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Guide to trials: Difference between revisions
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{ | {{Template:Important | ||
| | |Title=This page is merely an [[IC]] roleplay suggestion. | ||
|Note=You can refer to this as a framework when you need to perform a trial. | |||
}} | |||
The right to a fair trial is one of humanity's basic rights. Unfortunately we're in space, where basic rights are more like basic suggestions. In [[Space Law]], a trial is only required for capital punishments the Captain or Acting-Captain will not or cannot authorise. In the courtroom, all are equal, and all are subject to justice. | The right to a fair trial is one of humanity's basic rights. Unfortunately we're in space, where basic rights are more like basic suggestions. In [[Space Law]], a trial is only required for capital punishments the Captain or Acting-Captain will not or cannot authorise. In the courtroom, all are equal, and all are subject to justice. | ||
This guide is not an absolute set of instructions. Trials are ultimately an opportunity to enhance your roleplaying experience and yell '''OBJECTION!''' in a legitimate situation. | '''This guide is not an absolute set of instructions.''' Some truly amazing roleplaying scenarios have come forth from trials that would violate pretty much every rule on proceedings in a realistic setting. Trials are ultimately an opportunity to enhance your roleplaying experience and yell '''OBJECTION!''' in a legitimate situation. | ||
[[File:Courtroom.png|300px|thumb|alt=Forensics|[[Courtroom|The Courtroom]], where most trials are conducted. | [[File:Courtroom.png|300px|thumb|alt=Forensics|[[Courtroom|The Courtroom]], where most trials are conducted. Green is the Defense, Red the Prosecution and Blue the Judge. The yellow square is the Witness Stand; the glass box can also be used to hold Witnesses if you want to keep them further away from the crowd and Defendant.]]<br> | ||
== The difference between Criminal and Civil Law == | == The difference between Criminal and Civil Law == | ||
| Line 13: | Line 14: | ||
'''Criminal Law:''' Everything that is explicitly against [[Space Law]]. These cases are prepared for entirely in-house by the Security and Command departments, and typically involve crimes against the crew, the station or [[Nanotrasen]] itself. | '''Criminal Law:''' Everything that is explicitly against [[Space Law]]. These cases are prepared for entirely in-house by the Security and Command departments, and typically involve crimes against the crew, the station or [[Nanotrasen]] itself. | ||
'''Civil Law:''' Everything not covered explicitly by Space Law, or that is simply not high profile enough for Security. For example, if the [[Clown]]'s bike horn is stolen by the [[Janitor]], the Clown can try to sue the Janitor. If the [[Librarian]] is spreading slander about the [[Quartermaster]], they may get sued over that by the QM. These cases are prepared for by the [[ | '''Civil Law:''' Everything not covered explicitly by Space Law, or that is simply not high profile enough for Security. For example, if the [[Clown]]'s bike horn is stolen by the [[Janitor]], the Clown can try to sue the Janitor. If the [[Librarian]] is spreading slander about the [[Quartermaster]], they may get sued over that by the QM. These cases are prepared for by the [[Law Office]], maybe with a bit of help from the [[Detective]]. | ||
== Roles in the Court Room == | == Roles in the Court Room == | ||
{| width='825px' style='text-align:center;' border=1 cellspacing=0 | {| width='825px' style='text-align:center;' border=1 cellspacing=0 | ||
! style='background-color:# | ! style='background-color:#bbbbbb;' | Role | ||
! style='background-color:# | ! style='background-color:#bbbbbb;' | Side | ||
! style='background-color:# | ! style='background-color:#bbbbbb;' | Description | ||
! style='background-color:# | ! style='background-color:#bbbbbb;' | Notes | ||
|- | |- | ||
| style='background-color:# | | style='background-color:#90b1FF;' | '''Judge''' | ||
| style='background-color:# | | style='background-color:#90b1FF;' | Impartial | ||
| style='background-color:# | | style='background-color:#90b1FF;' | Leader of the proceedings. In trials without a Jury, this is the person who gives the verdict. | ||
| style='background-color:# | | style='background-color:#90b1FF;' | This will usually be the Captain or Head of Personnel for Criminal Law, since the Head of Security is per definition involved in those cases. If the case is Civil Law and the HoS is uninvolved, they may act as Judge too. | ||
|- | |- | ||
| style='background-color:# | | style='background-color:#90b1FF;' | '''Jury''' | ||
| style='background-color:# | | style='background-color:#90b1FF;' | Impartial | ||
| style='background-color:# | | style='background-color:#90b1FF;' | In trials with a Jury, they give the verdict instead of the Judge. The Jurors discuss the case among each other and vote for a verdict. Until this vote is unanimous, the verdict cannot be handed down. | ||
| style='background-color:# | | style='background-color:#90b1FF;' | Any random crewmember can get picked as a Juror, but they have to be impartial and unrelated to the case. | ||
|- | |- | ||
| style='background-color:# | | style='background-color:#9FFFBF;' | '''Defendant''' | ||
| style='background-color:# | | style='background-color:#9FFFBF;' | Defence | ||
| style='background-color:# | | style='background-color:#9FFFBF;' | The person on trial. | ||
| style='background-color:# | | style='background-color:#9FFFBF;' | The Defendant may chose to defend themselves, and can be summoned as a Witness, but not at the same time. On rare occasions, a trial can have more than one Defendant, for instance if an entire cult has been arrested at once. | ||
|- | |- | ||
| style='background-color:# | | style='background-color:#9FFFBF;' | '''Defence Attorney''' | ||
| style='background-color:# | | style='background-color:#9FFFBF;' | Defence | ||
| style='background-color:# | | style='background-color:#9FFFBF;' | The attorney in charge of the Defence, tasked with getting a Not Guilty verdict, or at the very least the smallest possible punishment (such as permabrig instead of execution). | ||
| style='background-color:# | | style='background-color:#9FFFBF;' | This will usually be a [[Lawyer]], but the Defendant can also choose to defend themselves. The Defence Attorney must be devoted to Defence, and can therefore not be someone who benefits from a Guilty verdict. | ||
|- | |- | ||
| style='background-color:# | | style='background-color:#FF9391;' | '''Prosecutor''' | ||
| style='background-color:# | | style='background-color:#FF9391;' | Prosecution | ||
| style='background-color:# | | style='background-color:#FF9391;' | The attorney in charge of the Prosecution, tasked with getting a Guilty verdict. | ||
| style='background-color:# | | style='background-color:#FF9391;' | In Criminal Law, this will usually be the person in charge of the prosecution, such as the HoS or the Detective, but it can also be a Lawyer. In Civil Law this will almost always be the Lawyer representing the accuser. | ||
|- | |- | ||
| style='background-color:# | | style='background-color:#FFFB86;' | '''Witnesses''' | ||
| style='background-color:# | | style='background-color:#FFFB86;' | Any | ||
| style='background-color:# | | style='background-color:#FFFB86;' | A person or people summoned to the witness stand for questioning and delivery of testimony. Both attorneys can summon witnesses. | ||
| style='background-color:# | | style='background-color:#FFFB86;' | Any person involved in the case can be called to the stand, including the Defendant (but only if the Defence approves and if the Defendant is not defending themselves). This may even include the [[AI]] if you use the holopad. This naturally excludes the attorneys and the Judge. | ||
|- | |- | ||
| '''Bailiff''' | | '''Bailiff''' | ||
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'''Conflict of Interests:''' If the Judge or a member of the Jury is directly involved in the case, they may be incapable of delivering an impartial verdict. If the Prosecutor has something to gain with a Not Guilty verdict, or the Defence Attorney with a Guilty verdict, they are incapable of carrying out their assigned job. | '''Conflict of Interests:''' If the Judge or a member of the Jury is directly involved in the case, they may be incapable of delivering an impartial verdict. If the Prosecutor has something to gain with a Not Guilty verdict, or the Defence Attorney with a Guilty verdict, they are incapable of carrying out their assigned job. | ||
'''Hung Jury:''' If the Jury fails to reach a verdict even after a reasonable amount of time, the trial might go on indefinitely. | '''Hung Jury:''' No, not that kind of hung. If the Jury fails to reach a verdict even after a reasonable amount of time, the trial might go on indefinitely. | ||
'''Tampering:''' If external influence has been exercised on the Judge or the Jury, for instance bribery or extortion, they will lose their impartiality. | '''Tampering:''' If external influence has been exercised on the Judge or the Jury, for instance bribery or extortion, they will lose their impartiality. Murder falls under Absence. | ||
'''Misconduct:''' If someone present in the Court Room behaves in such a way that it prevents due process, the trial cannot proceed normally. | '''Misconduct:''' If someone present in the Court Room behaves in such a way that it prevents due process, the trial cannot proceed normally. For example when the courtroom suddenly explodes. | ||
'''Absence:''' If one or more people vital to the proceedings are missing, such as either attorney or a Judge, the trial cannot proceed normally. | '''Absence:''' If one or more people vital to the proceedings are missing, such as either attorney or a Judge, the trial cannot proceed normally. It might be a good idea to double-check the crew monitor and morgue. | ||
== Double Jeopardy == | == Double Jeopardy == | ||
'''You cannot be prosecuted twice for the same crime.''' This is called ''double jeopardy'', and it is an important principle in the legal world. Although it means that in theory, once you've been found not guilty for a crime you can never be tried for it again, in practice you can be retried if new evidence surfaced since the verdict that sheds new light on the case. The reverse holds too; if you were found guilty of a crime, but new evidence may prove your innocence, you can also get retried... Unless you've been executed and turned into burgers, of course. | '''You cannot be prosecuted twice for the same crime.''' This is called ''double jeopardy'', and it is an important principle in the legal world. Although it means that in theory, once you've been found not guilty for a crime you can never be tried for it again, in practice you can be retried if new evidence surfaced since the verdict that sheds new light on the case. The reverse holds too; if you were found guilty of a crime, but new evidence may prove your innocence, you can also get retried... Unless you've been executed and turned into burgers, of course. | ||
[[Category:Guides]] | [[Category:Guides]] | ||