Legal delays

[rancke]

The PCs' ship arrive at its destination and one of the low passengers die during revival. An inquest is sheduled for two days later.

Ordinarily I would make getting the inquest over with without any legal repercussions an easy task (+4) and the time it would take 1-6 hours. But someone wants to delay the ship in port for as long as possible, so they retain a top lawyer (MAJOR legal talent) to drag out the inquest. Getting the ship fined or its medic charged with negligence would be a bonus, but the main intend is to drag out the inquest interminably.

How would you turn that scenario into tasks for the PCs to solve? Preferrably tasks where they have a chance of manipulating the odds to favor them. That is, roleplaying opportunities as well as tasks, so that it won't just be a sterile string of die rolls.


Hans

 

[Condottiere]

It would be funnier if the pet poodle croaked, and the irate owner gets the SPCA as well as small claims court involved.

 

[pendragonman]

The PCs' ship arrive at its destination and one of the low passengers die during revival. An inquest is sheduled for two days later.

Ordinarily I would make getting the inquest over with without any legal repercussions an easy task (+4) and the time it would take 1-6 hours. But someone wants to delay the ship in port for as long as possible, so they retain a top lawyer (MAJOR legal talent) to drag out the inquest. Getting the ship fined or its medic charged with negligence would be a bonus, but the main intend is to drag out the inquest interminably.

How would you turn that scenario into tasks for the PCs to solve? Preferrably tasks where they have a chance of manipulating the odds to favor them. That is, roleplaying opportunities as well as tasks, so that it won't just be a sterile string of die rolls.


Hans

Administrative tasks. "Go to this office to file your report...Thank you for your report. Oh, so and so died. Sorry, go to the medical examiner's office to request an inquest. Did the deceased have family? You don't know? Go to this office to file a request for family search...

At each point, they can shmooze a bureaucrat who actually knows the shortcuts to filing all the necessary documents, followed by being able to shmooze the various investigators to shade their reports to the court in the PC's favor, followed by the pre inquest hearing to determine if the full inquest is really necessary, etc...

 

[RandyB]

Administrative tasks. "Go to this office to file your report...Thank you for your report. Oh, so and so died. Sorry, go to the medical examiner's office to request an inquest. Did the deceased have family? You don't know? Go to this office to file a request for family search...

At each point, they can shmooze a bureaucrat who actually knows the shortcuts to filing all the necessary documents, followed by being able to shmooze the various investigators to shade their reports to the court in the PC's favor, followed by the pre inquest hearing to determine if the full inquest is really necessary, etc...

IOW, it's a re-presentation of Exit Visa...

 

[rancke]

IOW, it's a re-presentation of Exit Visa...

Yeah, that's precisely my problem.


Hans

 

[grondak]

Have the other side file lots of motions to delay, or ask for changes of venue, or discovery requests that will require lots of work to answer. Many of these actions will not actually help their case but will cause delay until the judge tires of it. I hear of this kind of activity on the morning radio news on a daily basis.

Plus, this world doesn't have to follow any known laws... like you say, Hans, it just has to be rational-- but to whom? Make up laws that can cause delays. Fine them for anything you think will make them groan. Throwing the book at someone is loads of fun, too. Heck, give them something good that takes weeks to claim.

As for what the PCs can do, you can show them through RP that NPC cops are people too. Filling out paperwork is a job... and maybe the cops can be convinced to drag their feet or just plain talked out of something by the PCs or their NPCs.

 

[Jacqual]

You can also have them discover the ship is missing some check or something related to low berths that might have been missed during the last overhaul. Did the ship have its scheduled annual maintainance?

 

[Xerxeskingofking]

The PCs' ship arrive at its destination and one of the low passengers die during revival. An inquest is sheduled for two days later.

Ordinarily I would make getting the inquest over with without any legal repercussions an easy task (+4) and the time it would take 1-6 hours. But someone wants to delay the ship in port for as long as possible, so they retain a top lawyer (MAJOR legal talent) to drag out the inquest. Getting the ship fined or its medic charged with negligence would be a bonus, but the main intend is to drag out the inquest interminably.

How would you turn that scenario into tasks for the PCs to solve? Preferrably tasks where they have a chance of manipulating the odds to favor them. That is, roleplaying opportunities as well as tasks, so that it won't just be a sterile string of die rolls.


Hans

the inquest it very easy, and will take only a few hours to clear thier name........However:

the Local magistrate is currently off world on business and the Ducal court, and the inquest cannot proceed until he returns


the Magistrate has recently died, and until his replacement is appointed and confirmed by the subsector duke, the players will have to wait.

the Judge is himself under supsension for suspected abuse of his position, and until the IMOJ clear his anme, he cannot preside over the players case.


one of the above happened shortly before the players arrived, and thiers a six month backlog of cases to clear. the players are going to have to make a very good case as to why they should skip the queue ("we'll go out of business" is not going to cut it)

 

[rancke]

the inquest it very easy, and will take only a few hours to clear their name........However:

the Local magistrate is currently off world on business and the Ducal court, and the inquest cannot proceed until he returns


the Magistrate has recently died, and until his replacement is appointed and confirmed by the subsector duke, the players will have to wait.

the Judge is himself under supsension for suspected abuse of his position, and until the IMOJ clear his anme, he cannot preside over the players case.

The world in question has a population of 700 million. It should run to more than a few magistrates, and the subsector duke is presumably not involved in appointing him except possibly by proxy.

As a side issue, what jurisdiction would such an inquest fall under and who would appoint the judicial personnel? Ministry of Justice? The Grand Justiciar of the Duchy of Regina? The Starport Authority? The planetary government?

...one of the above happened shortly before the players arrived, and thiers a six month backlog of cases to clear. the players are going to have to make a very good case as to why they should skip the queue ("we'll go out of business" is not going to cut it)

The thing is, the system is geared to cut down on impediments to the free flow of trade, so the inquest would ordinarily go off without a hitch. It's the presence of enemies that create the problem(s). So I'm looking for problems that enemies can create (through influence or bribery) and PCs can have an active role in solving.


Hans

 

[Quint]

What if you flipped the burden of prolonging it from the "bad guys" to the PC's? Basically have them find out they are being framed for murder/negligent homicide/smuggling bloodhype in low berth mules/whatever and they need time to prove that they are innocent (pick a handful of ways so they have multiple ways to the truth).

Alternately, have the body disappear. No body, no inquest - or have it be subject to some bizarre burial customs that require locating the right person to ok the inquest, then another person to perform/be present for the inquest, etc.

D.

 

[Garyius2003]

The PCH emergency controller on that bank of low berth units in the PC's ship, including the one that failed, was a 187-706C, not the 221-451D that is the current safety model, and original manufacturer equipment for all modern units.

The question is 1) did the PCs replace the PCH controllers, exchanging the 10,000 value safety units for 50 credit units; 2) did the yard doing the annual 10 months ago, 5 jumps away, do it; or 3) did something else happen?

A request for full investigation of the annual yard, including the inspector who signed off on the low berths, has been sent.

In the meantime the PCs can wait for those results, or attempt to obtain a full interview series and investigation of themselves now instead of waiting for the results from the annual yard. (roll once per week, very difficult level, may use either legal or admin skills as a positive DM, but may not stack them, with an additional DM of +2 for Soc 10+)

 

[rancke]

What if you flipped the burden of prolonging it from the "bad guys" to the PC's? Basically have them find out they are being framed for murder/negligent homicide/smuggling bloodhype in low berth mules/whatever and they need time to prove that they are innocent (pick a handful of ways so they have multiple ways to the truth).

The PCs are on a "fetch-me-a-thingamajig-by-noon-of-the-35th" quest and the enemies are trying to delay them. Every minute counts. Well, every day anyway.

Alternately, have the body disappear. No body, no inquest - or have it be subject to some bizarre burial customs that require locating the right person to ok the inquest, then another person to perform/be present for the inquest, etc.

That's a wonderful idea. It gives the PCs something active to do and a trail to follow.


Hans

 

[pendragonman]

What if the reason the body disappeared is that it wasn't really dead but in an epic coma?

It "wakes up" and zombie shuffles away, spreading a virus that causes the coma that after a couple of weeks turns the vic into a zombie...

 

[Quint]

That's a wonderful idea. It gives the PCs something active to do and a trail to follow.

Hans

*grin* You could combine this with the drug mule idea (or simply have the bad guys plant some evidence in the body for once it is found), or the also have the extended family of 37 wives and a hundred or so offspring descend upon the ship and crew demanding answers and threatening blood vengeance if the body isn't found and returned ASAP...

D.

 

[Dagrill]

As a side issue, what jurisdiction would such an inquest fall under and who would appoint the judicial personnel? Ministry of Justice? The Grand Justiciar of the Duchy of Regina? The Starport Authority? The planetary government? Hans

I would say SPA as presumably the death took place on the space ship and the space ship landed within the extra-territoriality line. However, you could have lots of bureaucracy involved with moving the body out of XT and to be buried on the planet, especially if it's a balkanised world and the dead person is from the other side of the planet...

Regards

David

 

[Easterner9504]

Missed the obvious of the problem. What schlub travels Low who's family can afford a Cr.100/hr. lawyer.

The inquest is a formality. You travel low at own risk.

To delay the ship a Civil Suit would be filed for wrongful death on planet. Local court would then petition Imperial magistrate for extradition. Since that is rarely granted, especially for a low death the lawyer is stymied. Has to be a Class A or they'll be no layers of Imperial justice to petition to keep case open.

Better that syndicate slow poisoned a passenger. Dies in transit, inquest reveals poisoning. Scout Police come in, MoJ is notified. Now ship is grounded. Syndicate hires lawyer to sue crew. Syndicate hires lawyer to defend crew. 2 lawyers....now there in for it.

 

[rancke]

Missed the obvious of the problem. What schlub travels Low who's family can afford a Cr.100/hr. lawyer.

The inquest is a formality. You travel low at own risk.

Yes, as stated earlier.

To delay the ship a Civil Suit would be filed for wrongful death on planet. Local court would then petition Imperial magistrate for extradition. Since that is rarely granted, especially for a low death the lawyer is stymied.

But what is there for the PCs to do in order to prevent the delay?

Has to be a Class A or they'll be no layers of Imperial justice to petition to keep case open.

I think that all Imperial member worlds would have an Imperial legate or at the very least an Imperial consul, regardless of the starport class.

Better that syndicate slow poisoned a passenger. Dies in transit, inquest reveals poisoning. Scout Police come in, MoJ is notified. Now ship is grounded. Syndicate hires lawyer to sue crew. Syndicate hires lawyer to defend crew. 2 lawyers....now there in for it.

The Bad Guys are not willing to commit murder.

And even if they were, I don't see how such a situation leaves any scope for the PCs to solve the problem.

No, I think I'll go with Quint's suggestion.


Hans

 

[Dagrill]

I think that all Imperial member worlds would have an Imperial legate or at the very least an Imperial consul, regardless of the starport class. Hans

The only Imperial Consulate I know of is at Gazulin in the Trojan Reach, which suggests they are quite rare. The Director of the SPA could wear several hats though...

Regards

David

 

[rancke]

The only Imperial Consulate I know of is at Gazulin in the Trojan Reach, which suggests they are quite rare.

Because there are so many other descriptions of Imperial worlds that specifically mention the absence of an Imperial consul?

Alell and Zila both have Imperial consulates. So does Regina, but that's only semi-hemi-demi-canon (mentioned in the Regina Startown setting on JTAS Online). Imperial legates are mentioned in GT:Far Trader. I see no reason to believe the Imperium wouldn't have a diplomatic representative on every member world. With a number of subordinates commensurate with the work involved (probably fairly strongly correlated with the size of the local population).


Hans

 

[Burocrate]

more delays

Let's not forget local holidays...

"Oh, didn't you know all government offices are closed on St. Cyril's Day?"
"I am so sorry, I forgot to inform you last time we spoke about the Judge's vacation plans. He always takes the family skiing in the southern hemisphere over the long St. Cyril's Day weekend."
"How did you get that body off your ship when the SPA stevadores are off for St. Cryil's Day? You didn't unload it yourself did you?!!! Now the dock workers are going to picket your ship; you may never get off this planet!"