Zakatian Law

If there's any country with tougher laws, it'd be Arcadia. Zakat may not have strict laws necessarily, but its punishments are far overwhelming the severity of a law in many times. Zakat's crime rate spiked under the rule of Emperor Innocentius the Fifth, seven Emperors ago and has not dropped back to normal levels, although it is getting there.

Quick Definitions

Plantiff: The one who is bringing the charges, usually the Empire of Zakat.

Defendant: The one who is charged with at least ONE crime. A defendant can be an actual person or it can be an organization.

Youthful offender status: granted to anyone 12 years old and below. May be granted to those ages 13 through 17.

Capital Crimes: These few crimes are those that, if found guilty, always results in the death penalty.

Felonies: These are crimes that are rather serious and generally will have a prison sentence as a minimum sentence.

Misdemeanors: Minor crimes that rarely will have prison sentences unless it is a repeat offense, most sentences are community service and/or a fine.

Exchanged Sentence: Nonviolent offenders are allowed to trade jail time or a fine for military service. Violent offenders are offered a shorter sentence, albeit it will be served as a gladiator.

Death Penalty: There are three modes of execution within Zakat—the gallows, the guillotine, and the firing squad.


Basic Laws

Freedom of Speech/of the Press: The Empire of Zakat will allow any speech so long as it is not considered to be purely antagonizing violent behavior.

Right to Bear Arms: The Empire of Zakat will allow any citizen who is not a violent or repeat criminal offender to own and bear weapons. Weapons of mass destruction are, of course, not allowed nor are explosive devices. This also allows for all citizens of Zakat to have a pair of bear arms on their walls.

Ages of Consent: 14 to work, 16 to drive, 18 to consent for sexual acts or for legal matters, 20 to drink, 22 to operate any other heavy machinery outside of military service.

Defense of Life: Any person who acted in a manner to preserve a human life whether it be their own or another's life may not be convicted of assault, murder, or manslaughter for that action. They will have to prove themselves by appearing before a judge or if there is reason for the member of the Imperial Army to believe that the act was committed under Defense of Life no charges will be brought.

Right of the Public's View: The public is allowed to view all non-capital crime transcripts upon request. They may see photographs of the evidence.

Double Jeopardy: If new evidence is found, whether by the state or by private individuals, a retrial of the same crimes may commence.

Highest Minimum: The stipulations of the highest crime will trump all other conflicting stipulations. Treason is the highest crime, rape and sexual assault are the highest felony, and theft is the highest misdemeanor. Thus a criminal convicted of treason, rape, and theft will be put to death but will still be castrated. A criminal convicted of murder and theft will serve the minimum sentence of the crime of murder and will thus not be eligible for military service.

Capital Crimes

• Treason: Any crimes such as staging and participating in an active attempt to harm, overthrow, and/or otherwise dismantle the Empire of Zakat or the Majesty the Emperor will result in a death penalty.
  
• Mass-Murder: Any murderer who has a combined total of 10 victims over their lifespan will be tried as a "overly-violent offender" and will be sentenced to death if convicted.
  
• Human Trafficking: Any person or persons engaged in smuggling human or elven beings into or out of or around the Empire of Zakat will be sentenced to death if convicted.
  

Felonies

• Grand Larceny: Any person or persons convicted of taking an item they do not rightfully own with a value of exactly or over 50,000 gold will serve a minimum of ten years in prison or will pay a fine equivalent of 115% of the value of the item in question.
  
• Fraud: Any person who has taken part in tax evasion, tax fraud, or any such crimes will serve a minimum of five years in an Imperial Prison and will pay a fine of 50,000 gold or may serve five years in the Imperial Army.
  
• Identity Theft: Any person or persons claiming to be another in an attempt to circumvent laws or a warrant for their arrest will serve a minimum of eight years in an Imperial Prison and will pay a fine of 80,000 gold plus whatever gains they had from the date of the identity theft or they may serve eight years in the Imperial Army.
  
• Assault: Any person or persons convicted of physically harming another person will serve a minimum of five years in prison if not committed with a weapon or three years in the arena. If committed with a weapon, the minimum is seven years or four years in the arena.
  
• Murder: Any person or persons convicted of taking a human or elven life with malice aforethought (intention to kill or cause serious harm) will serve a minimum of ten years per victim or five years in the arena per victim.
  
• Rape/Sexual Assault: Any person or persons convicting of forcing another into a sexual act or acts will serve a minimum of ten years per victim. Defendant will also be chemically castrated.
  
• Smuggling: Any person or persons convicted of smuggling contraband, drugs, and/or animals will serve a minimum of eight years in prison OR an exile from Zakat which will result in them being barred from the country.
  
• Illegal Immigration: Any person or persons convicted of entering Zakat while they are banned from doing so will serve a minimum of either years in prison.
  
• Slavery: Any person or persons convicted of forcing another person to commit unpaid labor will serve a minimum of eight years in prison and a 20,000 gold fine. They may exchange the jail time for a ten-year service in the Imperial Army but the fine would still apply.
  
• Driving While Intoxicated: Any person or persons convicted of driving any motorized or otherwise dangerous vehicle will serve a minimum three-year sentence with a 20,000 gold fine. They may exchange the sentence for a five-year service in the Imperial Army. Both sentences will result in the loss of all licenses to operate a moving vehicle for five years.
  
• Drug crimes: Any person or persons convicted of possessing with the intent to sell and/or distribute illegal substances will serve a minimum of five years in in prison and a 50,000 gold fine.
  
• Piracy: Any person or persons convicted of any illegal acts of violence or detention, or any act of depredation, directed on the high seas, against another ship or aircraft, or against persons or property on board such ship or aircraft will serve a minimum of ten years in prison and a 100,000 gold fine.
  
• Involuntary Manslaughter: Any person or persons convicted of killing another human being without the intent to cause death or serious bodily harm will serve a minimum of five years in prison or two years in the arena.
  

Misdemeanors

• Theft: Any person or persons convicted of taking an item they do not rightfully own with a value of under 50,000 gold will serve a minimum of one year in prison or will pay a 5,000 gold fine.
  
• Underage Drinking: Any person or persons convicted of ingesting alcoholic items while under the legal drinking age of 20 will serve six months in prison or may serve one year in the Imperial Army.
  
• Driving Without a License: Any person or persons convicted of operating a vehicle without a license except in the case of dire emergency will serve one year in prison or may serve two years in the Imperial Army.
  

New Laws

Any citizen of Zakat may propose a new law by filling out a petition. It is then passed onto the courts and secretaries to see if it is reasonable.

Character Name:
Profile Link:
Age: (Character must be 18 to submit)
City of Residence:
Law In Question: (Is the character proposing a law? Wishing to discuss the unfairness of one? Please be specific.)

Code:

[b]Character Name:[/b]
[b]Profile Link:[/b]
[b]Age:[/b]
[b]City of Residence:[/b]
[b]Law In Question:[/b]