The Trial of Baltar

[jryoho]

I sure hope I spelled Baltar right! :o

I understand why the prosecution didn't press the issue of Baltar's initial inolvement with the cylon attack (going on hallucinations would've been a very rediculous argument), but what about charging him with helping the cylons since.

The model we know as Simon confirms that Baltar is helping the cylons to find earth, so why didn't Adama think of this when casting his vote? Surely you'd think Roslin would bring this up in full force, she didn't seem to forget a single thing baltar did wrong.

To me this was the hook line and sinker to the case. No, Baltar was responsible for what happened to the colonies, nor was he directly responsible for the occupation on New Caprica (although it was his nuclear bomb that lead the cylons straight to them), but they could certainly have proven his contributions to the Cylons after the occupation. I just don't know why this wasn't addressed.

[Joe Beaudoin Jr.]

Actually, they threatened to kill him if he didn't help them find Earth.

Frankly, one would be correct in saying that he worked with the Cylons out of self-preservation. Coincidentally, this is the same argument that the defense used as a reason for his collaboration with the Cylon Occupation force on New Caprica.

[jryoho]

yes, but how often can self preservation serve as an excuse? At some point one would expect Baltar to bite the bullet instead of sending humanity to its end. Just because he was saving his own hide is no excuse for his crimes against humanity. You'd think Adama (sr) wouldn't accept his will to live as a justifiable reason to bring death to humanity. Not to mention that similar verdicts were reached in the cases of both Ellen Tigh and jammer, admitted these are trials unsupported by the articles.

[alpha5099]

Well, at least for me, I don't find bringing up Ellen or Jammer as precedents as a convincing argument against Baltar. I don't feel either character deserved to die for what they did (I still mourn for Jammer).

But then again, Baltar's my favorite character, so I want him to live his crazy selfish life, consequences and body-counts be damned.

[JDS]

I still don't understand why everybody hated Baltar for surrendering to the Cylons on New Caprica. If they hated him for what he did AFTER the escape from NC, I'd sort of understand that, but seriously, WTF does everybody think he should have done?

Cylons: Surrender!
Baltar: No!
Cylons: [shoots Baltar] Zarek, you're President now. Surrender!
Zarek: No!
Cylons: [shoots Zarek] Who's President now? Surrender!

Sooner or later, somebody's gonna say "Okay".