Space Law

Jurisdiction

Within Nanotrasen, vessels operate under abbreviated Space Law. All crew, passengers, and visitors aboard a Nanotrasen vessel or in the employ of Nanotrasen are beholden to this law and expected to follow it. Common sense knowledge should be sufficient to not break the law, the details are of particular importance to Security and Command.

Captain's Authority

The Captain of a Nanotrasen vessel ultimately decides on how and when Space Law is applied, although they are held accountable for their actions by their crew. Afforded to them are both the right to execute members of the crew and pardon crimes, as well the ability to hire, fire, demote, or promote crew members at will.

Execution Privileges

The Captain of a Nanotrasen vessel may perform executions without the need for a trial under certain circumstances. This means they have the authority to personally execute any member of their crew unless they're already in custody of Security. These circumstances would be threats to:

• Authority: Attempting or threatening to undermine the Captain's command, with the capabilities to do so, via illegal means.
• Command: Attempting or threatening to cause bodily harm to the Captain or a member of command while in the Captain's presence, and has the capability to do so.
• Vessel: Attempting or threatening to cause physical damage to the vessel while in the Captain's presence, and has the capability to do so.

Mutiny

If the Captain is found, by a member or members of command staff, to be in violation of Space Law then they may start a lawful Mutiny. A Mutiny is defined as a coordinated effort to lawfully depose the Captain of a Nanotrasen vessel for committing unlawful acts. In the event of a Mutiny, loyalists are tasked with subduing the mutineers with non-lethal force, and should not resort to lethal measures even if ordered to by the Captain, except in acts of self-preservation.

• If the Mutiny is unsuccessful, only the head(s) who approved the Mutiny may receive an execution sentencing while all mutineers may be demoted and/or placed in Extended Confinement.
• If the Mutiny is successful, the head(s) who approved the Mutiny may select the new Captain. The new Captain would ultimately decide the fate of the old Captain.

When a Mutiny begins, the head(s) approving the Mutiny must send a message to admins to notify the admin staff of what is about to occur, although prior authorization is not required. If the Mutiny is called into action without a good roleplay reason, participants may risk being banned.

Pardons

The Captain of a Nanotrasen vessel may pardon members accused or sentenced for crimes if deemed in the best interest of the crew and vessel. Only misdemeanor and felony crimes may be pardoned. The Captain may be held legally responsible for criminal actions committed by those who they pardon. Pardons must be announced via the communications console whenever they are performed.

Prosecution Policy

Legal Status

Security

Security is fully authorized to withhold a crewman at their discretion. The crewman ordered to answer to Security is obligated to do so, regardless of whether they consider its orders lawful or not. Potential grievances and suspicions of unlawful proceedings and maltreatment are to be directed up the Chain of Command and resolved judicially, enlisting legal counsel, if available.

A person that is suspected of having committed a crime may be detained. In detainment, the crewman is held on-site or moved to a safer, less crowded location, may be restrained at officer’s discretion and will remain as such for the time necessary for Security to determine the circumstances of the incident and whether to effect an arrest or not. A detainee may be either released or arrested.

An arrest will occur when a detainee is being charged with criminal acts. The charges have to be pressed by any member of Security or crew at large. Additionally, Head of Security, Captain, or - lacking either - any Head of Staff, may issue an arrest warrant with reasonable cause, taking full responsibility for the warrant being lawful. When arrested, the perpetrator is taken to Security for interrogation and processing.

Security holds an unrestricted weaponry license and may be authorized to use lethal force to the extent necessary to render opponents combat-ineffective while at a severe tactical disadvantage or under threat to the station as a whole.

Psychics

Psychics are, in terms of legal status, largely ungoverned by Space Law due to their inconsistent nature. Any statutes concerning psychic activity are designed to be not explicitly binding. As such, legal status of psychics remains almost entirely at the discretion of ranking officers aboard the station, who are authorized to employ any policy as desired to govern psychics, short of violating any other statute of Space Law.

Synthetics

All synthetic entities, including, but not limited to, robots, cyborgs and drones, issued by Nanotrasen, created by Nanotrasen employs or on board of a Nanotrasen vessel are considered property of Nanotrasen, regardless of their origin or cognitive status. To damage or destroy a synthetic is treated as damage of company property and persecuted accordingly.

Foreign Vessels

None of the below provisions, or any other provisions of Space Law, apply to vessels under the flag of an organisation at war with Nanotrasen, parties that have attacked a Nanotrasen facility or vessels engaged in blatant criminal activity of a capital degree.

The station is encouraged to allow non-hostile visitors permission to dock or otherwise come aboard during normal operating conditions. They may be searched upon arrival and escorted at discretion of Security or Captain. The visitor may request asylum, which is at Captain's discretion to decide, and they will be given as much or as little access throughout the vessel as Captain deems fit.

All visitors aboard a Nanotrasen vessel are subject to Space Law, and should a visitor break the law and flee aboard their own vessel, Security is authorized to board it in pursuit. Nanotrasen employs aboard a foreign vessel are subject to their laws and their policy.

If an individual commits a crime aboard a Nanotrasen station and then flees to an unaffiliated party's vessel, the commander of that vessel is authorized to grant of deny asylum. Foreign vessels' sovereignty must be observed and any decisions of their command to deny or restrict entry are to be respected.

Pressing Charges

A person may be charged of a crime if and when it can be argued beyond a reasonable doubt to have committed an act in the nature and fashion as described by a particular criminal charge.

Multiple counts of one crime can be charged. For illegal actions against the station abroad, each incident separated by a reasonable period of inaction, lawful conduct, or another crime is interpreted as one count. For crimes directly bereaving a person (violent acts, theft of personal property etc.), the same applies in addition to each victim being one count.

Charges that are a direct escalation of one another in nature cannot be simultaneously held against the perpetrator if they pertain to the same incident and the same victim/item (if applicable). Then, only the most severe of these charges applies.

Trial

In criminal prosecution, a trial cannot be requested when only Misdemeanor charges are being pressed. A trial may be requested by the defendant when Felony charges are being pressed, but are called to order at the discretion and ability of the potential Judge. If the defendant is accused of a Capital Crime, they are entitled to trial. Legal counsel is not required to stand trial.

The format of the trial is to be an Arbitration court hearing, presided by a Judge that is typically Head of Security, Captain, or - lacking either - any Department Head. Should no Command be available but a trial needs to be held, it is permissible to grant a temporary promotion to a position of Head of Courtroom, with the access and privileges equivalent to Head of Security, who shall preside the trial and shall be granted this commission for the time and purpose of holding the trial.

In this hearing, the Judge directly examines the defendant and a representative of the prosecution best familiar with the case to present their case on why the defendant should be cleared or convicted of their charges. The trial is expected to last no longer than 15 minutes, with either party not being allowed longer than 5 minutes to present their case.

Extensions may only be requested with reason and are granted at discretion of the Judge. Conflict of Interest may only be applied when the Judge can be proven beyond a reasonable doubt to obtain strictly personal gain from either verdict, or when the Prosecutor may be proven such gain from a Not Guilty verdict.

In the event that the defendant is held in contempt of court, the necessity of a trial may be waived and judgement may be passed by the Judge without a hearing.

Trials may also be held for civil disputes, requested by any crewman against any other, preferably presided by the Captain or Head of Personnel.

Sentencing

In sentencing a crime, it is recommended to defer to the Warden or Head of Security, however, any Security Officer and the Captain is authorized to pass a sentence. If none of either are available, any Department Head may pass a sentence.

The precise sentence is determined by the person passing the sentence and is at their discretion, though may be overruled by one higher up Chain of Command. They are encouraged to use common sense in weighing the punishment against the severity of each charge separately as it is being applied, taking into account the broader circumstances of the crime and the modifiers further below.

• In setting punishment, the charge with the highest minimum punishment is applied first (primary charge) by sentencing brig time anywhere from minimum to maximum of the primary charge, then every other charge sentenced applies at the minimum for each charge. (compounded charge).
• Punishments outside of brig time (mind break, mandatory counsel) cannot be applied partially, save for Demotion. If listed as Minimum, they must be applied, whether primary or compounded. If listed as Maximum, it is applied at discretion.
• If the total brig sentence would exceed 20 minutes, Security is fully authorized and recommended to upgrade the sentence to Extended Confinement, regardless of any punishment limits.
• Once the sentence commences, it must be concluded at or before the agreed time. The convict may be held responsible for any crime they commit while serving their sentence.

Sentence Modifiers

When applying charges, certain circumstances can apply, altering the severity of the punishment. In the event such circumstances would result in release or Extended Confinement, the sentencing should be deferred to the ranking member of Security or Captain if at all possible.

Aggravating Circumstances

• Solicitation: Encouraging, bribing, requesting, or instructing someone to commit a crime, with the intent that the person being solicited commit the crime.
• Accessory: Assisting in the commission of a crime, without participating in the crime itself, knowing that a crime will be, has been, or is being committed.
• Attempts: Attempting to commit a crime, with the intent to carry out that crime.
• Conspiracy: Planning to commit a crime, with the intent to eventually carry out that crime.
• Recidivism: To be arrested, charged and convicted for criminal behavior multiple times within one shift.
• Aggravation: To commit a crime with reckless abandon, clear signs of lack of regret or remorse or with particularly severe implications for the community.

Solicitation, Accessory, Attempts, and Conspiracy are equivalent to the perpetrator actually committing the crime. Recidivism may be punished by significantly increasing overall brig time. Aggravation warrants more severe punishment on every charge where it applies.

Extenuating Circumstances

• Cooperation: Sharing actionable intelligence with the authorities, turning oneself in, confessing to crime.
• Self-Defense: The protection of oneself or another person to the necessary extent to avert a direct and imminent threat to health and life of an innocent.
• Good Behavior: Peaceful compliance with Security, clear signs of remorse concerning committed crime, peaceful conduct in brig.
• Dire Emergency: Committing a crime in the process of absolutely necessary and reasonable actions taken with the intent to resolve or mitigate a dire emergency on their vessel or habitat is not considered a crime.

Criteria for Self-Defense and Dire Emergency, which have the capacity to drop charges entirely, must be particularly strictly observed. Cooperation and Good Behavior should be rewarded with reduced sentence.

Treatment Of Prisoners

Prisoners still have certain rights that must be upheld by law enforcement:

• Prisoners must be granted adequate medical care. They should also be proffered counseling if available.
• Prisoners must be provided access to the common radio channel so long as it is not abused. Command-level headsets and the security headset are not allowed for the prisoner to have.
• Prisoners must be granted clothing, food, water, shelter and safety. If the brig is no longer safe, confinement must be established in another location.
• Prisoners may request legal counsel, if available.
• Prisoners should be granted freedom of movement unless there is an undue risk to life and limb. Similarly, any prisoners held in Extended Confinement should not be confined to a solitary cell unless they pose a risk to life and limb.
• Visitation is allowed only for prisoners sentenced to Extended Confinement but only one individual can visit them every 20 minutes, a reason must be provided for the visit and the visitor must consent to a search of their belongings.
• Prisoners sentenced to execution via a trial may request the method of execution. These options are limited to spacing, electrocution, firing squad, or lethal injection.

Extended Confinement

Prisoners in Extended Confinement have certain rights but also more firm restrictions that must be upheld by law enforcement:

• Prisoners who repeatedly cause damage to their holding cell, to a degree that makes it unreasonable to hold prisoners and in an attempt to escape, may be executed without trial.
• Prisoners who repeatedly cause significant bodily harm to their fellow inmates may be executed without trial.
• Prisoners may request or may otherwise be given parole without prompt by the Warden, Head of Security, or Captain.

Criminal Charges

Punishments

Capital Punishments

• Execution: Termination of life. Whenever an execution is performed, regardless of trial or not, a communications console announcement must be made detailing who was executed and why they were executed.
• Exfiltration: Immediate retrieval of a High-Value Target via a CentComm-dispatched prisoner transport.
• Decorporealization: Stripping of the convict’s mind off their own body into a more restrictive, less capable form.

Normal Punishments

• Brigging: Confinement in the brig for a period of time.
• Extended Confinement: Confinement until the end of shift. The prisoner is to be transported to CentComm for processing.
• Demotion: Revoking or downgrading an individual’s employment contract and revoking access accordingly.
• Mindbreaking: Removal of a psychic's powers through the use of Mindbreaker Toxin or any other available means.
• Catch & Release: To be taken into Security, processed, searched, but then released. This is not the same as dropping or clearing charges.

Capital Crimes

Offense	Definition	Minimum Punishment	Maximum Punishment	Notes
Murder	To kill a sapient being with malicious intent and premeditation.	Demotion to Assistant Extended Confinement	Any Capital Punishment	The cold-blooded intent to kill is key.
Terrorism	To engage in maliciously destructive actions which make uninhabitable or inoperable a vessel or its part.	Demotion to Assistant 12m Brig	Any Capital Punishment	Focus on the intent and consequences present and/or potential.
Kidnapping	To unlawfully remove or confine an individual against their will.	Demotion to Assistant 12m Brig	Any Capital Punishment	Note the unlawful part.
Espionage	To be an unauthorized holder of classified information and/or technology, provide it to an unauthorized recipient, or to intentionally misrepresent oneself as being an employee of Nanotrasen.	Demotion to Assistant 12m Brig	Any Capital Punishment	Any proprietary advanced technology sought after by Nanotrasen’s competitors is classified.
Sedition	To act to overthrow or subvert the established Chain of Command without lawful and legitimate cause.	Demotion to Assistant 12m Brig	Any Capital Punishment	Note the requirement of lack of legitimate cause.
Sexual Harassment	To harass someone or attempt to force or coerce them into sexual relations.	Demotion to Assistant Extended Confinement	Any Capital Punishment	((ERP in any form is permabannable. Adminhelp this if it happens to you; it’s against server rules, not just the law.)) This law is mostly included to allow an IC way to deal with it in the event it does occur.

Felonies

Offense	Definition	Minimum Punishment	Maximum Punishment	Notes
Manslaughter	To effect violence upon a person, resulting in their death.	6m Brig	12m Brig	A death of a person that doesn’t qualify as murder and isn’t fully accidental will typically fall here.
Unauthorized Mindbreaking	To unlawfully rid a psychic of their powers.	4m Brig	8m Brig Mindbreaking Demotion	Who is authorized and when is up to Station Command. Typically Captain, MG, HoS. When a part of a criminal sentence, it is always authorized.
Malicious Psionic Activity	To use psychic abilities to commit, or assist with the committing of, crimes.	3m Brig	6m Brig Mindbreaking	Expect this to compound a lot. Remember that psychics’ legal status is otherwise undetermined.
Unauthorized Decorporealization	To unlawfully strip a being’s mind from their own body.	5m Brig	10m Brig Decorporealization Demotion	Whether the act was authorized and in what way is up to Command. When a part of a criminal sentence, it is always authorized.
Sabotage	To engage in malicious actions that hinder the integrity of the station and/or the function of the crew.	3m Brig	6m Brig Demotion	Note the word malicious and the lack of the word “destructive”.
Maiming	To inflict physical injury with the intent to disfigure or impair function.	4m Brig	8m Brig	Intent, including impassioned intent, is key.
Battery	To effect unsolicited or unlawful physical contact with a person or to thusly administer a substance upon them, directly or indirectly.	Catch & Release	5m Brig	Battery can have a great variety of causes with a great variety of severity. Keep that in mind.
Felony Possession	To be in unauthorized possession of highly restricted items or items of particular danger.	5m Brig	10m Brig Demotion	Typically weapons, explosives, drugs, chemicals, heavy armor, Department Head-issue items… Who is authorized to own what is at discretion of Command.
Rioting	To engage in a public disturbance which involves damage to property.	Catch & Release	5m Brig	Similar to Battery, the severity of this crime is highly varied.
Resisting Arrest	To intentionally and violently resist arrest or confinement.	3m Brig	6m Brig	Violent being the key word.
Obstruction of Justice	To willfully disobey a decree of the court or a warrant or prevent one from service.	6m Brig	12m Brig	Judgements, warrants of all kinds…
Black Marketeering	To sell or distribute restricted items or substances.	6m Brig	12m Brig Demotion	As with Possession, authorizations are determined by Command.
Abuse of Power	To grossly oppress an individual as someone with authority over that individual.	3m Brig Demotion	6m Brig	Tends to compound. Note that “grossly” implies the authority is being exercised in clear excess.
Conduct Unbecoming	To willfully abandon an obligation that is critical to the station’s continued operation, or to disrepute Nanotrasen by grossly improper conduct.	Catch & Release Demotion	6m Brig	The disreputable conduct mostly applies to Command staff and Security.

Misdemeanors

Offense	Definition	Minimum Punishment	Maximum Punishment	Notes
Assault	To threaten to use physical force against someone while also having the capability and/or intent to carry out that threat.	Catch & Release	3m Brig	Note there’s two conditions to this charge and both have to be true.
Theft	To take property without consent, depriving authorized users of its intended use.	Catch & Release	4m Brig	Depends on the item taken and compounds easily. Note the definition says nothing of whether the perpetrator is authorized or not.
Animal Cruelty	To inflict unnecessary suffering on a non-sapient being with malicious intent.	3m Brig	6m Brig	Note that to do this in line of work may be necessary.
Endangerment	To recklessly put yourself or others in danger through your malpractice, action or inaction.	3m Brig	6m Brig Demotion	Notice the malpractice.
Vandalism	To intentionally deface or superficially damage property.	Catch & Release	3m Brig	Easily compounded, easily upgraded.
Misdemeanor Possession	To possess items one is not authorized to have.	Catch & Release	3m Brig Demotion	Command determines who is authorized for what.
Insubordination	To disobey a lawful direct order from one’s superior officer.	Catch & Release	3m Brig Demotion	Easily compounded.
Contempt of Court	To conduct oneself disruptively and disrespectfully before the court.	5m Brig	5m Brig Execution	Execution only applies if the perpetrator is the one on trial.
Evading arrest	To non-violently escape or avoid arrest.	Catch & Release	3m Brig	To prevent Security from getting you is the main notion. Almost always compounded.
Breaking and Entering	To tresspass with the intent to commit crime.	2m Brig	2m Brig	By definition always compounds.
Trespassing	To enter an area and refuse to leave where one is unauthorized and uninvited.	Catch & Release	7m Brig	Consequentially to B&E’s definition, never compounds.
Hooliganism	To intentionally engage in disruptive conduct.	Catch & Release	Brig until compliant	This is kind of a catch all for malicious disruption that isn’t otherwise chargeable.