Poll of the Week: All Rise!

[Randal Shayne]

Star Trek has a long history of trial episodes. From the memorable “Court Martial”, in which Kirk is accused of criminal negligence regarding the death of a member of his crew, to “Rules of Engagement”, in which Worf must defend his actions during a heated battle aboard the Defiant, every Star Trek series has had its own quality moments of courtroom television.

While we have seen many different types of law, from the Federations’ process of jurisprudence (what we are most familiar with today) to the brutal, predetermined show trials of Cardassia, each of these cases utilize a lawyer, or the equivalent of one. Approximately one year ago, a Poll of the Week was run, asking your opinions about the best trial episodes. This Poll of the Week asks for your favorite lawyer, or favorite individual forced to play the part of one. Is it Samuel T. Cogley, the obsessive crackpot that defended Kirk, or Areel Shaw, the prosecution in that case? Perhaps your pick came from a non-Federation world, like Chang, who prosecuted Kirk and McCoy in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, or Kovat, who’s actor elevated the character’s thankless role into an amazing reflection on the dangers of assuming guilt, in the Deep Space 9 episode “Tribunal”. Or perhaps it’s someone not mentioned at all. Give us your vote, and explain away in the comments section!

[Sal Taybrim]

IMHO Picard wins this hands down.  He also had a definitely unfair advantage - he was a fan and creator favorite and a well established character played by an actor with great gravitas.  So it's a no-brainer to give him the best scripts, too.