls the court-martial proceedings to order, the accused, Staff Sgt. David J. Roughan, is flanked by his military counsel and the civilian It's shortly after 7 a.m., and a soldier stands alert, scrutinizing the driver of each car entering Gate 5 of San Diego’s

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