Legal SOP

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Legal Operating Parameters:

This SOP is meant to guide crew members in the procedures of how to perform a proper legal trial. Violations of this SOP should be taken up with the IAA or Magistrate first and then with CentComm afterwards if need be. This SOP is intended only for Green alert levels. All crew members are granted the privilege of a fair and speedy trial.

General Trial Guidelines:

Should a crew member request a trial, they are to be granted one so long as at least an IAA or Magistrate are available. If neither are available then the Captain or Head of Security is to stand in as the legal representative to the best of their ability.

Only Permanent/Capital sentences may be taken to trial, anything else is a civil matter and will be detailed below.

Outside of extraordinary circumstances, a trial must be held only during Green alert to ensure all parties may attend at full readiness.

For a trial to be fully legal under CentComm guidelines it must include the following

• Both defendant and plaintiff may choose the legal representative of their choice. Be this an IAA or a member of crew.
• Before the trial, all evidence must be shared between defending and complaining parties for examination. Surprise evidence is strictly prohibited. This evidence sharing is henceforth the Discovery Period.
• Once the trial begins, it must be expedient, taking no longer than ten minutes at the most.

Trial Proceedings Guidelines:

Within reason a trial must follow these following steps for proper trial and if need be sentencing. Please be aware that not all cases are the same and that in some situations you may need to question more witnesses or go over more evidence than the suggested. Eye witness testimony alone cannot be enough to sentence a defendant but may help a case in which physical evidence

1. The plaintiff states their case and sums up their story to the best of their ability.
2. The defendant states their case in the same manner.
3. Both the plaintiff and defendants legal representatives are able to call up at least one witness and call one piece of evidence into question.
4. The Magistrate (or legal stand in for the Magistrate) are to then deliver what they believe to be correct sentencing.

Sentencing Guidelines:

Not every trial has to be a grand affair where a traitor to NT is being charged and sentence to death. Any member of the crew may request a trial for any reason and it is upon the Magistrate to oversee such trials fairly.

• The punishment must fit the crime. Sentencing a defendant to death over robbery is a heinous offence.
• In the case of suing over lost or damaged goods, should the trial end in the favor of the plaintiff then the defendant must pay the market price in Credits to the plaintiff on the Magistrate's discretion.
• The outcome of a trial is final. If a defendant wins their case and then new evidence comes to light, they may not be charged a second time. The onus is on the plaintiff party to ensure proper evidence is presented during the discovery period.

In the extreme example of a case going to court for a capital crime, the evidence and testimonies must be iron clad. If there is any reasonable doubt on part of the Magistrate, then an execution order may not be given and the defendant instead sentenced to permanent confinement.

Death Sentence:

Should the sentence for a capital crime be decided as a death sentence, the defendant is legally allowed to choose the manner of their execution. Located below are a few Humane options but the defendant is allowed to choose another so long as it is within the ability of the station to provide such a Humane death.

Approved forms of death are as follows;

The Long Sleep: Insertion into a Medical Cryopod. They will fall asleep and eventually freeze to death.

Firing Squad: A minimum of four Officers or appropriate Command staff will arm themselves with Ballistic weapons loaded with HP and fire upon the target simultaneously until their guns are empty.

Die by the Sword: Execution via Captains sabre, alternatively and if the Captain is sporting the person may be granted a knife and fight for the right to live against the Captains sword. Should they win they will serve the rest of the shift under Perma.

Civil Suits:

Any member of the crew may approach the Magistrate in order seek a civil suit in regards to anything from;

• Lost or Damaged Goods
• Restraining Order
• Harassment Charges
• Others upon advice sought by the IAA on the matter of the suit.

The Magistrate or legal stand-in may refuse any civil suit that appears frivolous.

Contempt of Court:

While reporters are to be allowed permission to film the trial, the trial itself should not be delayed so that crew may come witness it. You may announce the beginning of the trial over Common radio for those interested to come witness.

Unruly crew who attempt to interrupt are to be removed by Security for disturbance.

An attack on the trial whether successful or not is to be treated as an act of Terrorism and charged as such.

The Magistrates discretion is final on whether a trial is to be held or not directly dependent on whether they believe a fair and speedy trial can be held without disturbance or threat to life.