Ship Law

The Nanotrasen Defense Forces Code of Operational Justice, abbreviated as NDFCOJ or simply "Ship Law", is the working penal code established by Nanotrasen to mandate the behavior of it's employees onboard any of its military vessels (Defined as any Nanotrasen ship or station armed with an anti-ship weapon for the express purpose of anything other than self defense). Ship Law is intended to be much more strict than its counterpart, Space Law, which is used aboard its civilian (unarmed) vessels.

In Ship Law, crimes are categorized into 3 categories, Misdemeanors, Felonies, and Capital crimes. Each category varies in severity of both crime and punishment.

Ship Law is NOT a suggestion, and must be enforced and followed by security personnel aboard the ship. Everyone is held to the same standard, including security and command staff, and they are to be punished in the same way a normal crew member would be in the case of an infraction.

Execution of the Law

Multiple Crimes

In the case of violent crimes (Assault, Manslaughter, Attempted Murder and Murder), and theft (Petty Theft, Pick-Pocketing, Theft, and Grand Theft) take only the most severe.

A single incident has a single sentence, so if, for instance, 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. Crimes Against an Individual are counted as one incident per person affected, while Crimes Against the Ship and Crimes Against the Corporation may only have one incident per sentencing.

Aiding a criminal makes you an accomplice; you can be charged with the same crime as the person you aided.

Pardons / Dropping Charges

In cases where a crew member is victimized by another crew member, the affected crew member may drop the charges of the suspect. However, should the Head of Security or Captain choose to, they may press the charges on behalf of the corporation. Crimes against an individual may only be pardoned by Central Command in the case the affected individual elects not to drop the charges.

Crimes against the ship (vandalism, sabotage, etc.), any crime that affects the ship, may be pardoned by the Captain or a unanimous command vote of all active heads in absence of the Captain. In the case that the Captain is charged with a crime against the ship, he may only be pardoned by a unanimous command vote.

Crimes against the corporation may only be pardoned by Central Command.

Arrest / Processing Procedure

Arrests are only valid if carried out by a security officer or member of command. A Citizen's Arrest may only be made by normal crew if the arrest is made in self defense, or if the action of the suspect could have serious implications (e.g, someone arresting the clown for breaking into munitions). The validity of a Citizen's Arrest is left to the discretion of command.

The following procedures must be followed by an arresting officer, otherwise the charges may be considered invalid and the officer could be charged with Mishandling of Prisoners, at the discretion of command staff or Central Command.

1. If not on Situation Amber or at General Quarters, the arresting officer must announce to the suspect his crimes and attempt to bring them in without using force or restraints. Exceptions are given if the suspect is wanted for a violent or Felony / Capital crime, or is known to resist arrest / has escaped from confinement.
2. If the suspect complies with the arrest peacefully, then they are to be transferred to the brig. If not, then force may be applied as necessary to subdue the suspect. See the section on Application of Lethal Force for guidelines of what to do if the situation rapidly escalates.
3. Once in the brig, the suspect is to be searched and all contraband (weapons, tools, anything that could help escape or be used to assault officers while incarcerated). Officers will be responsible for ensuring that all legal possessions of the suspect be returned when their term is up. Any item that the suspect may be charged with a crime for possessing must be confiscated. Prisoners must be allowed to retain their PDA, headset, shoes, and uniform while in confinement, unless these items are abused.
4. Unless the suspect surrendered peacefully, bucklecuff them to the bed, and flash (or have an officer use the cell flasher), and then remove their handcuffs and vacate the cell.
5. Once the term is up, ensure that the records for the suspect have been updated, that their status has been set to released, and that they can leave the brig.

If the prisoner attempts to break lights or cause damage to the cell, they are to be flashed and have the object they are using confiscated. If the prisoner attempts to escape, they are to be warned and have their timer reset. If they are warned three times, or manage to escape the cell, then lethal force is authorized to subdue them.

Application of Lethal Force

General Guidelines

• If a suspect is armed with a weapon and is actively resisting threat or threatening crew and officers, lethal force may be used if they are given one warning before hand, or if they are attacking another crewmember with the intent to kill or seriously injure.

• If a security officer feels that their life is in danger from an armed assailant or multiple assailants, they may utilize lethal force to subdue targets, but will be expected to justify their actions.

• Lethal force is automatically authorized for boarders and hostile entities that are not crew, or in situations where non-lethals are ineffective (hulks, for example).

Situation Amber and General Quarters
If the current alert level is Amber or General Quarters, restrictions on lethal force become much more lenient.

On Amber, lethal force is authorized if the suspect is suspected of Felony or higher crimes, and actively flees / resists lawful arrest by security. The suspect must be warned in the form of warning shots or verbal warning before lethal force is allowed.

Additionally, if a suspect is assaulting officers or command staff on Amber, lethal force is allowed if the suspect refuses to desist after being warned.

On General Quarters, which tends to be situational and brief, any crewmember acting in a disruptive way may be terminated by security or command personnel with extreme prejudice. Use of this clause in trivial situations will be punished accordingly.

Crimes and Sentences

All crimes for which an indiviual may be lawfully arrested are listed below. Crimes are given a numerical code with a letter suffix. The suffix indicates the scope of the crime (I = Crime Against an Individual, S = Crime Against the Ship, and C = Crime Against the Corporation).

For repeat offenses the crime may be considered one tier up at the discretion of security or command. E.g, if a crewmember assaults someone (Felony) and serves their time, the next assault charge would be a Capital crime. This only applies after they have served a sentence for the crime, so multiple counts of assault would count as felonies the first time, and if they get out and assault more people, it would require capital punishment.

Misdemeanor Crimes

Misdemeanor crimes are punishable by a warning or up to 5 minutes in confinement.

Code		Crime	Description	Notes
101-S		Resisting Arrest	To not cooperate with an officer who attempts a proper arrest.	Follow proper arrest procedure and have a legitimate cause to arrest in the first place before you brig a suspect for this. Suspects who scream bloody murder while being arrested are not cooperating.
102-I		Battery	To physically harass another person without the intent to harm them.	Disarming, slipping, and tablestunning are all examples of battery. A few punches might count too. Anything that does negligible damage or none at all to the victim.
103-S		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 and taking them from 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.
104-S		Drug Possession	To possess space drugs or other narcotics by unauthorised personnel.	Botanists and MedSci staff are authorised to possess drugs for purposes of their jobs and are not subject to this law so long as they are not distributing or using them for profit or recreation.
106-S		Indecent Exposure	To be intentionally and publicly unclothed.	Running around the ship naked. Do not release the suspect unless they choose to wear clothes.
107-S		Vandalism	To deliberately damage the ship without malicious intent.	This covers things such as breaking windows, grafitti, and damaging ship property. To qualify as sabotage it has to be conducted with the deliberate intent of hindering the crew.
109-S		Trespass	To be in an area which a person does not have access to. This counts for general areas of the ship, and trespass in restricted areas is a more serious crime.	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. Remember that trespassing and theft are often committed together.
110-S		Mishandling of Prisoners	To abuse or neglect a prisoner while under the confinement of security.	Apply this crime when an officer is being shit, like stripping prisoners completely, misplacing their belongings, and acting incompetent. Always entails demotion. Excessive force counts as assault, or manslaughter if the victim dies.
111-S		Creating a Workplace Hazard	To endanger the crew or ship through negligent or irresponsible, but not deliberately malicious, actions.	Good examples of this crime involves accidentally causing a plasma leak, slipping hazard, accidently electrifying doors, breaking windows to space, or security personnel not keeping their equipment secure.

Felony Crimes

Felony crimes are punishable by minimum of 5 minutes and maximum of 10 minutes. Additionally, crewmembers suspected of a felony crime may have lethal force applied to them during Situation Amber if they are fleeing arrest.

Code		Crime	Description	Notes
201-I		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 warrant the maximum sentence of 15 minutes.
202-S		Assault of an Officer	To use physical force against a Department Head or member of Security without the apparent intent to kill them.	Criminals who attempt to disarm or grab officers while fleeing are guilty of this, even if bare handed. Officers should refrain from using lethal means to subdue the criminal if possible, unless on Situation Amber. Classified as a Crime Against the Ship due to the nature of the authority of security officers and command personnel, which also means it cannot be stacked if multiple officers are assaulted.
203-I		Manslaughter	To unintentionally kill someone through negligent, but not malicious, actions.	Intent is important. Accidental deaths caused by negligent actions, such as creating workplace hazards (e.g. gas leaks), tampering with equipment, excessive force, and confinement in unsafe conditions are examples of Manslaughter.
204-S		Possession of a Weapon	To be in possession of a any weapon without prior authorisation, such as: guns, batons, flashes, grenades, as well as improvised weapons such as spears and stunprods.	Any item that can cause severe bodily harm or incapacitate for a significant time. The following personnel have unrestricted license to carry weapons and firearms: Captain, HoP, all security personnel. The Barman is permitted his double barrel shotgun loaded with beanbag rounds. Only the Captain and HoS can issue weapon permits.
205-S		Possession of Explosives	To be in possession of an explosive device.	Scientists and miners are permitted to possess explosives only whilst transporting them to a mining operation, otherwise their experimental bombs must remain within the science department.
206-S		Inciting a Riot	To attempt to stir the crew into a riot	Additionally to the brig time the offender will also have restrictions placed on their radio traffic and be implanted with a tracking implant. For second offences or outright instigating violent uprisings consider charging with Mutiny.
207-S		Sabotage	To hinder the work of the crew or ship through malicious actions.	Deliberately releasing N2O, bolting doors, disabling the power network, and constructing barricades are but some of many means of sabotage. For more violent forms, see Grand Sabotage.
208-S		Theft	To steal restricted or dangerous items	Weapons fall into this category, as do valuable items that are in limited supply such as insulated gloves, spacesuits, and jetpacks. Note that the cargo department breaking open crates to illegally arm and armor themselves are guilty of theft.
209-S		Major Trespass	Being in a restricted area without prior authorisation. This includes any security area, command area (including EVA), the Engine Room, Atmospherics, or Toxins Research.	Being in a very high security area, such as the armory or the Captain's Quarters, is a more serious crime, and warrants a possible permabrigging if intent is believed to be malicious.
210-S		Breaking and Entering	Breaking into any area which a subject does not have access to.	As a felony crime, sentences start at 5 minutes, but the full sentence of 15 minutes is recommended for restricted and secure areas. The suspect can still be charged if they did not yet enter the area but were suspected of attempting to.
211-S		Dereliction of Duty	To willfully abandon an obligation that is critical to the ship's continued operation.	A demotion is often included in the sentence. Emphasis on the word critical: An officer taking a break is not dereliction in of itself. An officer taking a break knowing that operatives are shooting up the Captain is. Engineers who do not secure a power source at the start of the shift and heads of staff who abandon the station can also be charged.
212-I		Robbery	To steal items from another's person.	Remember to take the stolen items from the person and arrange for their return. Stealing an ID is the most common and most serious form of pick-pocketing.
213-I		Narcotics Distribution	To distribute narcotics and other controlled substances.	Forcing or tricking someone to consume substances such as space drugs is assault.
214-S		Rioting	To partake in an unauthorised and disruptive assembly of crewmen that refuse to disperse.	It is required to order the crowd to disperse, failure to disperse is the crime not the assembly. Any crimes committed during the riot are considered separate offences.
216-I		Insubordination	To disobey a lawful direct order from one's superior officer.	Charge issued by a head of staff to one of their direct subordinates. The person is usually demoted instead of incarcerated. Security is expected to assist the head in carrying out the demotion.

Capital Crimes

Capital crimes are punishable by permanent detention, execution, and forced cyborgification.

Only the Head of Security, Captain, and Warden may authorize permanent detention.

Only the Captain may authorize execution or forced cyborgification.

Execution is considered murder if unauthorized or improper. Proper forms of execution are limited to marooning, firing squad, and forced ejection via MAC cannon. Spacing via airlock is only allowed if the MAC cannon is damaged or unavailable (e.g, the ship is in combat).

Code		Crime	Description	Notes
301-I		Murder	To maliciously kill someone.	Punishment should fit the nature of both the crime and the criminal. Murder committed by temporary emotional distress, such as fear or anger, warrants lower punishments. Cyborg candidates must have brains fit to obey relevant laws. Life imprisonment is the most humane option for the insane who might malfunction as cyborgs. Unauthorised executions are classed as Murder.
302-I		Sexual Assault	To molest or otherwise sexually attack someone.	Unconsented ERP scenes, meaning one of the players does not agree OOC to the erotic roleplay, is a permabannable offense. Adminhelp it if this happens to you; it's against server rules, not just station rules.
303-I		Attempted Murder	To use physical force against a person until that person is in a critical state with the apparent intent to kill them.	Remember, if a person attempts to render first aid after the victim falls into a critical state they may not have intended to kill them.
306-C		Mutiny	To act individually, or as a group, to overthrow or subvert the established Chain of Command without lawful and legitimate cause.	Mutiny is not as clear cut as it may seem, there may be a legitimate reason for their actions, such as their head of staff being utterly incompetent. This is one of the few crimes where it is recommended to always seek a third party opinion. If their actions are determined to be for the betterment of Nanotrasen consider a timed sentence or even a full pardon.
307-S		Grand Sabotage	To engage in maliciously destructive actions, seriously threatening crew or ship.	Bombing, arson, releasing viruses, deliberately exposing areas to space, physically destroying machinery or electrifying doors all count as Grand Sabotage.
308-C		Grand Theft	To steal items of high value or sensitive nature.	Syndicate agents frequently attempt to steal cutting-edge technology. Examples include: intelligence or research samples, the Hand Teleporter, the Captain's Antique Laser, the Captain or the HoP's ID cards, or Mechs. This is by no means a exhaustive list of items that are high value to the syndicate; when in doubt use common sense when you see certain items that are stolen that can cause massive problems throughout the ship. Remember if something is locked up in a secure area it probably should not be taken without prior permission.
311-C		Enemy of the Corporation	To act as, or knowingly aid, an enemy of Nanotrasen.	Current enemies of Nanotrasen currently include: The Syndicate (through secret agents, boarding parties, and brainwashing specialists), The Wizard Federation, The Changeling Hivemind, and The Cult of Nar'Sie. Firing upon Nanotrasen ships from the weapons console counts as Piracy, see below. Note that this is one of the few crimes where you may summarily execute someone for if they present a significant risk to detain them.
312-C		Piracy	To knowingly and consciously attack a Nanotrasen vessel, or board one with hostile intent.	Use this when someone on your ship fires on a Nanotrasen vessel for whatever reason. Also the crime applied to boarders of any NT ship, so you could use it as an RP crime for arresting boarders, if for some reason you don't just shoot them.

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 actually 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.
Repeat Offender	Convicts who reoffend after being released may have their crime bumped up to the next level at the discretion of security.	Increase their sentence to the next tier of crimes.
Escape from Brig	If a prisoner flees confinement for any reason other than to escape impending lethal danger (fire, hull breach, murder), lethal force is authorized as well as execution if captured alive.	Lethal force and / or execution if recaptured.
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.