Stargate Stargate Treason Question

[Ash's Boomstick]

Here's a question for those who watch Stargate, both Makepeace and Maybourne were arrested and charged with treason, but what exactly did they do to require that? I mean the worst I an see them doing is theft, receiving stolen goods and one or two other things on that level, but treason? Any thoughts?

 

[Spartan303]

Here's a question for those who watch Stargate, both Makepeace and Maybourne were arrested and charged with treason, but what exactly did they do to require that? I mean the worst I an see them doing is theft, receiving stolen goods and one or two other things on that level, but treason? Any thoughts?

They were working against the stated mission of the United States Government. Instead they chose to honor the will of a clandestine organization that working to undermine US interests and foreign relations with US allies. Despite the fact they weren't technically acting on behalf of another nation. Maybourne of course is also guilty of that too.

 

[Battlegrinder]

The NID's activities undermined multiple alliances between the US and other nations, one's that were critically important to the ongoing war against the system lords. I would assume that was used as the basis to argue they were essentially aiding the enemy by weakening the US's defenses against them.

 

[GoldRanger]

Here's a question for those who watch Stargate, both Makepeace and Maybourne were arrested and charged with treason, but what exactly did they do to require that? I mean the worst I an see them doing is theft, receiving stolen goods and one or two other things on that level, but treason? Any thoughts?

What Spartan said, plus they were also very close to making irreparable harm to diplomatic relations with major allies, I'd say that's plenty of reason to try them for treason.

 

[stephen the barbarian]

first; treason in the us is defined as: "only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort." per Article III, Section 3

Aid and Comfort is further defined as:
"Any act that deliberately strengthens or tends to strengthen enemies of the United States, or that weakens or tends to weaken the power of the United States to resist and attack such enemies" (emp mine)

Makepeace and Maybourne both acted to undermine the sgc, and thus acted to weaken what was more or less the only line of defence against the goa'uld

 

[Bear Ribs]

The US defines treason in an amazingly nebulous and yet extremely narrow way. This is because the Founder Fathers needed to have a definition that excluded themselves from having committed treason against the British Empire and, well, they were honestly rebels against their own government no matter how you slice it so they had to pretzel the logic a bit.

That said in this case it fits pretty well since their actions were directly harming an organization (SGC) that was basically the only thing standing between mankind and genocide/eternal slavery. So while a person skimming some money off to profit themselves would be hit, most judges will take circumstance into account and be much harsher on somebody risking massive destruction and death with the same actions.

 

[Ash's Boomstick]

Thanks guys, I'm not much for politics and legal cases like this and I did wonder how it was seen in Stargate.