Why wasn't Riker court-marshalled in "The Outcast"?

[IntrepidMan]

So Riker falls for an alien visitor in "The Outcast" and tries to prevent her "conversion" to unisex after she's outed for being female. I understand why Riker feels like he has to do something to keep from losing her. I've felt this way too, and I've done some pretty stupid things after falling for someone. But Riker is a Starfleet officer--and first officer on the flagship, no less. I just can't believe that he would act so unprofessionally. Barging in on Soren's trial is one thing--and that alone should have earned at least a diplomatic protest from the J'naii and slap on the wrist from Picard. But then Riker goes way too far, breaking into the J'naii compound, attacking the guards and trying to take Soren away. And what is his punishment? Nothing. Not a peep from either the J'naii or Picard.

It's just a little hard to believe. Even if the J'naii declined to protest, the charges against Riker--trespassing, assault, attempted kidnapping--are pretty serious and you would think Starfleet would have something to say. And I just can't believe Picard would let it pass without some kind of punishment. Maybe it happened off screen? I just don't see Sisko or Janeway letting a member of their crew get away with this, even if it was their first officer. Wasn't Paris demoted for some similar behavior?

Bottom line, though, I just don't buy Riker acting in such an immature and unprofessional way. Maybe he was that lonely and desperate--and if that's the case, Troi should have picked it up and recommended a leave of absence.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Starfleet likes to look the other way in a lot of matters. Spock falsified orders, commandeered the Enterprise, kidnapped a Starfleet officer and got a slap on the wrist for it. He also countermanded his CO's orders on one occasion and redirected the ship for "personal" reasons. Again a wrist slap and cover up by Vulcan officials.

 

[dougiezerts]

Whorf tried to help Riker out in the attempt, so he's just as guilty!

 

[Melakon]

When you've got as much knowledge about Starfleet bigwigs as Spock and Riker, you can pretty much do whatever the hell you want.

 

[jimbotron]

Star Trek IV proved that if you save the Earth from annihilation, you get a few court-martial freebies. Riker saved the Federation from the Borg, so got out of it there. Same later on in The Pegasus, he most certainly should have been court-martialed there.

 

[Armored Saint]

In real life, Worf would have been court-marshalled for his duel to death with Duras. Of course, that was legal under Klingon juridiction, but he seriously violate the procedures as Chief of security.

In real life, Troi would have been in serious trouble for her liaison with Devinoni Ral who was on the ship to represent a government that was adverse in interest to the Federation.

Picard sent an underage Wesley on dangerous assignments and let him at the helm of the ship without any driver licensce.

 

[Makarov]

Starfleet is cool with messing with alien cultures when its to illustrate some moral point... like releasing the supersoldiers on the government in that one episode, or importing some irish people into that clone colony. I was more surprised at how Riker dropped the "L" bomb on her so early into their dating. That seems against typical Riker relationship protocol.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Also Starfleet has a standing policy of "You shouldn't violate planet's laws we disagree with. But if you do, y'know, wink wink."

 

[BillJ]

In real life, Worf would have been court-marshalled for his duel to death with Duras. Of course, that was legal under Klingon juridiction, but he seriously violate the procedures as Chief of security.

Not for the duel to the death. For being AWOL/dereliction of duty. That is what Picard should have smacked him down for at the end of "Reunion". The way they ended it just made it more of humans looking down at those that have different ways.

 

[Armored Saint]

Yep, you perfectly explained why I tried to. His Baldric on his uniform is a legitimate conciliation between Klingon identity and serving in Starfleet, but he clearly transgressed what should be the basic code of conduct for a Starfleet officer, especially for a Security officer. It's not like he had been on authorized shore leave in Klingon homeworld. But yeah, Picard only drawn a sad face on his records and asked if he wish to resign, like if he didn't really care.

They want to make "good television" or "good cinema" without having the hero going to jail, losing his job.

At least Spock had attenuating circumstances: he would have die because the Vulcan society maintained an illogical secrecy on this matter and he didn't Kirk for his girl by his own choice, unlike Riker and Worf.

 

[Squiggy]

In real life the entire crews of all the series would have been court martialed at some point.

 

[T'Girl]

... because the Vulcan society maintained an illogical secrecy on this matter ...

Not illogical in the least, it simply isn't the business of "outsiders."

In real life, Worf would have been court-marshalled for his duel to death with Duras.

That's assuming that the Federation has laws against consensual death duels, but do they?

That is what Picard should have smacked him down for at the end of "Reunion".

Been a few month since I last watch the episode, as I recall, Picard never comes right out and says what exactly he reprimanding Worf for. Killing Duras, leaving the ship without permission, interring with the succession, something else.

The way they ended it just made it more of humans looking down at those that have different ways.

That's exactly what it sounds like Picard is doing.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Worf wasn't court-martialled for killing Duras because he had every right to do so. It took place on a Klingon vessel, according to Klingon law and custom, and involved only Klingons, so Starfleet can't prosecute him. Worf violated no laws - indeed, he fulfilled one, since Klingon law absolutely guarantees the right to seek vengeance. (I suspect that Picard only reprimanded him as a formality.)

As for Riker: I can only assume that he got off easy because the J'naii government chose not to press charges.

 

[jimbotron]

Funny that Picard dresses down Worf for killing Duras even though it follows Klingon customs, yet later in on Ethics, his advice to Riker is to go through with helping in Worf's ritual suicide.

 

[Grathon Tolar]

Worf wasn't court-martialled for killing Duras because he had every right to do so. It took place on a Klingon vessel, according to Klingon law and custom, and involved only Klingons, so Starfleet can't prosecute him. Worf violated no laws - indeed, he fulfilled one, since Klingon law absolutely guarantees the right to seek vengeance. (I suspect that Picard only reprimanded him as a formality.)

I think it was the tampering in a Klingon political matter (rather than killing Duras) that annoyed Picard more than anything else; all that arbiter-of-succession bullshit down the drain.

This isn't really the forum, but I think it's an interesting contrast to DS9, where Sisko more or less gives Worf free-reign to kill Gowron--on the station, no less.

 

[The Old Mixer]

I think it was pretty easily readable between Picard's lines that he was looking the other way on the Riker matter. If the J'naii saw fit not to press charges, then as far as Starfleet in general was concerned, nothing happened.

 

[JeffinOakland]

Because its a television show. Star Trek is "intelligent" television. That is, intelligent compared to 98% of tv. Be glad it makes as much sense as it does.

 

[Armored Saint]

... because the Vulcan society maintained an illogical secrecy on this matter ...

Not illogical in the least, it simply isn't the business of "outsiders."

It's illogical since Vulcans share a government with "outsiders" and some of them serve with "outsiders" into the structures of this government. So it doesn't need to be known by every citizen of the Federation, but at least Starfleet command should have been warned to avoid any incident and to allow its Vulcan personnel to take a shore leave before dying.

In real life, Worf would have been court-marshalled for his duel to death with Duras.

That's assuming that the Federation has laws against consensual death duels, but do they?

The Federation has surely laws against it, since the Federation's is closed to Earth liberal democracies which banned this practice who doesn't fit either with the UFP philosophy and the supposed enlightenment of 24th century. So yeah, not any direct proof, but highly implausible according to the general setting.

As I and BillJ were saying, he wouldn't have been directly court-marshalled for the duel, since it was indeed legal under the Klingon juridiction but because it was really not an appropriate behavior for a Starleet officer. When a murder happens on a starship, the Chief of Security isn't supposed to go another ship to challenge the assumed murderer.

 

[BillJ]

That's assuming that the Federation has laws against consensual death duels, but do they?

The Federation has surely laws against it, since the Federation's is closed to Earth liberal democracies which banned this practice who doesn't fit either with the UFP philosophy and the supposed enlightenment of 24th century. So yeah, not any direct proof, but highly implausible according to the general setting.

It seems duels to the death exist into the 24th-century in the Federation. Nothing indicates the Vulcans have eliminated the practice in "Blood Fever".

 

[Mojochi]

It seems duels to the death exist into the 24th-century in the Federation. Nothing indicates the Vulcans have eliminated the practice in "Blood Fever".

And though Picard expresses disapproval of Worf killing Duras, & puts a reprimand on his record, that's hardly penal action