Trials

WIP

Trials

The right to a fair trial is one of the fundamental rights granted to any sentient being, or so you would think. As an employee of Nanotrasen this is not a right but a privilege that is rarely granted. However in the courtroom, all are seen as equals in the eyes of Justice.

This guide is simply a recommendation. It is not required for trials to follow this structure, and you are free to use or ignore any the suggestions made in this guide as needed to improve your experience. While both types of cases follow the same general process, a civil case is one brought by one private party to another while a crim

Case Types

Usually a trial will happen to address one of two types of cases:

Civil Cases: A civil case is one brought by one private party against another in order to resolve some minor dispute not covered by Space Law. For example if Passenger is spreading lies against the Quartermaster then the Quartermaster may sue the Passenger on charges of slander or libel.

Criminal Case: A criminal case is one brought from the station authority such as Security, or Command for violations of Space Law. These cases are usually about severe incidents involving High Crimes. For example security may bring charges against an engineer for sabotaging the Anti Matter Engine.

While it may seem there is not much of a distinction, the biggest difference between the two are that Civil Cases usually do not carry any criminal punishment for the defendant, and are usually held to resolve a disagreement between crew members. In contrast a criminal case will usually deal with serious crimes against the station and possibly NanoTrasen itself which may lead to punishments such as permanent confinement or even execution.

Trial Prerequisites

First of all a judge must be appointed. This may be the Captain, the Head of Personnel, another Head of Staff, or any authorized individual. The role of the judge is to preside over the proceedings, resolve any disputes arising from them, and pass sentencing. Additionally during the trial, it is also the judge's responsibility to decide on a verdict for the defendant.

In the case of criminal trials, a prosecutor must be appointed. This can either be the warden, a security officer familiar with the case, or a lawyer. The prosecutor's role is not to get a guilty verdict at all costs, but to uncover the truth and act in the best interests of justice.

Furthermore the defendant in a criminal trial is entitled to an attorney, and in Civil Cases both parties may acquire one. This may be a lawyer, or any other competent individual. The attorney's role is to zealously represent their client, and attain the most favorable verdict possible.

A jury may be formed in order to decide the verdict. The jury may be composed by any member of the crew, and the number of jurors is at the discretion of the judge. Additionally, a bench trial may be conducted instead where instead of a jury the verdict is decided by judge, or a panel of judges.

Before a trial can begin both parties must be given a fair chance to prepare their case. Parties should be given access to each other's evidence for review, and should have a window of time to properly prepare a strategy for the trial. Should any issues arise in this process, it is up to the judge to resolve them. Additionally in Criminal Cases a defendant is entitled to legal counsel.