Things that would surely get you court martialled.

[ED-209]

List things that in reality would get you court martialled but seem to just get waved off on screen. I'll start with a couple:

ST VI: Valeris discharging a phaser in a crowded room on a deadly setting, vaporising a perfectly good pot just to make a point.

DS9: Sisko poisoning a planet without Starfleets approval.

 

[Finn]

^If phasers were real, I bet some would get away with it depending on the situation and who they are.... Phasing a pot is not the same as firing a gun since the bullet may ricochet....

 

[fireproof78]

One would also imagine security officers would be authorized to shoot in the line of duty.

 

[Citiprime]

General Order 24: If a Starfleet captain feels a planet is a threat to the Federation, they are authorized to destroy all life on the world.

I believe Garth of Izar ends up in an asylum after asserting this authority.

 

[at Quark's]

Probably Janeway in Scientific Method going for that pulsar trajectory on which Tuvok gave her <10% survival odds (IIRC). Even though there were extenuating factors.

 

[BillJ]

General Order 24: If a Starfleet captain feels a planet is a threat to the Federation, they are authorized to destroy all life on the world.

Why would that get a captain court martialed?

 

[ED-209]

^If phasers were real, I bet some would get away with it depending on the situation and who they are.... Phasing a pot is not the same as firing a gun since the bullet may ricochet....

One would also imagine security officers would be authorized to shoot in the line of duty.

Yeah but she fired it set on full in a crowded room for no real reason, she could’ve hit someone or blown a hole in the wall. Surely there’s a regulation against that? Practice range’s probably require them set on the lowest stun setting.

 

[BillJ]

Yeah but she fired it set on full in a crowded room for no real reason, she could’ve hit someone or blown a hole in the wall. Surely there’s a regulation against that? Practice range’s probably require them set on the lowest stun setting.

They were already in hot water with Starfleet, by that point. Valeris was probably trying to fit in with the "reckless" style of Kirk's crew so as to not be found out.

She was trying to be one of them. She didn't care about a court martial.

 

[fireproof78]

Yeah but she fired it set on full in a crowded room for no real reason, she could’ve hit someone or blown a hole in the wall. Surely there’s a regulation against that? Practice range’s probably require them set on the lowest stun setting.

One would think yes. Unlawful discharge or endangerment. Yes, I would say at least a captain's mast (or the Starfleet equivalent) if not a full courts martial.

 

[Citiprime]

Why would that get a captain court martialed?

If a US Navy ship runs their ship aground there's a court martial to see whether the captain used good judgement in their actions and whether they exhibited negligence.

I would think destroying the biosphere of a planet would at the very least require a similar review.

 

[BillJ]

I would think destroying the biosphere of a planet would at the very least require a similar review.

Nah. On to the next adventure!

 

[Finn]

Yeah but she fired it set on full in a crowded room for no real reason, she could’ve hit someone or blown a hole in the wall. Surely there’s a regulation against that? Practice range’s probably require them set on the lowest stun setting.

Perhaps, but like I said, it depends on the situation and who the person is. People get away with stuff they ought be court martialied for in RL due to reasons, including doing something dangerous.

They were hunting for the killers (yes Valeris was with them, but they didn't know that_.

 

[1001001]

A lot of things would get people court martialed in real life. Spock torturing Valeris comes to mind.

And…don’t call me Shirley.

 

[fireproof78]

If a US Navy ship runs their ship aground there's a court martial to see whether the captain used good judgement in their actions and whether they exhibited negligence.

I would think destroying the biosphere of a planet would at the very least require a similar review.

Not if you file the right paperwork.

 

[Citiprime]

A lot of things would get people court martialed in real life. Spock torturing Valeris comes to mind.

And…don’t call me Shirley.

The Federation would be looking to sweep a lot of the extent of the conspiracy under the rug. Also, do they really want the public to know that one of the most famous figures in Starfleet history was almost killed with support from the highest levels of Starfleet?

Also, Spock has the protection of his father. No way do they court martial the son of the Vulcan ambassador when his actions led to saving the Federation President and the Klingon Chancellor?

 

[BillJ]

Hollywood should probably lay off the "only way to save X, is to break the law!" storytelling. There are way too many people out there that think that is the way the real world works.

 

[1001001]

The Federation would be looking to sweep a lot of the extent of the conspiracy under the rug. Also, do they really want the public to know that one of the most famous figures in Starfleet history was almost killed with support from the highest levels of Starfleet?

Also, Spock has the protection of his father. No way do they court martial the son of the Vulcan ambassador when his actions led to saving the Federation President and the Klingon Chancellor?

“In reality…”

 

[The Wormhole]

I believe Garth of Izar ends up in an asylum after asserting this authority.

We only know he attempted genocide, we have no indication he tried to invoke General Order 24 to do so. Indeed, given how Starfleet seems to work, if he had invoked General Order 24 they'd have probably let him off the hook.

If a US Navy ship runs their ship aground there's a court martial to see whether the captain used good judgement in their actions and whether they exhibited negligence.

I would think destroying the biosphere of a planet would at the very least require a similar review.

The difference is the US Navy considers running a ship aground to be a no-no, whereas Starfleet regulations have set aside circumstances in which a Captain can sterilize a planet. A Captain would likely face an inquiry after carrying out a GO24, but a court martial would likely only come if that inquiry proved the Captain was wrong to carry out that GO24.

Then again, Starfleet does apparently automatically court martial a Captain for losing a ship even though that should have an inquiry before an actual court martial.

 

[Rowdy Roddy McDowall]

A lot of things would get people court martialed in real life. Spock torturing Valeris comes to mind.

As does Kirky waiting extra seconds during CORBOMITE while the lethal radiation zone begins to tickle his officers.

 

[Henoch]

Kidnapping a Starfleet officer, then hijacking a Starship to go to a forbidden planet with the death penalty might get you courtmartialed...nah. On to the next episode.