Crime and Punishment

[swaswj]

Crime and Punishment in Soul Society
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Laws

• The Primary Law is to always maintain the balance of souls.
  
  
• To attack or threaten any member of the Central Forty-Six is treason.
  
• To attack any Captain of the Gotei Thirteen is treason.
  
• To attack any Onmitsu Kidou Gundanchou is treason.
• To attack the Kidoushuu Sousui is treason.
• To attack the Spiritual Research & Development Institute Souchou is treason.
  
  
• Citizens of Soul Society may not manufacture or otherwise create armaments without the sanction of the Central Forty-Six. To do so is treason.
  
• A Shinigami may not grant reiryoku to the living. To do so is treason.
  
• A Shinigami may not acquire or attempt to acquire Hollow-like powers. To do so is treason.
  
  
• It is forbidden for any member of the Gotei Thirteen to interfere in the affairs of noble families without the express order of the Central Forty-Six. Anyone caught doing so will serve a minimum of 10 years in the Seventh Division.
  
  
• A Shinigami may not bring harm to citizens of Rukongai or the Living World. Punishment up to and including execution will be decided through trial.
  
  
• A Shinigami may not bring harm upon the Rukongai, Living World, or Seireitei itself through reckless or careless use of Kidou, Shikai, Bankai, or otherwise. Punishment up to 50 years in the Seventh Division will be decided through trial.
• A Shinigami may not enter or remain in the Living World without a mission or appropriate authorization. Anyone caught doing so will serve 10 years in the Seventh Division.
  
  
• A Shinigami may not release Shikai within the walls of Seireitei unless authorized by a superior officer. Anyone caught doing so will serve 10 years in the Seventh Division.
  
  
• A Shinigami may not release Bankai within Seireitei, Rukongai, or the Living World unless authorized by a superior officer. Anyone caught doing so will serve 50 years in the Seventh Division.
  
  
• All Shinigami of a strength considered suitable for Bankai -- whether or not that Bankai has been confirmed -- will have their power limited in order to avoid causing undue influence to the Living World.

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Restrictions on releases are waived in the following manner: A seated officer of 5th Seat of greater must witness your Shikai or Bankai first-hand, and grant you authorization based on the qualities of the release itself as well as the exhibited demeanor of the Shinigami. This authorization is permanent unless the nature of the authorized Shikai or Bankai changes noticeably or unless the same or a higher-ranking officer rescind the authorization.

A sentence to the Seventh Division is served only by writing in the division. A sentence of "10 years" means 1 week of writing, while a sentence of "50 years" means 2 weeks of writing. Lengthier sentences, as decided by the Central Forty-Six, are reduced by taking missions.

The Limiter will be in place for any Shinigami of 15,000 Reiatsu or greater when entering the Living World. This Limiter muffles all stats to 20% of normal. To remove the Limiter, authorization must be requested from Soul Society; this is typically granted by the Ninth Division and SRDI, unless specifically restricted by the Central Forty-Six. An individual of Captain-level in Soul Society can request an override to have the Limiter removed; however, a Captain cannot override their own Limiter.

All crimes that are considered Treason are judged by the Central Forty-Six. These are felonies and will result either in Enforced Criminal Service, Imprisonment, or Execution. If Enforced Criminal Service in the Seventh Division, it will be necessary to complete Seventh Division missions to reduce your sentence.

Note that to divulge or attempt to divulge the identity of any Central Forty-Six member is legally considered a Threat upon his or her life and is therefore Treason.

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Judiciary

The Central 46 serve as Soul Society's primary government. They are made up of 40 wise men or women and 6 judges, selected from all of Soul Society. They are sealed into an enclave in Seireitei called Seijoutoukyorin (清浄塔居林) which no one else may enter, regardless of their military or civilian status. They act as a supreme judiciary organization whose authority puts it in direct control of the legal system. They handle all rulings on Shinigami and souls who have violated prohibitions. Their orders are absolute and no decision has been overturned, except by their own discretion.

Most decisions are made without the benefit of a trial. When a defendant is brought before them, they may present their case, but have no inherent right to counsel or representation beyond that which is granted by the Central Forty-Six.
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Punishment

• Exile: Certain crimes allows for the punishment of exile, commonly stripping a Shinigami of their powers and banishing them to the Living World.
• Detention: Reserved for those who have not officially been found guilty of a crime but are still deemed dangerous to Soul Society, the Central Forty-Six may, at its sole discretion, remand individuals to detention in the Maggot's Nest. This is carried out by the Onmitsukidou's Detention Unit.
  
• Enforced Criminal Service: The Central Forty-Six may sentence a Shinigami to serve time in the Seventh Division, where they are conscripted for the most dangerous missions in order to earn back their freedom.
• Imprisonment: The Central 46 may sentence a Shinigami to be held in the Central Great Underground Prison (真央地下大監獄, shin'ouchikadaikangoku) for a set amount of time. Also referred to as Hachinetsu Jigoku, the prison has eight levels which prisoners are confined in based on the severity of their crimes.
  
• Execution: There are multiple possible methods of execution if crime warrants the death penalty, all carried out on Soukyoku Hill. For cases of treason, however, the subject will be sentenced to the "ultimate punishment" in the form of the Soukyoku. The Soukyoku is a giant halberd that utterly destroys a soul on contact. When released, Sōkyoku takes on the form of a phoenix, its true form, called Kikou-ou. The Kikou-ou is claimed to have the destructive power of one million Zanpakutou.
  

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There are actually four distinct places a shinigami may be held.

The Central Great Underground Prison, also known as Hachinetsu Jigoku, is located below the Chamber of Forty-Six, accessible only by the Onmitsukidou's Detention Unit and those specifically designated by the Central Forty-Six. It has eight progressively deeper levels, with the Eighth level reserved for the worst criminals in the history of Soul Society.

The Enforced Criminal Service Compound, administered by the Seventh Division along with some Onmitsukidou supervision, is located on the eastern side of Seireitei. It is surrounded by bloodstone walls and used to house individuals who have committed crimes, but have been deemed to be victims of circumstance. Although this in no way excuses their actions, members of the ECS have the privilege of being able to take on dangerous missions in return for years off of their sentence.

The Shrine of Penitence, or Senzaikyuu, is a tower of bloodstone at the center of Seireitei, in the midst of the First Division. It towers above even the First Division's main tower and the observatory, overlooking the Soukyoku Hill. This tower is 'death row,' reserved for criminals sentenced to death, allowing them to reflect on their sins and view the execution grounds for the last month before their sentence is carried out.

The Maggot's Nest can be thought of as an asylum. Located on the Second Division grounds, most of the complex is underground, with the entrance recessed against an outcropping of stone. The inmates here have, at least officially, not committed any crime, but are still deemed threats to society. The Onmitsukidou Detention Unit also supervises the Maggot's Nest, and no weapons are permitted inside, meaning that only those guards who excel at hand-to-hand combat may be stationed there. Many inmates of the Maggot's Nest are interred without trial or formal announcement, and all communication with the outside world is cut off completely.

In addition, for minor crimes, every division has its own small set of jail cells; these are mainly used to house shinigami who cause misdemeanors like public drunkenness or petty assault.
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[Several Zombies]

Crime and Punishment on Earth


Overview:​

As a majority of Advent Human and Quincy activity takes place on Earth, player characters are understandably, subject to earthly laws and regulations. There are, however, separate regulations in place for humans with spiritual powers. Initiative Orpheus functions as law enforcement for spiritually-aware beings on Earth, and as such has put in place its own provisions to deal with these uniquely endowed individuals.

In particular, the Initiative stands to investigate cases where Advent Humans, Quincy, or other spiritual beings are suspected to be involved and dole out suitable punishment dependent on the actions of the individual or groups involved. This includes beings aside from Advent Humans and Quincy that seek asylum on Earth.

There are however, some caveats. Cerberus Corporation has its own methods for dealing with unscrupulous individuals within its own ranks, with an Internal Affairs division devoted to terminating those deemed a liability by the Board of Directors. In most cases, matters of internal strife are hidden from the public eye by Cerberus, whose multi-national presence and lobbying power keep the Initiative's hands largely tied on matters such as these. What law enforcement doesn't know, they can't punish, after all.

Additionally, agents employed by Orpheus are considered envoys of the United Nations and have international jurisdiction, which affords them some leniency when participating in sanctioned operations. Both organizations and their members however, are still very much subject to the rules and regulations put in place by both the Initiative and regional governments.

Still, any incident -- spirit related or otherwise -- that draws public attention is also likely to catch the Initiative's eye. Beings present on Earth should be aware that subtlety is the name of the game. Characters openly abusing their powers, demonstrating destructive tendencies, or otherwise disturbing the peace will quickly find themselves in hot water.

That being said, the laws and regulations on Earth are not as absolute as those in Soul Society. Breaking a law is only half the equation. The other half comes into play after the fact, based on a characters choices following such an event.

In most cases, a character has many options. They can run, hide or even resist arrest. One must keep in mind however that a majority of the time, peacefully surrendering is the best choice. Fleeing the law can have a big impact on your plot in-game!




Disciplinary action is sought in cases where a spiritual being has;

• Through direct action caused harm to residents of Earth.
• Through indirect action or inaction caused harm to residents of Earth
• Knowingly endangered non-spiritually aware beings.
• Caused property damage significant enough to garner notice by the Initiative.
• Broken regional laws and is resisting arrest by conventional authorities.
• Sold or is selling illicit spiritual goods.
• Sold or distributed prohibited goods (Orpheus weaponry, Cerberus drugs etc.)
• Sold or distributed materials deemed sensitive by Earth organizations.
• Aided or abetted known spiritual deviants.
• Participated in or been a member of known spiritual terrorist cells (The Order, HYDRA, Chimera etc.)
• Through past action been flagged as a significant threat to the safety and security of Earth and its citizens.
• Encroached on territory deemed sensitive or of high-value by Earth's law enforcement (Organization headquarters, safehouses etc.)

Punishment:​

Punishment for crimes on Earth varies depending on the severity and circumstance of the offence committed. These can include, but are not limited to;

• Probation: For crimes in which no punitive action is initially taken, offending characters may be monitored by law enforcement.
  
• Amercement: For lesser crimes, offending characters may be forced to pay a fine in Kan, the value of which varies depending on the crime committed.
  
• Detention: Offending characters found guilty of certain crimes, but deemed useful to Earthly organizations may be forced to provide assistance in lieu of incarceration or other more extreme punishments.
  
• Incarceration: Offending characters may be interred at Sanyo Shikaku, a prison hidden near the Pacific coast of central Honshu, west of Tokyo. This facility is jointly funded by the Initiative and Cerberus Corporation, and is staffed by members from each organization. Designed and constructed specifically for the purpose of holding spiritually-endowed beings, Sanyo Shikaku is where a majority of the criminals apprehended by Earthly law enforcement end up. Terms and length of a characters stay here may vary depending on the severity of their crime.
  
• International Indictment: Characters who choose to flee rather than face justice may have an international indictment placed upon them by the Initiative and United Nations, branding them as international criminals. This has serious in-game connotations.
  
• Execution: Only in extreme cases is an execution order placed on a spiritual criminal on Earth. These individuals have been deemed an extraordinary threat by Earthly organizations and consequently are judged to be beyond rehabilitation. In cases where the criminal is already in custody, the sentence may be carried out through any means the captor deems fit. If the criminal is still at large, a kill-on-sight order may be issued.
  

No punishment will be handed down without a trial or irrefutable evidence of the crime committed.

The trial process may vary depending on the severity of the offence committed.