Kirk was tried at Starbase 11 for the supposed death of Lieutenant Commander Ben Finney, who had faked his own death and doctored the ship's computer records.
During an ion storm, Kirk jettisoned a pod with records officer Ben Finney inside, and the ship's computer log seemed to show he had done so before declaring red alert. A board of inquiry under Commodore Stone at Starbase 11 charged Kirk with culpable negligence, and he was defended by the attorney Samuel T. Cogley, with Areel Shaw prosecuting.
Spock found that the computer had been altered. Kirk had the sensors tuned to filter out every heartbeat aboard the Enterprise, revealing one extra. Finney, who resented Kirk over an old incident, had hidden aboard and sabotaged the ship. He was captured, and Kirk was cleared.