OH THE PAIN, THE PAIN-
Three days later, a general hearing was being held at Starbase 10. Though a civilian court, Kirk, Spock, McCoy and the Robinsons all attended. At the defense table was Dr. Smith. The three judge panel looked across at a prosecutor, a Vulcan named Stosk and a defense attorney, a human in his seventies named Joshua Cogley. The lead judge asked Cogley "Mr. Cogley, how does your client plea?" The elderly man looked down at Smith then up again. "Guilty, your honors, on all charges." The panel spoke in low voices for a few minutes. The lead judge spoke again.
"Very well, " he began, "In consultation with Mr. Stosk, we render the following verdict and sentence. Will the defendant please rise." Smith stood up, his head was slunk into his shoulders. He obviously hadn't slept. The judge continued "Zachery Smith, you are hereby declared guilty of the crime of aiding and abetting the attempted hijacking of a Federation starship. The sentence for such a crime has been agreed to….you will be assigned to a reorientation center for rehabilitation. If such rehabilitation is deemed to have failed, you will be sentenced to not less than fifteen, nor more than twenty years in a Federation penal colony, with no possibility of parole." Smith's shoulders collapsed even more. The judge finished. "If there is no further business, this hearing is concluded."
Smith was led out to the right by a bailiff. Cogley turned to Stosk and then to Kirk and his group. "Well, that ends that, I suppose." "He got off lucky, if you ask me, " Don West injected. Cogley had explained to the group earlier that this would likely be Smith's fate. Even an attempt to claim an insanity defense, citing the brain parasites that McCoy found, wasn't possible as the doctor's analysis was that Smith was fully cognizant of what he was doing when he conspired with the Romulans. "Well, I hate a guilty verdict, even for a guy like Smith. Especially on my last case, before I retire," Cogley explained, packing his valise, "Well, I'm off to Starbase 11 to visit my son. Good luck to you all." And he left.
"What will happen to Dr. Smith, Mr. Spock," Will Robinson asked. "An attempt will be made to rehabilitate him, to get him to reconsider his life and his ethics. It is not invasive or forced. But if it fails, psychological scans will reveal that and he will go to a prison world for the requisite sentence." The young man considered this. The last vestige of sympathy for Smith disappeared and he quietly said. "Good."