... so what were they, specifically? I can think of a few: 1. Disobeying direct orders (was the only one they were eventually charged with -- and it was a Kirk-specific charge) 2. Sabotage of the Excelsior 3. Breaking McCoy out of the Funny Farm 4. Sulu's assault on the bored security guard during said breakout 5. Sulu's destruction of the guard's security console 6. Uhura's phaser threat against Mister Adventure 7. Destruction of the Enterprise ... and I think I'm missing a couple (more, in case some of the above don't "count" per se). Anything I'm missing? I'm assuming the assault and killing of the Klingons was not included, since the Klingons picked that fight. Could McCoy's public conversation with Big Ears about Genesis be on the list?
Less the conversation, more that "Genesis allowed is not! Is planet forbidden!" and they still went there. They also hacked the spacedock doors on the way out. Minor in the grand scheme of things, but I doubt Starfleet were thrilled about their security systems being circumvented.
Hiram Roth's exact words were as follows: "The charges and specifications are conspiracy,; assault on Federation officers; theft of Federation property, namely the USS Enterprise; sabotage of USS Excelsior; willful destruction of Federation property, specifically the aforementioned USS Enterprise; and finally, disobeying direct orders from the Starfleet Commander." Now, this doesn't add to nine. But if you include McCoy being taken from Federation custody, the fact that multiple officers (the security guards and Mr. Adventure) were either assaulted or threatened, and it's not hard to see how they came up with nine. --Sran
Not hard to see at all. A good thing Kirk had just saved the planet before having to face all those charges.
I wonder if the Federation was so intent on keeping Genesis a secret that it was never stated aloud among the other charges and merely listed in each person's file. --Sran
It would also depend if there were any members of the UFP/Starfleet press corps (like we see in Generations) present in the Council chambers covering the verdict -- if so, perhaps this was a reason for public redaction of some of the charges.
They wouldn't necessarily even have to mention Genesis specifically, though. The official charge could be something like "violation of an interdicted zone" or something along those lines. I'm sure there are many parts of space that Starfleet officers aren't allowed to go. (See Talos IV, for example.)