In Star Trek:OS How Are Executions Carried Out?

In "The Menagerie" it is pointed out that going to Talos IV (I think that is the right number) is the Federations only remaining death penalty offense.

And in "Turnabout Intruder" Janice Lester/Kirk announces her/his intention to execute Spock, McCoy, Scotty, and Kirk/Lester and that the executions will take place on the Hangar Deck.

What was the method of executions likely to be?

And why the Hangar Deck?

Same old tactics?

I would assume phaser on kill, but not disintegrate, so you can have a proper funeral.

So the corpses can be floated into space as an example to mutineers, natch.

Good ideas.

Though I suspected on the Hangar Deck that they might secure the bodies and then depressurize the bay to preserve the bodies though this seems overly complicated.

From what I recall, it wasn't a death penalty per se. It was explained in the DS9 episode "Hard Time" where Chief O'Brien was imprisoned. Since TOS was prior to the TNG-era holodeck, they placed the convict into a virtual reality simulator (almost a proto-holodeck) wherein the convict lived out the life of a 20th century failed high school football coach living in the southern US, who spends his/her free time writing letters to science-fiction magazines of the era. The rationale being that it was a far harsher sentence than an actual death penalty, without having the permanence of execution. I believe the Federation abolished the practice after too many convicts attempted suicide.

The condemned walks out onto the hangar deck, the hangar doors are opened, execution complete.

Spock rattles off several death penalties (death by gas, death by electrocution, death by hanging, death by phaser) to Cyrano Jones Harry Mudd in "The Trouble with Tribbles?" "I, Mudd." That was the penalty for fraud on Deneb 5, so probably doesn't apply to the Federation.

edit: corrected the episode and details

Why does it matter, and why does Dayton have a fetish for executions? The man's obsessed with violence.

How do you think they were carried out?

Perhaps this is his way of researching for information for a "new" science fiction universe.

Maybe they just put you through the transporter and never rematerialize you?

It'd be easier to do that with an airlock. You use the hanger deck because you want the rest of the crew to witness the execution so they know what happens to "uppity" people.

I like to think that Dayton himself is research for how people react to someone who writes what he does.

Trolling I see Chad.

Oops, MC.

What makes you think I have a "fetish" for executions. When they are conducted in the U.S. they are usually somewhat worth noting.

And isn't drama all about conflict? And isn't violence conflict?

I tried to post this several times before but my Display Driver keeps malfunctioning and as a side effect kicks me off line.

But in the Honor Harrington Series they keep several archaic weapons aboard like 21st century style pistols for ceremonial and dueling purposes.

It is possible that aboard the Enterprise and other Federation ships they would keep some Winchester 30-06s handy for the ceremonial reasons and for the occasional executions.

Also, if they are sending a landing party down to a primitive planet (I hate the term "Away Team") such as a planet equivalent to 19th-21st century Earth tech, wouldn't it make some sense to have more primitive weapons with them rather than carrying phasers?

Only if they wanted the odds to be even. In every instance on TOS when they beamed down to a more primitive planet, they carried phasers. If they were worried about primitive people's spotting the phasers, they could have easily made them into something that looked like a weapon those people would recognize.

Phasers can be set to a non-fatal setting, it's called stun. And for the most part, the Away Teams would have their phasers set on stun, in keeping with the Federation and Starfleet being a peacekeeping organization. They would use their phasers for defense, not offense.

For one, on TOS, the only death penalty on record was visiting Talos IV. Even then, Spock was not executed for violating General Order 7. Even by TOS, there were penal colonies/clinics where individuals were treated instead of facing death. By then, humanity did consider the death penalty a viable option or treatment. Spock was the only known instance where General Order 7 was violated, so of what we know, the only known violation was not carried out.

And also...

Why the need for occasional executions? The only death penalty was for violating General Order 7, there would be no need for occasional executions as the death penalty was virtually non-existent by then. The fact that you consider that every starship would carry out occasional executions points you having a need or fetish for executions.

Mendez tells Kirk that going to Talos IV is the only death penalty "REMAINING ON THE BOOKS".

Which means there were other death penalty offenses under Federation law in the past.

What is your point? Humans had moved on, and by TOS did have a death penalty except for one violation. And it was not carried out.

Perhaps they reinstituted it later.

I think you have a pre-occupation with addressing problems with violent methods (provided you don't have to carry it out). You may not be consciously aware of it, but you seem to treat war, fighting, conflict and death as matters of fascination.

Sorry if the rest of you feel otherwise but I believe the world is full of evil people (even in Star Trek) and that if you kill ten of them then the world is ten people better off.

Btw Dayton, have you considered the notion that the death penalty still existed in some form in the Trek universe was probably a product of the time TOS was made?

Who decides who is evil?

Many people think a lot of your opinions are evil. Does that mean we would be justified in wishing you dead?

Sure. For good reason.

As Matthew White points out in his book. "The Great Big Book of Horrible Things" that documents all the manmade events that killed at least 300,000 or more peopl (which can be confirmed)

"Killing is the worst thing you can do to someone. A killer can undo the work of a doctor, teacher, lawyer or a priest. But a doctor, teacher, lawyer or priest can't undo the work of a killer. "

Except it wasn't, Picard stated it was an outdated idea during TNG, and so did Janeway on Voyager.

Opinions don't cause anyone any actual harm so no you and others would not be justified.