Official:Space Law
Note: This page is moderated and can be referenced in ooc issues, such as ban appeals, complaints, reports, etc. This may not apply to the pages this page links to. |
Note: Unlike TGstation, yogstation has adopted space law as a part of their rules.
Space Law is a collection of rules and regulations enacted by Nanotrasen which has oversight through CentCom and is enforced by the Security Force of the station. Space Law applies to all ranks and positions on the station, from the lowliest Assistant to the highest Captain, all are equal under the eyes of the Law and ultimately answer to her.
Crime Codes Quick Reference
Use this to quickly find the Crime Code Numbers.
Crime codes are made up of Category Codes (_xx), which are a collection of similar crimes on a line for ease of use, prefixed by the Severity Number (X__).
In the case of crimes in the same crime code category, take only the most severe (eg: Indecent Exposure and Rioting - Rioting).
Interpretation of the Law
Good working knowledge of Space Law is important for any person on the station. It can be the difference between a shiny pair of handcuffs and sipping Gargle Blasters in the bar. More in-depth interpretations of space law are required for such positions as the Lawyer, Warden, HoP, and the HoS. While it is unlikely that the officers will listen particularly closely to your protestations, it may be enough to lighten your sentence and avoid ill-treatment by security.
For certain crimes, the accused's intent is important. Some crimes can be difficult to tell between, such as Assault and Attempted Murder. It is important to note though, that Assault and Attempted Murder are mutually exclusive. You cannot be charged with Assault and Attempted Murder from the same crime as the intent of each is different. Likewise, 'Assault With a Deadly Weapon' and 'Assaulting an Officer' are also crimes that exclude others.
- When in doubt, you should default to the less serious crime.
- Pay careful attention to the requirements of each law and select the one that best fits the crime when deciding sentence.
- In the case of crimes in the same crime code category, take only the most severe (eg: Indecent Exposure and Rioting - Rioting).
- A single incident has a single sentence. If the prisoner took three items off of someone, this is a single count of pick-pocketing. If they pick-pocketed two people this would be two separate counts of pick-pocketing, and so on.
- Aiding a criminal makes you an accomplice; you can be charged with the same crime as the person you aided.
Brig Procedures
Standard Operational Procedures for brigging are as follows:
- Take the prisoner to the brig and inform the Warden of their crimes so their Security Record may be updated.
- Take the prisoner to a brig cell, set the time and activate the timer.
- Enter the cell with the prisoner in tow, open the cell locker and hold the prisoner over it.
- Empty their pockets and remove their gloves, backpacks, tool belt, gas masks, and any flash resistant equipment such as Sunglasses, Welding Masks/Goggles, Space Helmets, etc. Make sure the prisoner is clothed once you have completed this step.
- Buckle the prisoner to the bed.
- Search the items removed and be sure to check the internals box in their backpack.
- Confiscate any contraband and/or stolen items, as well as any tools that may be used for future crimes.
These are to be placed in evidence, not left on the brig floor or your personal use, until they can be returned to their rightful owners. - Close the locker and lock it.
- Stun the prisoner, remove their cuffs, stun them again, pick up the cuffs then leave the cell.
- Modify their brig sentence for additional offenses or good behavior, if applicable.
Do NOT fully strip the prisoner unless they have earned a permanent sentence.
In the event of a sentence exceeding the 10 minute limit of the timer inform the Warden so he may add the rest of the time later.
In the instance of prisoners that have earned Labor Camp duty, you must dress them in orange overalls and assign them targets, based on their sentence, by getting a prison ID, putting it in a Prisoner Management Console, assigning their quota and then giving them the ID as you ship them to the Labor Camp. There are more details on this procedure at Labor Camp.**
NOTE: If you plan on using the gulag for several incidences [meaning the floors are already mined so people can't mine the floors for glass], you should use a lower conversion rate.
The Warden or Head of Security are responsible for placing prisoners and in permanent confinement.
- Permanent Prisoners are to be completely stripped of their belongings, which are to be held in either evidence or a prison locker.
- The prisoner is to be dressed in an Orange Prison Jumpsuit and Shoes, which are found in the prison lockers.
- Permanent Prisoners are not permitted to possess any personal belongings whilst they are incarcerated in the Prison Wing.
- The Labor Camp can also be used to hold Permanent Prisoners. Simply do not issue a prisoner ID when transferring them to the camp.
Fines Within Space Law
- Prisoners are permitted to request paying a fine to pay off part or all of their sentence, however, you are under no obligation to agree to this. Capital crimes may not be paid off.
- Fines are not to be kept for personal use, they must be deposited and the sentence time adjusted appropriately. Failure to do so may result in you being charged with embezzlement.
- In the case of fines, the warden is your superior. If they find a fine amount too lenient or severe you must adjust it as requested before the fine can be processed.
You may choose an alternative amount to charge, the following are just guidelines:
One Minute Crimes(1XX)
$50 fine per offense
Immediate release
Three Minute Crimes(2XX)
$100 fine per offense
Reduces sentence by 2 minutes
Five Minute Crimes(3XX)
$150 fine per offense
Reduces sentence by 2 minutes
Seven Minute Crimes(4XX)
$200 fine per offense
Reduces sentence by 2 minutes
Ten Minute Crimes(5XX)
$300 fine per offense
Reduces sentence by 3 minutes
What to do with fine money
- Command staff should hand the money to a member of security.
- Security officers should hand the money to the warden or the HOS.
- The warden has a paystand available to use in their office, fines are to be deposited into this.
Legal Representation and Trials
Prisoners are permitted to seek legal representation however you are under no obligation to provide or allow this.
Lawyers, and by extension the Head of Personnel, exist to serve as a guiding hand and the voice of reason within the judicial process, however, they have zero authority over the brig, security personnel, prisoners, or sentencing.
The Lawyer's security headset is a privilege, not a right. Security personnel are under no requirement to listen to them and security channel abuse is to result in that privilege being revoked.
If the lawyer continuously acts as a disruptive influence Security are fully permitted to confiscate their access, remove them from the brig and bar their future access to it.
- In instances where a conflict of opinion arises over the sentence of a prisoner the chain of command must be followed. This goes, from top to bottom: Captain > Head of Security > Warden > Sec Officer / Detective.
- Trials are not to be performed for Timed Sentences.
- Trials may be performed for Capital Crimes and Permanent Detention, however, there is no requirement to hold them. Forensic Evidence, Witness Testimony, or Confessions are all that is required for the Head of Security, Warden or Captain to authorize their sentence.
- In cases where the Death Penalty is desired but the Captain or Acting-Captain is unable or unwilling to authorize the execution a trial is required to authorize the death penalty.
Use of Deadly Force
As a member of the station Security force, you are one of the best armed and protected people on the station, equipped with the almost latest in non-lethal takedown technology.
It is for this reason that the situations that warrant the use of Deadly Force are few and far between, in the grand majority of circumstances you will be expected to use your stun weapons, which indeed are many times more effective than lethal options, to diffuse a situation.
There are a few circumstances where deadly force is permissible:
- Code Red Situation - situations which would warrant a Code Red, such as full-blown mutinies, hostile boarding parties, and Space Wizards automatically authorize lethal force.
Note: The Alert Status is not required to be elevated to Code Red as in most of these scenarios the Chain of Command will be too damaged or otherwise occupied to raise the Alert Level. - Non-Lethal Weapons Ineffective - certain targets are impervious to NLWs, such as Mechs, Xenomorphs, Borgs, and Hulks. Lethal force may be used against these targets if they prove hostile.
- Severe Personal Risk - sometimes getting close enough to a target to slap the cuffs on will create a significant personal risk to the Officer. Deadly force from range is recommended to subdue Wizards and Changelings.
- Criminals in hostile environments such as space, fire, or plasma leaks also fall into this category, as do criminals believed to be in possession of high explosives. Ranged lethal force is the only reasonable option in these conditions.
- Armed and Dangerous - if a suspect is in possession of weapons, including stun weapons, and you have reasonable suspicion that they will use these against you, lethal force is permitted. Although in the majority of cases it is still preferable to attempt to detain them non-lethally.
- Unauthorized personnel in the armory are considered by default to be Armed and Dangerous, maximum force is permitted to subdue such targets.
- Multiple Hostiles - it can be extremely difficult to detain multiple hostiles. As a last resort if you are being mobbed you may deploy your baton in a harmful manner to thin the crowd. Generally, it is better to retreat and regroup than stand your ground.
Additionally, in the event of an attempted prison break, Security may fire lasers through the glass. They are expected to first fire a few warning shots before unloading their weapon into the target.
Executions within Space Law
One of the below conditions must be met before seeking approval from the Captain or a Trial for execution.
- The criminal is a danger to other prisoners, including attempting to or successfully murdering other prisoners in the permanent brig or labor camp.
- The criminal poses a reasonable ability and desire to escape the permanent brig or labor camp unassisted and cannot be cyborgized.
- The criminal cannot be safely sent to the permanent brig, the labor camp, or to be cyborgized.
- The criminal gives written consent to be executed.
Remember: Executions cannot be performed with just the Captain's order or a Trial, they must meet one of the other criteria above as well.
An exception to the above criteria would be if the Use of Deadly Force is permissible by the Use of Deadly Force clause stated previously.
The Detective
- The detective cannot arrest criminals unless a lack of security personnel or an emergency forces them to.
- The detective is expected to use weapons for self-defense only unless permitted by appropriate authority or an emergency forces them to. This includes their revolver.
What counts as an "emergency" for the detective?
- When anyone's life is in danger.
- When someone is committing a capital crime.
- When someone is breaking into a restricted area.
Petty Crimes
All of these crimes carry a 1 minute sentence.
Minor Crimes
All of these crimes carry a 3 minute sentence or a 200 point target at the Labor Camp.
Code | Crime | Description | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|
201 | Assault | To use physical force against someone without the apparent intent to kill them. | Depending on the amount and kind of force used, severe instances should be elevated to attempted manslaughter or even murder. Assaults with deadly weapons are a higher crime. | |
203 | Narcotics Distribution | To distribute narcotics and other controlled substances. | Forcing or tricking someone to consume substances such as space drugs is assault. This law also applies to those who distribute alcohol to persons under 21 years of age. | |
204 | Possession of a Weapon | To be in possession of a dangerous item that is not part of their job role. | Items capable of a high level of damage, such as saws, axes, and hatchets fit into this category. Do remember that if it is an item that is part of their job they are permitted to carry it. | |
205 | Possession, Contraband | To be in possession of illegal or prohibited goods. | A comprehensive list of these items can be found here: Contraband. | |
207 | Destructive Vandalism | To deliberately damage the station without malicious intent. | Sentence depends on quantity of property damaged. |
Moderate Crimes
All of these crimes carry a 5 minute sentence or a 500 point target at the Labor Camp.
Major Crimes
All of these crimes carry a 7 minute sentence or a 600 point target at the Labor Camp.
Severe Crimes
All of these crimes carry a 10 minute sentence or an 800 point target at the Labor Camp.
Capital Crimes
These crimes can result in Execution, Permanent Prison Time, Permanent Labor Camp Time, or Cyborgization.
Only the Captain, HoS, and Warden can authorize a Permanent Sentence.
Only the Captain can authorize an Execution or Forced Cyborgization.
Modifiers & Special Situations
Situation | Description | Modification |
---|---|---|
Re-education |
Getting de-converted from revolutionary or cultist. | Immediate release. |
Self Defense | Self Defense is defined as "The protection of oneself, the protection of thy colleagues, and the protection of thine workplace". Do note however that persons intentionally getting involved in fights which occur in a department that isn't theirs is an act of vigilantism, this is not permitted. |
Immediate release. |
Cooperation with prosecution or security |
Being helpful to the members of security, revealing things during questioning or providing names of head revolutionaries. | -25% to sentence time. In the case of revealing a head revolutionary: Immediate release. |
Surrender | Coming to the brig, confessing what you've done and taking the punishment. Getting arrested without putting a fuss is not surrender. For this, you have to come to the brig yourself. | -25% to sentence time, and should be taken into account when the choice between life in a secure cell, execution, and cyborgization is made. |
Immediate threat to the prisoner |
The singularity eats something near the brig, an explosion goes off, etc. | Officer must relocate the prisoner(s) to a safe location; otherwise, immediate release. |
Medical reasons | Prisoners are entitled to medical attention if sick or injured. | Medical personnel can be called, or the prisoner can be escorted to the Medbay. The timer continues to run during this time. |
Sparking a Manhunt | In addition to Resisting Arrest, a prisoner that must be chased for at least 2 minutes after an arrest is attempted can have their sentence increased. | 1 minute added to their sentence for every 2 minutes the chase lasted. |
Repeat Offender | If a convict reoffends after being released they may receive a harsher punishment. Depending on the severity of the crimes committed after the third, or even second, strike their sentence may be increased to Permanent Imprisonment. | Additional brig time. |
Escape from Brig | If a prisoner flees confinement for any reason other than to escape impending lethal danger (fire, hull breach, murder), reset their timer to their full original punishment. | Reset timer. |
Aiding and Abetting | Knowingly assisting a criminal is a crime. This includes but is not limited to: Interfering with an arrest, stealing a prisoner in transit, breaking a prisoner out of the brig/prison, hiding a fugitive, providing medical care (unless paired with a large dose of sleep toxins). | The same sentence as the original criminal. |
Paying a Fine | Paying money to the arresting officer or their superior. | Reduction to sentence time. See "Fines within Space Law" for further details. |