[Closed]Petty Offenses

I recommend a fourth level of offenses, Petty Offenses, be added to the book to handle things not necessarily needing to be elevated to a court official and are minor crimes of disorder or common courtesy that can be handled on the spot rather than direct threats worthy of investigation.

Morpheus

Master document

Template

Offense:
Description:
Punishment:

V-Rage

I don't really see an issue with this.

Michael

Seter

Goodman Frosthelm,

While I have no issues with additional tiers, I would appreciate having a little more context as to what exact offenses will be introduced to this "Petty" tier. I would also like to see information on the capped punishments available to such offenses.

Signed,

Lord Mordecai of House Cormaeril
Divine Champion of the Divine Right, Siamorphe
Head of House Chapter in the region of Arabel
Ruler of Immersea
Knight of the Realm of Arabel

Puffy

The Lord is correct, examples and new additions must be presented in a clear manner for best judgement.

The Arbiter of Arabel

Please see my draft for some ideas of how I was preparing the lawbook. Petty offenses would be those that a guard can handle on the spot and dismiss with a small fine or correction. Thinks like littering, drunken brawling, disturbing the peace, basic things that need to be handled but do not need to be dealt with a heavy hand or hammer.

-Morpheus

Offense: Drawn Weapons
Description: Citizens will not have any weapons drawn in the city or any town area. Magical staves are not considered drawn weapons unless proven to be a dangerous weapon in their own right.
Punishment: Warning to sheath the weapon, fine of 100 gold if refused. (No arrest authorized unless continuous repeat offender)

Offense: Littering
Description: Throwing of any item on the ground, in a public area and leaving such item unattended.
Punishment: Warning to pick up the item, fine of 100 gold if refused, fines increasing for repeat offenders. (No arrest authorized)

Offense: Causing a Scene/Disturbing the Peace
Description: Causing panic, disorder, or undesired scene in public that negatively effects the lives of citizens.
Punishment: Warning to disperse. Fine of 100-500 gold if continues or repeat offender. Arrest if refusal to disperse or scene escalates.

Offense: Damage to Property
Description: Damage or destruction of private or public property
Punishment: Restitution for the damage. Fines escalating if refusal to comply. Arrest if damage is in process and escalates.

Offense: Failure to Comply with Official Orders
Description: Failure to comply with any reasonable order from a Peace Officer is an offense. Reasonable orders include but are not limited to ceasing violent actions, search procedures, identification requests, helmet removal, and separation / departure from area.
Punishment: Fine of 100-500 gold. Arrest if the action escalates

Offense: Disturbing a Crime Scene:
Description: The act of disturbing a Crime Scene is considered an obstruction of justice and any such actions will result in sentence depending on the severity of the obstruction. Moving bodies, hiding bodies, or removing belongings off of a subdued or killed suspect are all examples of disturbing the crime scene. Can be upgraded to lesser or Serious crimes depending on the situation.
Punishment: Fine of 100-500 gold. Elevation to lesser or serious crime depending on the severity of the offense. Arrest authorized to preserve evidence.

Offense: Slander
Description: Making proven untrue statements about a person, or making public comments with the intent to cause harm without evidence. These statements must be public, printed, or over sending; or spread widely with the intent to harm.
Punishment: Order to publicly retract comments. Fines of 100-500 per day without detraction. (No arrest authorized)

Offense: Theft
Description: Theft requires proof that an item was stolen. Pickpocketing is a petty crime, stealing from noble estates can be upgraded to serious crimes at the discretion of the peace official. Theft of items of extreme significance, such as relics or artifacts, from commoners can also be upgraded in severity. For very extreme cases, the thief's possessions can be immediately confiscated, including coin. Recovered items are returned to victim. All others are confiscated.
Punishment: Fine of 100-500 gold if it remains a petty offense. Increased in fines depending on the severity of the theft. Arrest authorized it subject refuses to comply.

Offense: Prohibited Companions:
Description: Traveling with magical or wild companions in settled areas is not authorized. Any companion that could not reasonably be a domestic pet is to remain outside of the settlement or town.
Punishment: Order to remove the companion. Fine of 100-500 if the subject refuses. Forced removal of companion.

Offense: Unsolicited magic use
Description: Magic use is illegal, even if non-harmful, without the consent of the person it is being casted on.
Punishment: Warning, fine of 100-500 gold depending on level of panic caused.

Offense: Public Magic Use
Description: Spell casters are advised to cast in private to prevent panic in the general populous. Continual traveling of settled areas while obviously enspelled falls under this. Fully enspelled adventurers create similar panic as drawn weapons and will be treated as such.
Punishment: Order to Dispell, fine of 100-500 if refused

Offense: Brawling
Description: Unarmed combat in public spaces where both combatants appear invested in the fight either through words or deeds. Duels should be held in locations away from the public to protect safety and good order.
Punishment: Order to disperse, fine of 100-500 if refused

V-Rage

Mostly good.

I'd remove littering though, I'm sure everyone has better things to do than chase people for that.

I'd also remove public spellcasting from this. There are times it is necessary to cast in the city. Religious ceremony for example or to try and break up an adventuring brawl.

Michael

Seter

Goodman Frosthelm,

I shall gladly give input on each of these offenses both as a whole and individually.
Firstly, I shall offer input to the whole of them, respectfully:

The laws must clearly stipulate what is to occur on repeated offenses and leave as less room for interpretation of the law by marshals or constables, as possible
If fines are only meant to be increased on repeated offense, please stipulate the increase rate
Kindly also stipulate the number of repeated offenses before arrest or raising of the severity above petty
Clarification will be needed if committing a Drawn weapon offense and after that committing a different petty offense would count as a repeated offense. I believe that the criminal background of the offender should come into play here
Further clarifications are needed on nobility and these petty offenses or even accusations. What happens when Commonfolk accuse nobility of slander for example? What happens if one noble accuses of slander another noble?
I would recommend, for documentation purposes, to give each of these offenses a unique designation(I.E P-1, etc)

Now I move on to address each of your proposed candidates for petty offenses:

@Crusader-K said in Petty Offenses:

Offense: Drawn Weapons
Description: Citizens will not have any weapons drawn in the city or any town area. Magical staves are not considered drawn weapons unless proven to be a dangerous weapon in their own right.
Punishment: Warning to sheath the weapon, fine of 100 gold if refused. (No arrest authorized unless continuous repeat offender)

I wholeheartedly agree that such is needed. I would recommend specifying that the weapon should be kept at peace knot at all time. I would also recommend addressing in which cases and by whom the drawing of weapons can be allowed within the city limits.

@Crusader-K said in Petty Offenses:

Offense: Littering
Description: Throwing of any item on the ground, in a public area and leaving such item unattended.
Punishment: Warning to pick up the item, fine of 100 gold if refused, fines increasing for repeat offenders. (No arrest authorized)

While it is indeed a menace, I do echo the concern of the Laypriest that such might not be so easily enforced. I agree with its necessity though.

@Crusader-K said in Petty Offenses:

Offense: Causing a Scene/Disturbing the Peace
Description: Causing panic, disorder, or undesired scene in public that negatively effects the lives of citizens.
Punishment: Warning to disperse. Fine of 100-500 gold if continues or repeat offender. Arrest if refusal to disperse or scene escalates.

This offense is quite ambiguous and requires more clarification on what qualify as causing a scene or disturbance of peace. It also requires more guidelines on how the scale of the fine is decided(Why for some cases the fine of 500 is chosen while for others the minimal).

@Crusader-K said in Petty Offenses:

Offense: Damage to Property
Description: Damage or destruction of private or public property
Punishment: Restitution for the damage. Fines escalating if refusal to comply. Arrest if damage is in process and escalates.

This offense requires clarification on who evaluates the damage done and the needed payment for it. It should also offer other options of payment such as installments or task in lieu of payment.

The rest I have no further input for, but I agree of their necessity.

Signed,

Lord Mordecai of House Cormaeril
Divine Champion of the Divine Right, Siamorphe
Head of House Chapter in the region of Arabel
Ruler of Immersea
Knight of the Realm of Arabel

lunatichigh

Offer suggestion for repeated Petty Offenses:

Make things simple. Three strike rule. Each strike, fine increased. Fourth strike, upgrade crime to next level.

Gravedigger Delacrux
House of Ash

Updated the running draft with recommendations. Ensured littering was as minor a fine as possible and removed opportunities for guards to exploit other offenses. Set standard fines for each action. Added exceptions for drawn weapons and spell use. Please continue to comment here and I will update the main draft.

Morpheus

Prof. Misclick

Discussion is closed. Begin drafting the articles to be included in the final draft of the lawbook

Sir Malcom

//Closed. Start adding this to the lawbook draft please//