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thedrifter
09-09-04, 06:27 AM
3.5 million facility consolidates legal services
Submitted by: MCB Camp Butler
Story Identification #: 200498215430
Story by Lance Cpl. Brandon R. Holgersen



CAMP FOSTER, OKINAWA, Japan — (Sept. 03, 2004) -- All Legal Services Support Sections on Okinawa have consolidated in a new, $3.5 million Legal Services Center building, which officially opened during a ribbon cutting ceremony here Sept. 8.

Now, everyone must go through the new center to take care of any legal matters, according to Chief Warrant Officer-2 James R. Walls, the center’s administrative law officer.
The building, which is located across the street from the Camp Foster Community Center, includes a consolidated tax center, two courtrooms, a classroom and an indoor loudspeaker system, according to Walls.

The two state-of-the-art courtrooms have many advantages over the old courtrooms. One of the most significant changes saves time and money. Each room is wired with video conferencing equipment, which enables live communication with people from other installations around the world, according to Walls.

“We could have a witness testify in a case on Okinawa while the witness is at Camp Pendleton, (Calif.),” Walls said.

This eliminates the need to have a witness fly from another location to testify in a court-martial, potentially saving units thousands of dollars in the long run, according to Walls.
As well, the new courtrooms are intentionally located where there are fewer distractions during proceedings, according to Maj. Michael D. Carsten, the center’s senior defense council.

“In the old courtroom, we had side hatches and people would sometimes walk in during a court-martial by accident,” Carsten said.

The new courtrooms are also windowless unlike the old courtrooms, which couldn’t block out the sound and visual distractions from the surrounding area, according to Carsten.
Another improvement is a classroom that allows legal Marines to do all of their training and classes inside the new facility. The Marines used to be forced to find an empty classroom in another building somewhere on base. The new classroom also eliminates the need to send servicemembers to the United States for legal classes.

“We have instructors come over from the Navy Justice School, (San Diego, Calif.), to teach the Senior Officer Course in Okinawa,” Walls said. “If we didn’t have the resources to do the class in Okinawa, officers would have to fly to San Diego to undergo the weeklong course there.”

The new Legal Services Center also has a consolidated tax center so that people who need tax services don’t have to travel around to different buildings, according to Walls.
The new building has an elevator, which is important for people who may have trouble getting up and down stairs, according to Lindsay J. Eccles, a legal assistance clerk.

“We had someone in a stretcher come (in the old building), and we had to carry him from the ambulance and up a flight of stairs to the courtroom (so he could testify),” Eccles said.
At the former building, people saw a beat-up, old building, which did not portray a professional atmosphere, according to Eccles.

“When people come to the new building, they are going to see the professionalism the building shows and expect the same from us,” Eccles said.

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/image1.nsf/Lookup/20049821569/$file/Release0444-2004-01low.jpg

CAMP FOSTER, OKINAWA, Japan – Legal services clerk Lance Cpl. Alfredo A. Newball stands in front of the new Legal Services Center, which was officially opened by the Legal Services Support Section during a ribbon cutting ceremony here Sept. 8. The building was specifically designed for legal services and has consolidated all LSSS offices into one building. Newball is with LSSS, 3rd Force Service Support Group. Photo by: Lance Cpl. Brandon R. Holgersen

http://www.usmc.mil/marinelink/mcn2000.nsf/main5/6F4B72ACBB3FE90C85256F0A000A7BE4?opendocument


Ellie