Here is every Starfleet Officer who has faced court martial in the Star Trek TV series and movies, which includes some of the most important characters in the franchise. While Starfleet is an exploratory and humanitarian armada, it is, at its core, a military organization structured similarly to the United States Navy. Starfleet Officers are bound by oath to perform their duties with honor and integrity, and severe violations can and have resulted in a court martial that can end Starfleet careers and result in penalties, including imprisonment.
Offenses committed by Starfleet Officers that result in a court martial can include insubordination, gross negligence, and violations of Starfleet General Orders. In addition, the loss of a starship can sometimes trigger the court martial of its captain. Some Star Trek episodes have depicted court martials, which are conducted as trials with the defendant having a legal defense and prosecuted by an attorney, who is a Judge Advocate General officer. There is a difference, however, between a court martial and a general inquiry, such as the hearings seen in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode, “The First Duty”, when a Nova Squadron stunt that included Wesley Crusher (Wil Wheaton) led to the death of a Starfleet Academy cadet and a cover-up. But general inquires can lead to court martials if sufficient cause or guilt is established. Further, court martials are known to have occurred in some characters pasts but weren’t depicted in a Star Trek episode.
Of course, the career of a Starfleet Officer involves facing numerous moral and ethical dilemmas and a court martial doesn’t automatically mean the end of a Starfleet career. There are also countless occasions when Starfleet Officers have broken rules in order to accomplish a mission or save a life, knowing that the possibility of facing a court martial exists. Sometimes, Starfleet Officers even joke about their future court martials that didn’t come to pass. However, some of the most decorated Starfleet Officers, including three Captains of the U.S.S. Enterprise, have faced court martial along with other Starfleet Officers who engaged in genuine criminal activity.
Michael Burnham In Star Trek: Discovery – “Battle at the Binary Stars”
In 2256, Commander Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) became Starfleet’s first mutineer and she was court-martialed for starting the Klingon War of 2256-2257 while she was First Officer of the U.S.S. Shenzhou. As seen in the first two episodes of Star Trek: Discovery season 1, Burnham thought she was saving the Shenzhou and preventing hostilities when she turned on her Captain, Phillippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh). Although Georgiou reluctantly gave Burnham the benefit of the doubt, the Captain was killed when they mounted an away mission on the Klingon sarcophagus ship. The Klingon fleet then engaged Starfleet at the Battle at the Binary Stars, which resulted in more losses of ships and life, including the destruction of the Shenzhou.
At her court martial, Burnham was stripped of her rank and sentenced to life in prison. However, six months into her sentence, Burnham was released at the request of Captain Gabriel Lorca (Jason Isaacs) of the U.S.S. Discovery and installed as a science specialist. For her heroic actions in ending the Klingon War, Burnham was pardoned by the Federation President, and her rank of Commander was restored.
Spock in Star Trek: TOS – “The Menagerie”
In 2267, Lt. Commander Spock (Leonard Nimoy) abducted Fleet Captain Christopher Pike (Sean Kenney) and hijacked the U.S.S. Enterprise in order to transport Pike to Talos IV in violation of Starfleet General Order 7 (which invokes the death penalty for any starship visiting Talos IV). Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and Commodore Jose Mendez (Malachi Throne) caught up to the Enterprise, and Spock requested and received an onboard court martial for his actions.
It was ultimately revealed that the court martial (and the presence of Commodore Mendez) were illusions created by the Talosians, as they showed the circumstances of Pike’s (Jeffrey Hunter) first contact with their race in 2254. The Talosians wished for Pike, who was critically injured from delta radiation, to live out the remainder of his life on Talos IV. The real Commodore Mendez received the same images and granted Pike’s wish. Mendez ordered General Order 7 to be rescinded on this occasion, clearing Spock of all charges, and allowing Pike to travel to Talos IV.
Captain James T. Kirk in Star Trek: TOS – “Court Martial”
Later in 2267, Captain Kirk received a court martial over the alleged death of the U.S.S. Enterprise‘s records officer, Lt. Commander Benjamin Finney (Richard Webb). Kirk was accused (thanks to computer records falsified by Finney) of directly causing Finney’s death. It was the first time a starship captain ever stood trial in a court martial. Kirk was prosecuted by Lt. Areel Shaw (Joan Marshall), the attorney representing the captain was Samuel T. Cogley (Elisha Cook, Jr.), and the court martial was presided over by Starbase 11’s commander, Commodore Stone (Percy Rodriguez).
Kirk was ultimately cleared of all charges when the investigation revealed that Finney faked his own death. Finney blamed Kirk for a past incident between the two but the Captain confronted and apprehended Finney before he could destroy the Enterprise. Charges were then brought up against Finney.
Spock, McCoy, Scott, “Janice Lester” in Star Trek: TOS – “Turnabout Intruder”
In 2269, Spock, Dr. Janice Lester, and later Dr. Leonard McCoy (DeForrest Kelley) and Lt. Commander Montgomery Scott (James Doohan), were charged with mutiny and sentenced to death in a summary court martial convened by Captain Kirk. However, “Kirk” was actually Janice Lester (Sandra Smith); the former lover of Kirk switched bodies with and posed as the starship captain. After Lester’s ruse was discovered, Kirk was able to switch his consciousness back into his own body and the charges of the sham trial, which was the most bizarre court martial in Star Trek history, were never enforced.
Admiral James T. Kirk in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
At the conclusion of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, Admiral Kirk and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise (including Captain Spock, who chose to stand with his crewmates), were tried by the Federation Council for hijacking the Enterprise, destroying the starship, and traveling to the Genesis Planet in order to rescue Spock and reunite him with his katra (his Vulcan soul).
However, due to their heroic efforts in saving the Earth from the humpback whale probe, the Council dropped all charges except one: Kirk was accused of disobeying the orders of a superior officer. Kirk pled guilty to the charge and was sentenced with his rank reduced to Captain. He was then given command of the U.S.S. Enterprise-A.
Captain Jean-Luc Picard – The Destruction of the Stargazer
In 2355, Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) was in command of the U.S.S. Stargazer, which was lost after a battle in the Maxia Zeta star system. Picard destroyed the attacking ship but the Stargazer was consumed by fire and had to be abandoned. Under Starfleet regulations, the loss of a starship can instantly trigger a court martial of its commanding officer and this was the case with Captain Picard, who was prosecuted by Phillipa Louvois (Amanda McBroom). Despite Louvois’ relentless prosecution, Picard was cleared of all charges and he was later given command of the Federation flagship, the U.S.S. Enterprise-D.
Ensign Ro Laren and Admiral Kennally in Star Trek: The Next Generation – “Ensign Ro”, “Preemptive Strike”
In the mid-2260s, Ensign Ro Laren (Michelle Forbes) was serving on the U.S.S. Wellington when she disobeyed a direct order during an away mission to Garon II, which resulted in the deaths of eight fellow officers. Ro was court martialed and refused to speak in her own defense. She was imprisoned in a stockade on Jaros II.
In 2268, Ensign Ro was released from prison by Admiral Kennelly (Cliff Potts) and reinstated into Starfleet in order to find a Bajoran terrorist. Ro was stationed on the Enterprise-D but Captain Picard soon learned that Ro was being manipulated by Kennelly. The Admiral had entered a secret pact with the Cardassians and was, in turn, being used by the aliens, who attacked a Bajoran camp and placed the blame on a known Bajoran terrorist for Starfleet to pursue. When Kennelly’s guilt was uncovered, Picard speculated that he would be court martialed for joining the Cardassians in a conspiracy, while Ensign Ro received a permanent posting on the Enterprise.
Two years later, the now-Lieutenant Ro betrayed Starfleet and joined the Maquis. Had she been apprehended, Ro would have faced a second court martial.
Admiral Erik Pressman in Star Trek: The Next Generation – “The Pegasus”
In 2370, Captain Picard had Admiral Erik Pressman (Terry O’Quinn) placed under arrest when he learned that Pressman was secretly trying to reacquire an experimental phased cloaking device hidden on the derelict U.S.S. Pegasus. The cloaking device is a violation of the Treaty of Algeron, and the Romulans discovered that Starfleet was in possession of the illegal technology. In 2358, Pressman tested the cloaking device on the Pegasus but, when the crew discovered, it sparked a mutiny. The then-Ensign William T. Riker (Jonathan Frakes) protected his Captain and they escaped the Pegasus before they saw what appeared to be the ship’s destruction. Pressman escaped prosecution from the incident.
It was assumed that Pressman would receive a court martial now that his illegal activity had come to light. Riker also expected to face hard questions for his role in the Pegasus incident and the resulting cover-up. However, Pressman claimed he had “a lot of friends” at Starfleet Command, though Picard retorted, “You’re going to need them”.
Michael Eddington – Star Trek: Deep Space Nine – “For The Uniform”
In 2372, Lt. Commander Michael Eddington (Kenneth Marshall) was the Starfleet Security Chief aboard Deep Space Nine when he defected to the Maquis. Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) vowed to hunt Eddington down and see him court martialed for betraying Starfleet. The following year, Sisko and the crew of the U.S.S. Defiant captured Eddington, who became a Maquis leader. Eddington was court martialed, convicted, and imprisoned for treason against the Federation.
However, Eddington was later released under the custody of Captain Sisko as part of Eddington’s final scheme to rescue captured Maquis members held by the Dominion, including Michael’s wife, Rebecca Sullivan (Gretchen German). Eddington was killed by Jem’Hadar soldiers as he covered for Sisko, Rebecca, and the other Maquis prisoners’ escape.
