Vice City Court House | Court Services

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Court of Vice City Fiat justitia.

Services of the Court

The Court of Vice City also offers several civil services to assist citizens, business and homeowners, and law enforcement officials.

• Civil and criminal cases
• Contract approval
• Trademark protection and registration

Civil and Criminal Cases
Civil Cases
Lawsuits, or civil cases, are intended for citizens to resolve issues that do not involve criminal offenses. These issues can, however, include the consequences of criminal action. A person injured by a criminal who has been arrested may choose to sue the criminal for medical costs.

There are a couple of restrictions on civil lawsuits, however.

• Dead men can't sue. If you or someone you're suing died in the context of your RP, a lawsuit can't be made.
• No outrageous lawsuits. You are only allowed to sue for damages you actually incurred. You can't sue for $500,000 for emotional distress or $25,000 for medical bills when the cost of being healed is (for example) $250.
• Damages must be proven. If you don't have evidence backing up the amount of money you're claiming you lost, any undocumented damages will be ignored.

Punitive damages will be issued if deemed necessary by the court to deter a person from participating in harmful actions. These damages are only issued to repeat offenders, or for actions that are exceptionally dangerous to others.

The fee for a state-appointed attorney in a civil case is $2,500.

Criminal Cases
These cases are restricted to members of law enforcement and must be approved by a high-ranking official. These cases have a higher standard for evidence, but also have much more severe penalties in the event of a guilty verdict, such as seizure of assets by the state and the issuance of search and arrest warrants. An example of a well-structured criminal case can be found here.

Defendants in a criminal case are entitled to reduced-cost legal representation: lawyers' fees are reduced from $2,500 to $250.

Like civil cases, there are restrictions on criminal cases:

• Dead men can't be charged. If a criminal dies in the context of an RP you're starting a case for, the case will be thrown out.
• Defendants cannot be brought to trial for the same crime more than once. Double jeopardy is enforced here. If a defendant is acquitted for the same crime, they cannot be brought to trial for it again, which is why as much evidence should be presented as possible.
• Seized assets must be proven to be directly tied to a crime. You cannot move to seize all of a convicted criminal's assets on the basis that they may be tied to a crime. You must prove that the assets you want to seize are directly connected to their activities.

Contracts
The Court of Vice City offers free contract approval services for all citizens. As long as an agreement is made between two parties and is legally enforceable, the court system will recognize it and offer protection for both parties if the contract is breached.

An example of a good, clear contract can be found here. Contracts do not have to be made in this format as long as they meet the above requirements.

Contracts that cannot be enforced include, but aren't limited to:

• Contracts made by force or under threat of harm
• Contracts requiring the execution of illegal acts for any reason
• Contracts to transfer items which they do not own
• Contracts made with parties who lack the mental capacity to understand the terms

Issues that fall under contract enforcement include, but are not limited to:

• Sharing homes and tenancy agreements
• Transferring property or services
• Issuing loans

Trademark Registration
Business owners who wish to protect their names, logos, and trademarks from misuse may choose to register their trademarks. Trademarks last for six months and can be renewed indefinitely; during this period of protection, the trademark holder may order improper uses of their assets to be removed or taken down, and sue those who refuse to do so.

Initial trademark registration costs $1,000; subsequent renewals cost $500. These fees should be sent to the judge who is reviewing your application.

Anything being trademarked must have existed for at least three weeks (21 days) and must be in active use. Applying for a trademark before that point, or if inactive, will result in a rejection.

You should: Clearly state what you are registering and why. Pay the fees to the appropriate justice, or any justice if they are unavailable. Explicitly grant approval to other businesses using your trademarks while they are registered. Renew your trademark every six months, or it will be cancelled.

You should not: Use real-life trademarks or copyrighted materials. Register generic terms or government references. Register a name. Register a place. Transfer your trademark without notifying the court.