Spoilers for TNG S04E14 Clues
!The Enterprise encounters a planet inhabited by an isolationist species who uses a fake wormhole to knock people out so they can somehow mask their presence. OK, I'm with it so far.
This trap fails on Data who revives the crew and the aliens say they need to destroy the Enterprise to stop people finding out about them. Picard points out that if the Enterprise is destroyed Starfleet will come looking for them. Again, so far so good.
The aliens agree to let the crew live if they can wipe everyone's memory and order Data to never say what happened. This memory wipe takes 24 hours so they modify the computer records to make everyone think a day hasn't passed and they were actually out for 30 seconds. Then they do it again when the crew realises after finding some unforseen clues, so now at least 48 hours has passed. This is where it lost me.
I can understand them not realising straight away if they're in deep space and not communicating with Starfleet, but surely they're going to figure out their chronometer is 2 days off eventually and go back to try and figure out what went on?!<
IIRC, Riker prosecutes Data because if he opts not to do so, they will not have the trial and Data will immediately become the property of Starfleet. He does not want to do it, but is told that if at any point he is thought to be half-assing his duty, they will end the trial and find for Starfleet.
I don't think they have much experience with races that were built by other races being considered sentient and have been accepted by the UFP, so I can understand a lack of precendent here.
And I would think that if Worf pulled off Riker's arm, hilarious though it may be, there would be little doubt about the point he was trying to make between the difference in a painful dismemberment and the disassembly of a toaster.