Discovery Gaming Community

Transmission Destination: One Police Plaza, Planet Manhattan
Sender: Junker Jerrus; Callsign: Noah
Subject: Officer Malfeasance

Liberty Police,
As officers of the law, you are bound to it. You defend and uphold the law, and you have the responsibility to hold other's accountable to it. However, being accountable to the rule of law does not end when one earns his LPI badge.
Today, I bring before you the issue of Blood Diamonds. According the Liberty Code of Laws (LAWS OF SIRIUS thread), Blood Diamonds are NOT on the list of contraband for Liberty space. Yet today I was stopped in the New York system's Colorado Gate while legally transporting these goods. The Officer in question, one Narelle Devin (callsgin: LPI-Narelle.Devin[RO]) demanded I drop my cargo as it was contraband. I informed the officer it was in fact legal according to Liberty law. After a lengthy debate, the best the officer could come up with was along the lines of "I just know its illegal," although neither I nor they could find any mention in the Law Code of its illegality.
In the end, the officer destroyed my ship. I did not open fire. I did not run. I did nothing, because assaulting a Liberty Police Officer is illegal; as illegal as destroying a non-resisting transport. I would not, however, give up my cargo because according to Liberty Law it is not illegal.
I would like 1.2 million credits in reparations, which is less than the cost of procuring the lost cargo, not to mention the rest of the costs having one's ship destroyed can incur.

I understand the sensitive nature of Blood Diamonds, and I would advise Liberty that if they mean for that cargo to be illegal they make it into law. As it is not in the current Legal Code, it is not a law and therefor Blood Diamonds at the time of my transporting them were in fact legal. The only reason I hauled said cargo was because it was profitable and LEGAL. I am not a smuggler, I am a Junker Trader. I follow the law, and I expect Liberty and its police force to do so as well.

Again, I would like 1.2 million credits in reparations, payable to "Noah" (without the ""). I would also like for this officer to be required to study the Liberty Legal Code in its current and up to date form so that in the future they do not commit more illegal acts.

Thank you for your time,
-Junker Jerrus

(For the OORP arguement, Blood Diamonds are not listed as illegal/contraband in Liberty at this time. An LPI Officer's ID allows him to demand contraband. Blood Diamonds are not contraband according to the law at this time. Therefor, according to server rules, the LPI Officer was not allowed to demand my cargo and certainly not allowed to destroy my ship.)

Attached: The current Laws of Liberty, pertinent section on contraband.


------------------------------------- SECTION ONE : CRIME -------------------------------------


Individuals found to be associated with, condoning or conducting criminal activities is subject to on site punishment by any officer of the Liberty forces present, ranging from a verbal warning to immediate use of lethal force. Legal action may follow if applicable.

In the house of Liberty, the following are classed as crimes:

I. Contraband possession.

It is illegal to have any amount of these goods on your person at any time:

'€¢ Cardamine
'€¢ Liquid Cardamine
'€¢ Counterfeit Software
'€¢ Black Market Munitions
'€¢ Human Organs
'€¢ Synthetic Marijuana
'€¢ Artifacts
'€¢ Slaves
'€¢ Nomad materials


This does not apply to the Primary Fleets, as personnel of the primary fleet may confiscate the above goods to deliver them to a safe and secure destination.

The transport of Synthetic Marijuana is only permitted by the official representatives of Cryer Pharmaceuticals.

The transport of Nuclear Devices is only permitted by the Primary Fleets, Liberty Corporations, Borderworld Exports and Gateway Shipping Inc.

The possession of Civilian pilots and Liberty personnel is not permitted. Any ships found to have pilots aboard will be ordered to release them to the nearest ranking Liberty forces vessel, or to the nearest lawfully patrolled base or planet.

The economic embargo with Rheinland has its own set of laws in addition to these laws. Please read here for those laws in detail.

Sender ID: Narelle Devin
Location: Manhattan

Narelle Devin here, the 'big bad officer' in question. I would like to point out, that you say that you did nothing wrong. Yet even before I 'destroyed your ship in cold blood' you outright refused my orders and engaged your ship's cloaking device. Mind explaining?

From: Junker Jerrus

I refused an illegal order. If you had ordered me to drop my cargo of basic alloy I would have refused that too, because it isn't contraband either. In fact, every LEGAL order you gave me I followed; I did not fire on you, I did not flee from you, I did nothing but quote the law, something every LPI Officer should know. Your blind prejudice and personal opinion will not add Blood Diamonds to the contraband list I copied and attached from the Laws of Liberty.
If the Liberty Police want Blood Diamonds illegal, they need to get the government to make that a law. Until it is in the Laws of Liberty, it is not a law and blood diamonds are legal to transport in Liberty space.
And this business of a cloaking device is ridiculous. I don't own a cloaking device, and your scans of my ship should show that.

-Junker Jerrus

(OORP, I did F1 in sheer disgust at a player not following the server rules of his ID. LPI can demand contraband. Blood Diamonds are not contraband, only cargo. Demanding cargo is piracy, an unlawful action. LPI ID says no unlawful actions.
So in that regard we both broke server rules and I don't want to push the issue. I'd rather get my credits back in RP)

PRIORITY:[color=#33FF33] Low
SOURCE: One Police Plaza, Planet Manhattan
TARGET: Mr Jerrus
COMM ID: Deputy Chief Jack Bauer
SUBJECT: Blood Diamonds

Thank you for contacting us. Unfortunately our laws were hacked some time ago and the Government had to rewrite them. During this rewrite, Blood Diamonds were accidentally omitted from the contraband section. The Officer, having done a brilliant job of memorizing the previous laws, was not aware of this error. Therefore I have decided to compensate the 1.2 million credits requested.

The Government will be fixing this issue shortly, so be aware that Blood Diamonds are ILLEGAL to carry throughout Liberty.

Deputy Chief Jack Bauer
Liberty Police Incorporated

From: Junker Jerrus

Thank you for the reparations. In the future, if the Liberty Police wish to treat an item as contraband or think it should be contraband, they should lobby the government to change the law quickly, for until that is done those items are legal. "Oh, well it's supposed to be in the law" is not a valid legal statement and is an extremely illegal and slippery slope for a law enforcement institution to try and claim.

-Junker Jerrus, budding Junker Civil Liberties Lawyer