Re: [DL] Law Question

[UriahGutsball@aol.com]

In a message dated 4/3/01 3:03:14 AM Pacific Daylight Time, 
r.spence@weir.co.uk writes:

> The suspect duped the friend and fanned 5 bullets into him,
>  jumped over the now bleeding and unconscious body and made a dash for the
>  door.  
>  
>  Our Deputy Marshal drew his twin gattling pistols and opened fire.  He 
fired
>  both pistols twice, throwing 12 bullets into the room.  Eight hit their
>  target, one doing 46 to his head, so the suspect expired immediately, two 
of
>  the remaining 4 bullets hit bystanders - one doing 2 guts wounds and 
another
>  doing 4 wounds to the head (was 5 wounds but he reduced it using his last 2
>  white fate chips).  The Deputy, thinking he's killed the poor bystander who
>  is now bleeding profusely from a head wound, is startled by the bartenders
>  shout to drop his weapons.  Failing a guts check, he runs for the door
>  vacating the premises before the barman can move.
>  
>  In the aftermath the Deputy Marshal is starting to think his actions were
>  extremely foolish and is thinking of turning himself in.  His official 
story
>  is that he shot the suspect after the suspect shot his friend (does this
>  count as self-defence?) and explaining that he ran because he was chasing
>  the suspects accomplice.
>  
>  Has anyone any idea how Mormon law in those days would handle this?
>   

This is one problem about Law Dogs I've always had- it never gave a detailed 
explanation on the US Marshals, and how they operate in the Fractured "wierd 
west". The brief section in law dogs implies that the South has a US Marshals 
(CS Marshals, it guess it would be for them) type organization, and says that 
the US Marshals assign districts to the disputed lands- And Deseret is 
considered "disputed" by everyone but the mormons, as I remember.  So, at 
your discretion, there just might be a US Marshal's office in Junkyard- 
supposing that the Marshal in charge respected the various mormon laws, I 
don't see why the deseretian couldn't an agreement with the US marshal- it's 
free law enforcement, that can pursue outlaws beyond the borders of Utah, If 
such a thing were to happen. So, if the there's a US marshal's office, the 
marshal in charge might be able to swing this here deputy loose of the 
charges(which I'll cover next)- That is, if you're willing to assume that the 
deputy had checked in with the marshal upon arriving in Junkyard.(Supposing 
that the player would have done it had he known to do it.) Or course, if you 
don't suppose that the player checked in with the US Marshal, Then the player 
should have a hard time convincing the marshal to talk to Eli Waters(town 
marshal, I think, for Junkyard), seeing as how the player just came into his 
district unnannounced and started shooting. 

As per the punishment, should he turn himself in, I don't think it'd be 
Hangin', right off the bat. Look at the situation objectively- The deputy 
marshal is in the ledge, minding his own business. Suddenly, another man 
Shoots a friend of his FIVE TIMES in the chest, probably killing him, and 
runs. The Deputy marshal responds instintively- he draws down on the gunman, 
and attempts to stop his flight- and accidentally wounds two people 
severely(did the man shot in the head survive?), but stops the original 
killer.  Then, afraid that the bartender was going to shoot him, he ran.

So what we have here is: 
-1 count of discharging a weapon in town limits-  $20 fine, confiscation of 
weapons(which is pretty hefty- $1600 in gatling pistols), and/or up to One 
day in jail- Subject to increase at your discretion.
-1 count of Disturbing the Peace, 5 to 50 dollar fine(depending on the 
severity of the conduct) and/or one day in jail. 
-2 counts of Assault with a weapon in the 2nd degree, for the for the 
innocent bystanders, with circumstances. One month to two years. At Least, if 
they both live. If one of them dies, it becomes Manslaughter 2.
-1 count of Murder in the 2nd degree, though based on the circumstances (shot 
a man who'd just shot some five times), The town Marshal may choose not to 
charge the Deputy with this, as it was, in itself, justifiable.

If Marshal Waters respects that the character is a Deputy US marshal, whether 
or not he respects the man's authority, Waters may simply charge him a 
Massive fine, if the two innocents agree to a settlement, including the 
Medical bills, and so on. I'd say, If the character is Man enough to turn 
himself in, that he's A.) Fined the resale value of most of his noteworthy 
equipment(if he's got anything like those gatling pistols), and most all of 
his money, which then counts as most of his fine, for the weapons 
discharging, Accidental Assaults, and disturbing the peace, and B.) 4 months 
of hard labor in a Maximum-Bad prison, for the assaults and the "Murder", 
after which the Deputy has to leave deseret, and not come back.

This is probably much too easy, but I'm a softie as marshals go, and I 
wouldn't want to kill a character for pursueing that game- That's realistic, 
but not as fun. So, the OOC punishment is that he is confined to a new, 
starting character for no less than 2 whole adventures(not including the one 
currently in progress), or, if the posse remains in Deseret for longer than 
that, until they leave the country of Des. and can reunite with the old 
character.

Uriah, the crazy indian.