Corporate Regulations
Corporate Regulations is the name for the current regulations in effect on the station at any given time. It also provides common and uncommon offenses and suggested punishments for them.
This handbook is not a general guide to Security. All new officers should review the official Guide to Security.
The following are all sentences you can apply to prisoners during your work as a member of Security.
It's important to remember that while the regulations on their own are mostly a suggestion, you are expected to follow them as a guideline. For example, you are not required to give a sentence if the problem can be resolved in alternative way that the suspect agrees to, such as community service, or peer mediation.
To understand how to go about a proper arrest, or other clarifications such a Prisoner Rights, Alert Levels, and more, see Standard Operating Procedure. Note that Standard Operating Procedure (SoP) is not enforced by threat of arrest or fine, so security should not be enforcing it. It is up to heads of staff and Internal Affairs to handle these policies.
Interpretation of the Law
A good working knowledge of Corporate Regulations is important for any person on the station. It can be the difference between a shiny pair of handcuffs and sipping drinks in the bar. More in-depth interpretations of Corporate Regulations are required for such positions as the Warden, Head of Personnel, Colony Director, and the Head of Security.
For certain crimes, the accused party's intent is important. The difference between 'assault' and 'attempted murder' can be very hard to ascertain. 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. Pay careful attention to the requirements of each law and select the one that best fits the crime when deciding sentence.
If the crime has a victim involved who chooses not to press charges specific to them, security may not decide to press charges anyway. It doesn't matter why. If someone punches someone else, security can still arrest the assailant, but if the victim decides they would rather talk it out instead of them getting jail time, then security should let them do it. Arresting them anyway falls under wrongful arrest. Note, the victim must choose this option. A murder victim cannot voice their choice and therefore cannot choose to drop charges.
This does not mean a victim can excuse all crimes committed by the assailant, only the crimes committed directly against them. Security can still charge the assailant for crimes that, while may have happened at the same time as crimes committed against the victim, did not directly involve the victim. This includes crimes against other people and to property belonging to the base/station/etc. The victim cannot speak on behalf of these entities.
A victim's clone also cannot legally drop charges against a criminal. Legally a clone is not the same person. They are instead considered a new person or entity that did not experience the same crime as the original entity.
In the case of violent crimes (assault, manslaughter, attempted murder and murder), and theft (petty, pickpocketing, and high value) take only the most severe.
A single incident has a single sentence, so if, for instance, the prisoner took 3 items off someone, this is a single count of pickpocketing.
Keep in mind that people that cause major mayhem (and potentially any other criminals) have probably committed more than one crime. Add the time for each case together.
Aiding a criminal makes you an accomplice; you can be charged with the same crime as the person you aided.
As an arresting officer, follow the Guide to Security to ensure you don't fall foul of legal proceedings.
Some crimes may have a fine tied to them, in this case, the detained person may either serve the sentence given to them, or pay a fine. Fines can be processed using an EFTPOS scanner or by paying cash from an ATM. Do note, however, that your Head of Security will most likely need to set up an EFTPOS scanner for you, as they need to be configured to place fines into the station security account. Otherwise, turn the cash in to a Warden for safe keeping, or directly to the the Head of Security who can add it to the security account.
Additional
The Colony Director is not above Corporate Regulations, and can be arrested by Security for breaking it. The only time that the Corporate Regulations can be overridden is when there is an imminent and overwhelming threat to the station, such as during Code Delta evacuations.
Pardons are only legitimate if they come from a NanoTrasen higher-up (that is, someone who ranks above the Colony Director). Despite his high ranking, the Colony Director cannot spit in the face of Corporate Regulations, and any attempts to do so are infractions.
If you can't find the incident listed in here you can set up a tribunal. See Legal Standard Operating Procedure.
Tribunals should be held in place of hearings or trials. Trials by jury or 'regular' trials are usually done very badly, so don't. See Legal Standard Operating Procedure.
Do NOT demand a tribunal for anything less than 10 minutes. You'll just be laughed at.
The time you took for bringing the suspect in and the time you spend questioning are NOT to be calculated into this. This is the pure time someone spends in a cell staring at the wall.
You should apply the suggested sentence unless the Head of Security or Colony Director demands otherwise, or the arrested individual has been a continual problem during the shift.
If a sentence is 20 minutes or longer, allow the prisoner access to the communal jail area and not confine them to the cell except in cases of suicide attempts or if their "cell" happens to be the interior of the arresting officer.
If further criminal acts are made while imprisoned (such as assaulting another prisoner or breaking windows), the prisoner is to be moved to solitary confinement with charges added to their sentence.
If prison time for a single holding accumulates to more than 90 minutes, hold the prisoner until judgement by a tribunal.
((On laggy games first take a look at how quickly the cell timers tick. We don't want people to spend an eternity in jail just for stealing a pair of gloves.))
Low Level Infractions
These infractions carry standard punishments of up to around 10 minutes, and can be set with an officer's discretion. 'Suggested Sentence' values are beside the incidents. 'Additional Penalties' can be decided by authorization of Colony Director, Head of Security, or equivalent (if no HoS or Director are present, then a vote of heads of staff is sufficient. Failing that, the warden. Otherwise, contact Central Command), and do not require tribunals. At the officer's discretion, they may offer community service in place of the sentences below. If they pay the fine or carry out community service, no jail time is to be given.
| No. | Incident | Description | Notes | Suggested Sentence | Additional Penalties | Fine |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| §101 | Trespassing | To be in an area which a person does not have access to, without permission from those who do have access. Public spaces, such as a lobby, under the control of a specific department are subject to this should the department staff find you have no reason to be there at all or you are disrupting the regular service of that department, and ask you to leave. This includes the Bar, Library, and Chapel. | Remember that people can either break in, sneak in, or be let in. Always check that the suspect wasn't let in to do a job by someone with access, or were given access on their ID. Trespassing and theft often committed together; both sentences should be applied. Severity is increased if they refuse to leave the area peacefully, more so if they attempt to use important equipment there, so feel free to add other charges if they do. | 3 minutes. | Up to 10 minutes. Demotion. | 200 credits. |
| §102 | Petty Theft | To take items from areas one does not have access to, or to take items belonging to others or the station as a whole. | Keeping items which are in short supply where they belong is what is important here. A doctor who takes all the surgical tools and hides them still commits theft, even though he had access. Miners walking around the station in hardsuits while off-duty also qualifies as theft. Items can include anything from toolboxes to metal to insulated gloves. Remember to take the items away from the suspect and return them to where they were stolen from. | 3 minutes. Confiscation and return of stolen item(s). Immediate search. | Up to 10 minutes. Demotion. | 150 credits. Confiscation and return of stolen item(s). Immediate search. |
| §103 | Minor Assault | To use, or threaten, physical force against someone, without intent to kill or seriously injure. | If it causes minor damage and easily treatable damage, it's minor assault. Starting fights with other employees or punching fellow employees counts too, as well as seriously threatening them with it. | 4 minutes. | Up to 10 minutes. Demotion. | 400 credits. |
| §104 | Battery | To have unwanted physical contact with someone, even where the contact is not violent. | Bumping into someone in a corridor doesn't really count. Touching someone, when they have explicitly told you not to, does. | 2 minutes. | Up to 8 minutes. Demotion. | 200 credits. |
| §105 | Disturbing the Peace | Intentionally and publicly engaging in erotic acts, yelling at people for no reason (though don't arrest someone because they are arguing), throwing around stuff where it could hit someone, harassing a person or department without provocation and following them around / refusing to leave, yelling about how terrible NanoTrasen is, etc. | Running around the station naked (without a nudity permit) while yelling obscenities, openly having sex in a public area while ignoring requests to take it someplace private, or other such degrading displays and activities all count toward this. In the case of drunken crew members, only charge them if they are actually being a nuisance. If absolutely necessary, they can be detained until they sober up. | 5 minutes. | Up to 8 minutes. Demotion. | 250 credits. |
| §106 | Suspicious Conduct | To possess a suspiciously wide skill set, not indicated in employee record, wielding dangerous weapons near other staff, extensive inquiring about critical areas, attempting to conceal identity, or stalking other employees. | Wearing any gear that fully covers your face when you don't need it falls under this. Doing jobs that aren't yours also fall under this. E.g. A xenobiologist working in robotics without the RD's knowing, or a psychiatrist trying to do surgery in place of other perfectly capable doctors. If an individual is working outside their job title without anyone's knowing, the individual may have ulterior motives and should be investigated. ((Basically, metagamey/powergamey behavior. You shouldn't have a shitload of skills if you're a young character or new to the station. It's worth reporting to the Head of Personnel or your Head of Staff if you want to play a character who knows more than they should. )) | 2 minutes. Immediate search. | §10 minutes or indefinite detaining for the duration of an ongoing investigation. Forced psychiatric examination. Tracking implant. | 200 credits. Immediate search. |
| §107 | Misuse of Public Radio Channels | To continually broadcast unimportant, untrue, or insignificant messages on the public radio frequency. | This is really only for people who are constantly spamming the radio, such as 'DJs' or Chaplains reading their services over the comms. Screaming fake messages like "halp security is beating me" when they aren't also counts. | A warning. | 5 minutes or fine. Forced psychiatric examination. Ban from using any radio equipment (Injunction). | 150 credits. |
| §108 | Violation of Injunction | To violate the terms of an injunction made by Security or other legal professions. | Injunctions can be filed for lots of different things, such as a ban on weapons carrying, or the above radio ban. They can be applied by the Head of Security, Colony Director, or equivalent. If they break the law in some other way, apply that sentence too. | 5 minutes. | Up to 10 minutes. | N/A |
| §109 | Insulting an Officer on Duty | To directly insult a Head of Staff or member of Security with no valid complaints. | This is most likely to happen when someone is being fired, or when being arrested. This is really for when they're being extremely annoying and vocal. Being continually rude to your superiors also counts, if they complain. Insults are not the same as slander and should be treated as separate charges depending on which is appropriate. Cussing out an officer would count as this, while claiming they beat up an assistant when they didn't is considered slander. What constitutes an insult may vary with whoever is in charge, so check with your superiors before trying to charge this, or you run the risk of an unwanted visit from Internal Affairs. | A warning. | Up to 5 minutes. | 50 credits per applicable minute. |
| §110 | Slander | To spread false rumors in order to damage someone's reputation. | Lying about anything to make someone else look bad. For example, an engineer trying to pass off the blame of letting the singularity loose to someone else. Since this has to be proven, it's up to a tribunal or appropriate officer. | A warning. | Up to 5 minutes. | 50 credits per applicable minute. |
| §111 | Failure to Execute an Order | To ignore or disregard a superior's valid orders. | If the order is stupid, or causes you to break a law (e.g. "Release the singularity!" or "Steal that RCD for me!") you can ignore it, and probably make a complaint. However, if it's perfectly doable, lawful, and in your job description, you better do it or resign. If not following an order causes severe damage, serious injury, or loss of life, see "Failure to Execute an Order with Serious Consequences". | 5 minutes. | Up to 10 minutes. Demotion. | 500 credits. |
| §112 | Sexual Harassment | To make unwanted sexual advances or obscene remarks towards another employee. | This is for VERY MINOR things the other person finds offensive that are sexually related. For anything more serious see "Sexual Assault". | 5 minutes. | Up to 15 minutes. Demotion. | N/A |
| §113 | Animal Cruelty | To inflict unnecessary suffering or harm upon animals with malicious intent. | Monkeys appropriately used for experiments or crew well-being (e.g Genetics, Virology, etc.) don't count. Shoving them in washing machines, or throwing them through disposals while still alive falls under this. Using them as food is a grey area; cows are generally fine, but pets probably aren't. | 5 minutes. | Up to 15 minutes. Demotion. | N/A |
| §114 | Vandalism | To deliberately damage or deface the station without malicious intent. Damaging robots counts toward this. | This can range from a minor hull breach, to drawing on the floor with crayons or other substances. You can adjust the time accordingly. | 5 minutes. | Up to 10 minutes. Demotion. | 450 credits. |
| §115 | Threat of Murder or Serious Injury | To threaten to kill or seriously injure an employee. | The threat has to somewhat tangible. If it's just people arguing over the radio, it's probably only worth a warning. Someone shouting at someone else while chasing them with a fire extinguisher is probably more valid. | 2 minutes. | Up to 10 minutes. Psychiatric evaluation or tracking implant. | 500 credits. |
| §116 | Disrespect to the Dead | To abuse bodies of dead or previously dead employees. | Examples include, the chef using bodies in the morgue as meat, Security beating on a prisoners corpse, or using someone's body for 'experimental surgery'. Preventing a body from being cloned or cyborged also falls under this. | 5 minutes. | Up to 10 minutes. | 400 credits. |
| §117 | Excessive use of force in detainment | To use more than the required force to subdue a suspect. | Repeatedly batoning a compliant prisoner after they've been handcuffed, using force against an unarmed and compliant suspect, and usage of lethal weapons without there being an imminent danger. Investigations into allegations of excessive use of force may be launched by any head of staff. | 5 minutes. | Up to 20 minutes. Demotion. | 350 credits. |
| §118 | Minor Contraband | To be in possession of contraband, including drugs, that isn't dangerous to other members of the crew. | Having a non-lethal weapon you're not normally allowed without any sort of permit counts for this, including violations of any such permits, such as the barman taking their shotgun outside the bar area. For drug charges, this applies if they do not show any intent to distribute, or lack a prescription written and stamped by the Chief Medical Officer. For more dangerous contraband, see Major Contraband below. | 5 minutes, confiscation of said items. | Up to 10 minutes. Demotion. | 200 credits. Immediate search. |
| §119 | Illegal Parking | To park a vehicle in such a way that it is a nuisance to crew movement. | If someone has to exit a vehicle or mech, leave it at the edge of a room or the side of a hallway so as to avoid impeding traffic of other crew. If the vehicle is parked in the middle of the room, it's a violation of this. Mechs count as vehicles. If a hallway or door is completely blocked off because of this, see Illegal Blocking of Areas below. | 2 minutes. | Impounding of vehicle. | 200 credits. |
| §120 | Obstruction of Duty | To negatively interfere with the duties of the crew | Pushing a security officer trying to make an arrest, ignoring or ripping down caution tape, opening firelocks into a disaster area, dragging injured personnel away from doctors trying to treat them, or any other form of getting in the way; especially during an emergency. If someone is injured because of this, see Assault below. If serious damage occurs because of this, see Sabotage below. If someone dies because of this, see Manslaughter below. | 5 minutes. | Detainment without bail (paying the fine will not release you) until duties are completed. Demotion. | 500 credits. |
| §121 | Rubbernecking | Arriving at the scene of an emergency situation with no other intention than to see what happens. | An example of this is when Security/Engineering/Medical staff are trying to handle a crisis, but other staff who have no legitimate reason to be there start swarming the area to do nothing but gawk at the crisis as it unfolds. This is only a crime once the offending staff are asked to leave, but they ignore the request. If a hallway or door is completely blocked off because of this, see Illegal Blocking of Areas below. If someone dies because of this, see Manslaughter below. | Forceful removal from area. | Detainment until crisis is resolved. Demotion. | N/A |
| §122 | Operating Under the Influence' | To operate heavy machinery or sensitive/dangerous equipment while under the effects of drugs or alcohol. | If you're too drunk to talk straight, you're too drunk to safely pilot a mech, handle weapons, distribute medicine, manage the supermatter engine, etc. | Detainment until sober. | Demotion. | N/A |
| §123 | Violation of Employee Rights' | To deliberately deny an employee certain rights, as defined in Standard Operating Procedure. | This is one of the only cases where Security can punish someone for breaking SOP, but this still requires an Internal Affairs Agent to be pushing the charges for them to be valid. If an Internal Affairs Agent determines that an employee's rights have been violated by another employee, such as denying the victim break time, or subjecting the victim to discriminatory practices, etc, the Internal Affairs Agent can call upon security to fine the offending party. The choice of punishment for this is at the discretion of the Internal Affairs Agent pushing for the charges. | Warning. | Demotion. | 1000 credits. |
Medium Level Infractions
These Infractions carry standard punishments of up to 30 minutes, though typically around 10-15 minutes, and can be set with an officer's discretion. 'Suggested Sentence' values are beside the Infractions. 'Additional Penalties' can be decided by authorization of Head of Security, Colony Director, or equivalent, and do not require tribunals.
| No. | Infraction | Description | Notes | Suggested Sentence | Additional Penalties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| §201 | Failure to Execute an Order with Serious Consequences | To ignore or disregard a superior's valid orders, which then causes serious damage to property or life. | Like the minor crime, except this one has caused serious damage to the station, or seriously injured someone. Examples are Medical Doctors ignoring the Chief Medical Officer while patients are piling up in medbay, or Engineers ignoring the Chief Engineer and then having the singularity eat part of the station. If this causes loss of life, refer to 302. | 15 minutes. | Demotion. Hold until transfer. |
| §202 | Resisting Arrest or Sparking a Manhunt | To not cooperate with an officer who attempts a proper arrest, or to cause a manhunt by hiding from security. | Refusing handcuffs is not resisting arrest. Refusing handcuffs and refusing to come to the brig is resisting arrest. So is pushing the officer trying to arrest you, or running away. Simply not showing up to the brig when asked doesn't count. Actively hiding or running away is what this law is for. Take into account their reason for not reporting to security immediately as well. For example, a Chief Engineer trying to stop the engine from exploding probably shouldn't be charged with resisting arrest if they ignore the fact that security wants to give them a vandalism fine for breaking a wall earlier. | 10 minutes. | Up to 20 minutes. |
| §203 | Suicide Attempt | To attempt or threaten to commit suicide. | An employee trying or threatening to kill himself for any reason. This includes someone saying "AI OPEN THIS DOOR OR I KILL MYSELF". | Compulsory psychiatric examination. Holding until examined if repeat attempt. | Demotion. Isolation in holding facility. Possible holding until transfer. |
| §204 | Abuse of Confiscated Equipment | To take and use equipment confiscated as evidence. | Security shouldn't be using evidence for anything but evidence even during emergencies. It's pretty straightforward. | 10 minutes and re-confiscation of equipment. | Demotion. |
| §205 | Illegal Detention, Arrest, or Holding | To arrest, brig, or punish an employee without proper cause or reason. | This is mainly for Security Officers who believe they are THE LAW. Also applies to kidnapping. | 15 minutes. | Demotion. |
| §206 | Negligence | To fail to perform a job to a satisfactory standard, or to create a dangerous situation without taking proper precautions. | This can be due to honest, or dishonest mistakes. Examples include scientists/engineers releasing plasma, doctors mixing up medicines that cause injury to patients, or the Chief Engineer allowing the singularity to escape. The charge also applies to exposing areas to space without placing hazard tape to keep people out, putting excessive power into the grid and reasoning it's the crew's fault if they get shocked, and so on. If someone is killed because of it, add Manslaughter to the charges. | 10 minutes. | Demotion. |
| §207 | Infiltration | To attempt to, or successfully, enter a high-security area without authorization. | Areas include: AI core/upload, Armory, Bridge, EVA, Bluespace Gateway, Head of Staff offices, R&D Server Room, Telecomms, Teleporter room, Telescience, Toxins Storage, Vault, and Virology. Asking the AI or a Cyborg to get in doesn't count as getting authorization. | 15 minutes. | Up to 30 minutes, or hold until transfer. |
| §208 | Assault | To cause severe injury to another employee, or brandishing a deadly weapon with the intent of causing or threatening such an injury. | Anything beyond a few punches like in "Minor Assault". It has to be bad enough that a few bandages or pills won't fix it. Can be adjusted for severity. Also see "Attempted Murder" if the intent was to kill. This also includes poisoning with drugs, or using hallucinogens. Chameleon weapons, fake weapons, and non-loaded weapons still count as brandishing if the victim cannot reasonably tell that the weapon is harmless. | 20 minutes. | Up to 40 minutes. Demotion. |
| §209 | Escaping From Confinement | To escape from confinement as someone who was serving a non-life sentence or was awaiting judgement. | See "Escaping From a Life Sentence" for those who do it with life sentences. | 20 minutes on top of the original sentence being reset. If this pushes it over 90 minutes, hold until judgement. | Up to 30 minutes. Demotion. |
| §210 | Unlawful Modification of AI/Cyborg Laws | To modify the laws of a cyborg or artificial intelligence, without need, proper access, or authority. | An exception would be a law reset when obviously harmful laws have been uploaded. Only the Colony Director or two Heads of Staff together can authorize a law change outside of this situation. | 20 minutes. | Demotion. Holding until transfer. |
| §211 | Sedition | To incite rebellion, or rally against the established chain of command. | This includes attempting to make separate areas of the ship into "Nations" or generally conspiring against the chain of command. | 15 minutes. | Demotion. Holding until transfer. |
| §212 | Major Contraband | To possess, use, or distribute contraband items, including drugs. | Chemists and Botanists are allowed to possess and transport drugs to their departments for their line of work. It's only a crime if they use the contraband (see Minor Contraband) or they show reasonable evidence they intend to distribute it illegally (such as walking around with a backpack full of drugs, obviously not for just personal consumption). Scientists are allowed to have and use weapons in their own department for research. It's a crime if the weapons leave their department. Illegal modification of firearms also counts, such as the barman sawing off his shotgun to conceal it, or reinforcing the barrel of a revolver to accept .357 rounds. This also includes possession or use of lethal munitions without permits, such as a detective using full metal .45 bullets instead of rubber rounds, or the barman putting buckshot in his shotgun. Permits written by the Head of Security, Colony Director, or Central Command will override this law. The Chief Medical Officer can also authorize the possession of normally illegal drugs through prescriptions. | 15 minutes, confiscation of said items | Up to 20 minutes. Demotion. |
| §213 | Sabotage | To hinder the efforts of the crew or station with malicious intent. | This includes causing hull breaches, sabotaging air supplies, stealing vital equipment, etc. The intent is probably the most important bit here. If the act seriously threatens the crew, see Terrorism. | 20 minutes. | Up to 40 minutes. Demotion. |
| §214 | Exceeding Official Powers | To act beyond what is allowed by the Chain of Command. | This is for any head of staff who abuses the power given to them, such as the Head of Personnel acting like a security officer in a non-emergency, the Colony Director acting as if he is above the law, etc. Heads of Staff trying to order a different department or ignoring the Colony Director also comes under this, as does security staff attempting to give orders to non-security without legal justification. Also covers anyone illegally promoting themselves, such as with a stolen ID. | 15 minutes. | Up to 30 minutes. Demotion. |
| §215 | Grand Theft | To steal items that are dangerous, of a high value, or of sensitive nature. | This means weapons, explosives, or ammunition, and also includes items from the High-risk Items page. Security Officers stealing things from the armory is an example. | 15 minutes and confiscation of stolen items. | Demotion. Holding until transfer. |
| §216 | Organizing an Breakout | To attempt, or succeed, in freeing criminals from the brig or other holding areas. | Breaking brig windows, or hacking into security to free someone. | 15 minutes. | Up to 30 minutes. Demotion. |
| §217 | Illegal Blocking of Areas | To make an area inaccessible for those with appropriate access. | Bolting doors in public hallways or to those of departments you don't have control over are examples of this. | 10 minutes. | Up to 25 minutes. Demotion. |
| §218 | Failure to Obey Safety Protocol | To willfully ignore safety measures keeping crew out of a crisis zone. | Non-engineers opening fire shutters, civilians breaking down security barriers, or anyone ignoring caution tape without being qualified to handle whatever is behind it, are all examples of this. If someone is killed because of it, add Manslaughter to the charges. Being trapped inside a dangerous area and just trying to escape doesn't count toward this. | 10 minutes. | Detainment until crisis is resolved. Demotion. |
| §219 | Severe Use of Excessive Force | Critically injuring someone in defense of yourself or others while they no longer pose a threat, or seriously injuring a suspect while attempting to detain them. | Severely injuring someone attacking you or others with no obvious threat to life, or panicking and shooting a suspect to near-death. | 10 minutes. | Up to 30 minutes. Demotion. |
| §220 | Mistreatment of Prisoners | To intentionally act, or cause an act that puts a non-hostile prisoner's well-being in danger. | Preventing proper treatment from being given to a prisoner, abusing a prisoner, and preventing them from having access to a viable method of communication. In the event that a prisoner dies because of mistreatment, the charge is immediately upgraded to either murder or manslaughter, depending on intent. | 10 minutes. | Up to 30 minutes. Demotion. |
| §221 | Violating Employee Privacy | To conduct illegal searches and seizures, or to covertly survey crew members by any means aside from cameras. | Security using thermals, or hiding radios to eavesdrop on conversations are both examples of this. Unless issued a warrant, spying activities are illegal. This law is ignored during code blue or higher. | 10 minutes. | Up to 30 minutes. Demotion. |
High Severity Infractions
These Infractions generally need to be ruled on by a tribunal as in Legal Standard Operating Procedure, and criminals should be held until judgement can be passed.
| No. | Crime | Description | Notes | Sentence | Judgements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| §301 | Murder | To kill someone, or attempt to kill someone, with premeditated malicious intent. | Also covers Attempted Murder. The premeditated and malicious bit is important here. | 60 minutes. | Hold until transfer. Execution is also an option, but requires an official Head of Staff tribunal. |
| §302 | Manslaughter | To kill someone without malice or forethought. | This includes causing death due to negligence or dereliction of duty. Can also be used for excessive self-defense. | 20 minutes. | 40 minutes. Dismissal. |
| §303 | Mutiny | To openly rebel against or attempt to remove command staff with violent intent. | See "Sedition" for less violent mutineers. | Holding until judgement. | Hold until transfer. Execution is also an option, but requires an official Head of Staff tribunal. |
| §304 | Terrorism | To engage in maliciously destructive actions, which seriously threaten the crew or station. | This includes deliberate arson, hostage taking, use of bombs, release of singularity, etc. In cases of terrorism, Central Command must be informed. | Holding until judgement. | Hold until transfer. Execution is also an option, but requires an official Head of Staff tribunal. |
| §305 | Assaulting a Head of Staff | To assault a Head of Staff, causing severe damage. | Exactly like "Assault", but this time against a Head of Staff. | 30 minutes, tracking implant. | Hold until transfer. Execution is also an option, but requires an official Head of Staff tribunal. |
| §306 | Escaping From HuT Sentence | To attempt or successfully escape from the brig or other holding area when serving a holding until transfer sentence. | They have to have been properly judged by tribunal for holding until transfer. | Return to the brig, moved to solitary confinement. | Execution. A tribunal is not required under this circumstance, and is the only case where this is currently so. |
| §307 | Terrorist Collaboration | To act as an agent of a terrorist or anti-Corporation group. | Espionage, disclosure of corporate secrets, or any other assistance rendered to outside hostile organisations, or their representatives in hostile activities to the Corporation, committed by a employee of Corporation. As a high crime, suspected terrorist agents must be put through a tribunal unless their level of resistance renders capture efforts infeasible. | Holding until judgement. | Hold until transfer. Execution is also an option, but requires an official Head of Staff tribunal. |
| §308 | Sexual Assault | To assault, or attempt to assault, someone else sexually, including rape. | If the victim dies because of it, see murder. (( Ignoring OOC complaints about an unwanted vore/erotic roleplay is a ban-worthy offense. Adminhelp it if this happens to you. It's against server rules, not just station rules. )) | 30 minutes, tracking implant. | Hold until transfer. Execution is also an option, but requires an official Head of Staff tribunal. |
| §309 | Wrongful Execution | To execute a crew member who later turned out to be innocent. | This only counts when a tribunal was held and the order was given to execute someone based on faulty or poor evidence that is later debunked by additional evidence. If the tribunal process is skipped, or is carried out incorrectly such as an Acting Colony Director and not the actual Colony Director overseeing the execution, then murder is added to the charges. The Colony Director is punished and any individuals who deliberately produced false evidence are charged with murder. Those who unintentionally provided incorrect evidence are charged with manslaughter and negligence. It is also required to contact CentCom if this happens. CentCom may revoke the Colony Director's clearance for command positions on the station, lasting anywhere from a day to several weeks. | Immediate demotion. | Suspension from command. |
Modifiers & Special Situations
These may reduce or increase your sentence depending on circumstances relating to the crimes committed.
| Situation | Description | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Cooperation with prosecution or security | Being helpful to the members of security, revealing things during questioning or providing names of accomplices. | Up to -25%. In the case of revealing accomplices, up to -50%. |
| 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. HuJ and HuT sentences must be reapplied after danger has passed. |
| 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. |
| Privacy Violated | To have been criminally charged where evidence against you was gathered through illegal means. This includes the use of thermals/xray, unwarranted searches, or any other such violation of privacy. For instance, if a security officer trumps up a vandalism charge as an excuse to search someone, even if that crew member is in possession of contraband, the contraband goods may be inadmissible as evidence given that the search was illegal. | Relevant charges reduced or dropped. |
| Entrapment | To have been arrested or charged with a crime that the defendant was induced to commit by security personnel. Examples include (but are not limited to) a belligerent officer acting in an unprofessional manner and then attempting to press "insulting an officer on duty" charges on crew that lose their temper at such treatment, threatening crewmembers with violence and/or excessive force then attempting to charge them with resisting arrest when they refuse to come peacefully, picking a fight with a crewmember then having them arrested for assault afterwards, or suggesting a criminal act to a third party in order to arrest them for said act. The rule of thumb is that if the person would not have committed the crime were it not for security's involvement or escalation, then the act is liable to count as entrapment. | Relevant charges reduced or dropped. Possible disciplinary action for the arresting officer, up to and including dismissal and possible criminal charges. |
| Repeat Offenders | Some people just don't get it and immediately start causing problems again when released. This only applies for repeat offenses of the same offense. This way, even if the person is just doing something minor that's only worth a 2 minute sentence, then that 2 minutes becomes 4, then the next time 4 becomes 8, then 8 becomes 16, and so on until you pass 90 minutes, at which point they are automatically held until judgement. Note that if they make an unrelated offense, it doesn't count toward this. You can't double a sentence for stealing because the same individual was caught vandalizing earlier. That's not how repeat offenses work. That's a different offense entirely. | For the first repeat of an offense, apply the "additional penalties" excluding execution/demotion, which must be authorized by the relevant head(s) of staff. For repeat offenses beyond that, multiply the prior sentence by 2. Ergo, 10 minutes becomes 20, then 20 becomes 40, and so on until more 90 minutes or more is accumulated. At that point, it's automatically HuT. |
| Self Defense | Assault and even homicide can be justified if it was in direct response to an imminent danger (or at least the reasonable belief that one exists). For this to be considered valid, there must at least be an attempt to retreat from the threat. Self defense can only be used when retreat is no longer possible. | Up to and including 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 actually come to the brig yourself. | Up to -25%, and should be taken into account when determining the severity of crimes. |
| Victim In A Willfully Dangerous Position | Some individuals may offer themselves to science or indulge in dangerous thrills that, while not inherently suicidal (meaning they want to be cloned), nor dangerous to other members of the crew, are their own fault none the less. If the victim of an assault, manslaughter, or even murder charge can be proven to have willfully and deliberately allowed themselves to be harmed, then this should be taken into account when dealing with the suspect. (( In other words, willing vore isn't a crime. Unwilling vore is. We think it's more interesting if there's some risk to being predator. )) | Up to and including immediate release. |
Commentaries and Clarifications
- Community Service: For low-level crimes, at the officer's discretion, they may offer community service as an alternative to the standard penalties. If the suspect elects to carry out the offered task, then the normal sentence is waived. Community Service is at the discretion of the officer, and may be something as simple as "fix the mess you made" for a vandalism charge, to "replace that lunch you stole
with yourself". There is no specific limit on what may be appropriate for community service, but officers who offer something too punitive shouldn't be surprised if prisoners just elect to take the custodial sentence instead. - Cyborgification The removal of a person's brain for transplanting into a Cyborg Chassis as an alternative to execution. A prisoner who is sentenced to execution must request or consent to this.
- Dismissal: Changing ID title to "Dismissed", which has zero access. Requires the judgement of the prisoner's head of staff or the Colony Director to be valid.
- Demotion: Can be demoted down to and including Assistant position. Requires the judgement of the prisoner's head of staff or the Colony Director to be valid.
- Employee: Employee of NanoTrasen, as defined by the station's commanding officer. All non-employee subjects are not protected by these laws.
- Empowering: Illegal acquiring (not via Head of Personnel or Colony Director) of access.
- Execution: Prisoner is killed via means of firing squad, lethal injection, or some other means. It is required for the Colony Director to be present (and not an Acting Colony Director), or an execution may not proceed. It is required to offer the prisoner the option of how they prefer to die. They should also be offered a last meal. It is not required to follow these preferences if they are deemed unreasonable or impossible. In all cases of execution, Central Command should be informed of the execution and the crimes leading up to it. (( In some extremely rare cases, the admins may choose to permanently kill (PK) characters who are severely dangerous to the station. If this happens, the character will be banned from joining. Don't do crimes severe enough to warrant execution unless you're okay with this happening. ))
- Head of Staff: Crew members occupying one of the following positions: Colony Director, Chief Engineer, Head of Personnel, Head of Security, Chief Medical Officer, Research Director.
- Imminent Danger: A situation in which there is an apparent and immediate threat of serious injury or death, and it is not possible to escape this threat. Lethal force is justified in such a situation.
- HuJ / Holding Until Judgement: Held (in the brig) until a tribunal is done, or the shift ends. Whichever happens first.
- HuT / Holding Until Transfer: Held (in the brig) until the shift ends. This becomes HuJ when a tribunal is being held for the prisoner.
- Severe Injury: A state in which the victim is in a critical condition and is having difficulty maintaining consciousness.
Demotion and dismissal also require the removal of equipment from the previous job. Uniforms, weapons, bombs, PDA cartridges, etc.
For the purposes of Cyborg/AI laws, crew members that have been convicted, or are being held in detention, are considered to be below even the AI/Cyborgs in terms of rank.
Serving sentences in jail can be replaced with forced labor in some cases.
In cases where the final sentence is more than 90 minutes, it is changed to holding until judgement.
The standard penalty can be applied without a tribunal by Security Officers.
Penalties listed here are guidelines. Tribunals can assign lesser or higher ones, depending on the circumstances.
Legal Standard Operating Procedure
Tribunals are the main way major decisions are made aboard the station There are not often lawyers, and the defendant does not have to be involved. There is not specified length for how long a tribunal must be. The AI may be called in as a replacement Head of Staff if there are not sufficient numbers, and it can be trusted to be accurate. Basically it's the same as the old trial, but without a jury and slightly streamlined.
- Purpose: For crimes or decisions that require more than one person, or crimes where there is no set punishment.
- Overview: Three to Six Heads of Staff must discuss this issue and vote on the outcome.
- Process: The Colony Director or acting Colony Director should call the Heads of Staff for a tribunal with the situation and proposed outcome. This can be done formally in a meeting room, or informally over radio.
- Conviction: The tribunal must vote on the outcome, and the outcome must win by a majority vote (over 50%). If there is a tie, the Colony Director's vote wins.
- Sentencing: If the vote passes, the outcome may be enacted, usually by Security. The decision can be appealed once by either the defendant or the Colony Director.
OOC Notes
It's vital to know that the involvement of CentCom means involvement of admins. For all intents and purposes, admins try to keep it in character, but in the case of potentially removing a character permanently from the station, admins are going to speak directly to the offending character's player and help them change their behavior to avoid that consequence if they don't want it, or help them carry it through if they are okay with it. Admins will not permanently kill off a character without the player's consent if avoidable, but will enforce preventing them from boarding the ship.
This means that any permanent executions or expulsions from the station for a single character must be handled by admins. It is, in essence, a character ban, although no such coded mechanism yet exists in SS13 to do this (because we haven't needed one yet). Just like a normal ban, this can be appealed on the forum. (Yes, even executions.)
See the rules for more details. Template:Gameplay Guides