Lawyer

CIVILIAN & SECURITY STAFF

Lawyer

Alternative Titles: Prosecutor, Defense Attorney, Paralegal, Ace Attorney Access: Service General, Law Office, Security Basic Additional Access: N/A Difficulty: Easy Supervisors: Head of Personnel, Head of Security Duties: Advocate for prisoners, create law-binding contracts, ensure Security is following protocol and Space Law Guides: Space Law, Guide to Trials Minimum Age: 24 Quote: My client being guilty doesn't mean I'm not going to argue his innocence, officer.

The Lawyer is tasked with the thankless job of providing legal aid to the crew. This tends to involve defending traitors in trials, suing security, the company, aliens or anyone else they can think of for endangering the crew. Other duties include hassling the engineers and scientists over health and safety violations, and general ambulance-chasing.

Remember you are not security, you are allowed to be a part of their comms channel as well as have some department access. They are a right and your job is to help prisoners receive fair treatment, not to antagonize security for doing their job.

Bare minimum requirements: Talk to prisoners and try to get security to consider their rights when applicable.

Duties

You have a number of duties as the lawyer.

• Consult on the law: Be present when people are imprisoned, so you can give the correct time. Be sure to explain the sentence for each crime and the total time. In some cases you may argue for reduced sentence times based on mitigating factors (e.g. clowning, insanity), but don't push the issue or you risk making it worse.
• Ascertain guilt or innocence: When a suspect is brought in, check the stories of officers. You may be able to convince them when they either have the wrong person or if they committed a lesser crime than thought. Consult with the Detective about physical evidence brought against your client.
• Get medical care for inmates: Because officers usually resume their patrol after arresting somebody, they'll appreciate it if you keep inmates healthy. Call for a medic if you are not able to do this yourself.
• Clean up the Brig: You're going to spend most of your time here, so keep it clean! The warden needs the help; the brig is one of the messiest places on the station and is usually filled with blood or trash. Call for a janitor if you are not able to do this yourself.
• Help released inmates out of the brig: When their time is up, bring them their belongings (sometimes they are kept in the evidence room), help them out of the brig, and make sure the warden or HoS sets their security record to "Released".
• Participate in trials: An unfortunately small part of your job; you can sometimes get trials for inmates scheduled to be executed or when you can convince the HoS that it would be entertaining. Fortunate lawyers may get the chance to defend high profile persons, like wizards.
• Create law-binding contracts: As a Lawyer the easiest and most efficient way to get something done is to create contracts, despite popular belief. If you display these contracts to the Lawyer Gods, then you might get something nice from them.
• Litigation: Health, safety, and human rights violations abound on the station, but be warned that actually getting anything done about it will test your law skills.

Law School

Always caution clients against saying anything about their alleged crimes to security. Don't ever openly talk to your client about charges, or they may incriminate themselves in front of security members. Ask to speak with clients privately in your office or the interrogation room. If security refuses, step right up to the cell door and whisper to your client, and ask any intrusive officers to please take a few steps back.

How to Make Friends and Win Cases

As a defence lawyer, you are at an inherent disadvantage, you are in a position where you have to try to influence people who have more power than you and don't necessarily have to listen to you. They have uniforms, weapons and armour, you have a various administrative tools. They are part of a band of brothers, you are a lone wolf. You have to know when to be polite, respectful and helpful, and when to be forceful or even aggressive, all without being obnoxious.

The best contact for you to try to get on good terms with is the warden. They will be your first and most common point of contact when a suspect is detained. They have the authority to set brig times. Usually the HoS will be out and about and the warden will be the one making the decisions. However, if the warden is a fascist jerk, you will need to make another friend (or at least business acquaintance) who is more reasonable. The HoS and Captain are great people to provide a sympathetic ear if you need to go over the warden's head. Rank-and-file sec officers and detectives can sometimes be useful, but typically just fall in line with their bosses.

Regardless of who you deal with, be initially polite and then adjust depending on the level of courtesy and respect you receive, and whether politeness gets any results. Physically assaulting an officer will result in a loss of access, a demotion and criminal charges, and can anger the Lawyer Gods, so avoid this unless absolutely necessary.

Although every individual is different, there are some common types of officer you will encounter, requiring different strategies:

• The Timid Rookie: These enthusiastic whipper-snappers are keen on fighting antags, but have no idea what the hell they are doing, and have usually never read Space Law. They have little confidence when challenged which makes it relatively easy to persuade them to reduce or drop charges, or bully them into thinking they messed up even when they are doing their job properly. You can sometimes even completely make up laws, sentences or mitigate circumstances and they will believe you if you are forceful and authoritative sounding enough.
• Tough but Fair: These are good cops who will not let you intimidate them and who will not back down when they are right, but will listen when you point out flaws in their charges or evidence. The best way to deal with them is to be respectful and give them due compliments when they concede a point and lower sentences or let suspects free. Do not antagonize them for no reason, or they become may less inclined to listen to you. Be grateful to have the opportunity to work with someone sane and competent.
• The Thug: These guys think that the concept of "rights" for suspects is a joke, and resent your presence in the brig. They will, at best, try to ignore you completely, if they do not actively insult and threaten you. It is almost impossible to convince them of anything in character. Try to get someone who outranks them to set them straight, or put in a word to the gods to force them to correct themselves when they are unambiguously wrong. This type may end up revoking your access, arresting you, assaulting you, or killing you for doing your job (I told you the role was thankless). If things are completely hopeless and there is no way you can possibly get them to act like a human being, try throwing a donut at them and singing "this little piggy went to market," if your access was going to get revoked anyways.

Common Overcharges

There are a number of circumstances where more than one charge could be argued to apply to a crime. Security will usually err on the side of charging with the more serious offence. Your job is to argue for the less serious charge, or get them off completely. As a negotiating tactic, it may be helpful to initially suggest an excessively low charge, than "settle" on a harsher, but still reduced charge.

• Attempted murder vs. Assault/Assault with a Deadly Weapon: Was the victim put into crit? No? Argue against an attempted murder charge until they concede or you collapse from exhaustion.
• Grand Sabotage vs. Creating a Workplace Hazard: Unless intent can be proven, argue that your client is not malicious, just completely incompetent.
• Grand Theft vs. Theft and Major Trespass vs. Trespass: Make sure that security doesn't take a liberal interpretation of the serious charges.
• Repeat Offender: Security will try to use this permabrig the clown for slipping people with a banana peel twice or whatever. Try not to let them.

Excuses, Excuses

So, your client is in the interrogation room and a detective or cop is demanding answers. Think quickly of plausible reasons why the evidence could be false.

• "We Have Eyewitness!" There are other people with the same suit! A suit could have been stolen! Did you actually see him committing the crime, or was he simply in the area? Where are the witnesses? I demand to hear from them, and demand my client be released if they don't testify!
• "He Had Traitor Gear on Him!" He found that and was coming to security to report it! Are there other prints on it? Are you the officer that conducted the search and, if not, where is the officer who supposedly found it? That's just a normal pen! That's just a normal gasmask! Those are just normal shoes! That's just a balloon!
• "We Have Forensic Evidence!" He bumped into that door earlier! He used that tool to repair something and then dropped it, someone else must have used it in a murder! He hugged the victim earlier!

Objections!

Nanotrasen trials tend to be hastily thrown together and messy. They are also put together by security/the prosecution, which places the defence at a huge disadvantage. There are many common practices they will try that you should fight until you are out of breath:

• I am the Law! Object due to bias if the appointed judge is a member of security or a prosecution witness.
• Prove a Negative! Object if you are asked to present a defence before the prosecution presents a case or charges are stated. It is impossible to defend yourself when you don't even know what you are defending against. The prosecution should always speak before the defence. If you are asked to "prove" your client's innocence, point out that it is impossible to do so and that the onus is on the prosecution to demonstrate guilt.
• Double Jeopardy! If an absurdly guilty client is found “not-guilty,” it is not uncommon for security or prosecution members to be convinced that the trial was a “mistake” and attempt to detain your client for a new trial. The verdict is valid, defend it and get the Lawyer Gods involved if you have to.

Justice for All

The Law Office, where you can be safely ignored

You begin the round in your office with a blue or purple suit, brown shoes, a briefcase, 6 pieces of paper and a pen, a PDA, a security radio headset and a box.

You'll need to ingratiate yourself with Security personnel; otherwise your shift as lawyer will likely be fruitless and painful. You have virtually no physical power, but you can accumulate social power. Greet them when you first see them, use titles like "officer" when referring to them, say please and thank you, and generally try to roleplay a friendly fellow crew member. Don't let your speech imply authority, though. Make it clear that your function is to uphold justice, the welfare of your clients, and the good of the station. Do not abuse your security headset or sec will at the least take it away or at the worst brig you for it and take it away.

As a lawyer it is advised you not attack Security personnel at all, even when they deserve it (fleeing is acceptable). If you're having trouble, seek the HoS's, HoP's, or Captain's help, as appropriate.

Justice for None

I would like to announce that I believe my client to be a DISGUSTING TRAITOR, and I resent the fact that I've been given the task of defending him. You should probably just toss him out of the airlock or something, I rest my case sir.

As a traitor, you have closer ties to security than anyone else. Officers may be in the brig alone, and make themselves vulnerable to attack; reducing the number of officers may help even when they aren't your target. Your briefcase can fit the contents of a toolbox in it, but is considerably less suspicious than carrying a toolbox around. It is not difficult to stuff it with handcuffs and flashbangs if you can acquire them from Security storage. You can also hear security radio, which gives you a lot of intel.

As a lawyer, you have access to the evidence room. If, heaven forbid, critical evidence were to somehow go missing prior to an important trial, it would be quite an embarrassment to security. Not to mention, there are all sorts of toys that end up there that might be of interest to someone with an appetite for theft or murder.

In chaotic times, members of security are known to leave cuffs, armour, weapons and other equipment scattered across the floor of the brig before they rush out to deal with an emergency. They assume that if it is in the brig it is safe. Well, you or clients might have use for those items. Take them when nobody is looking, stash them in your office or anywhere else but on your person, and if asked say you don't know what happened to them.

It is perfectly acceptable, and common practice, to ask to speak with your client alone in the interview room. It is also quite common that you, your client and the warden will be the only people in the brig. Now, if you happen to be...particularly sympathetic to enemies of Nanotrasen, this affords you an exceptional opportunity to assist an ally, ambush and neutralize the warden, and obtain an ID that gives you and your friend access to the armoury.

Lawyers are expected to carry pens. You can put one in your PDA, suit jacket, belt, pocket or briefcase. Nobody will bat an eye or investigate if you have a paralysis pen. Lawyers are also expected to always have a case with them; take advantage of this stereotype and find a secure case in maint. Now you can hide all your devilish gear and nobody will be able to snatch it out when they slip you. Remember to use a screwdriver, then multi-tool to reset and set the code.

Have an assassination objective? Frame your target, offer them your services as a lawyer, and act completely incompetent, "accidentally" incriminating your client and proving the prosecution's points. If you do an exceptional job, your target may end up with the death penalty, but even if that doesn't work, getting them brigged gives you an opportunity to take them out.

As a Revolutionary, you have access to sec, with the possibility of dragging away revolutionaries. You can also use a screwdriver, and give your headset encryption to Rev Heads, helping them listen to security radio, which gives a lot of intel during a revolution. Be careful though because, due to your access, you'll quickly end up being implanted if you're not fast.

If you find yourself dumbfounded by the fact that nobody respects your position, nobody cares nor wants to organize trials, and you're completely ignored by your target, you're always free to change your job at the HoP line. However HoPs rarely, if ever, check your headset for the Sec Encryption Key, so you can be a traitor Engineer or Assistant and gain the advantage over sec that most traitors do not have.

Tips

• Items that may prove useful to you, but aren't available straight away are:
  • Sunglasses: These will protect you from flashers in the brig. The warden has two pairs of non-security HUD sunglasses in his office, and it is common practice to distribute them to lawyers. Ask politely. If denied, try politely persisting. If denied, the excuse will usually be that security is not setting up flashers. Point out that the cell flashers can still get you if you stand near. If they still say 'no', don't push it; this is not worth getting your access revoked over.
  • Security HUD glasses: These will be much harder to convince sec to give you. Don't push it, but if you happen to meet a particularly accommodating Warden or HoS, take them up on it. These will help you identify people who are set to arrest and assist them before they are even detained.
  • Camera: Will help you document abuses of suspects. Some librarians have no interest in journalism; try asking them for theirs or see the Gift Shop.
  • Medical kits: Prisoners are often detained, battered and not provided access to healthcare. Try to get your hands on a medkit to help them out.
  • Books: It doesn't hurt to entertain prisoners if they and you have nothing else to do and you are not busy.