DOJ Guidelines

• The Department of Justice is responsible for maintaining a fair and professional legal system within the city. These rules apply to Judges, Attorneys, Prosecutors, District Attorneys, Public Defenders, and other DOJ personnel.
• DOJ Professionalism
• All DOJ members must:
• Remain professional while performing DOJ duties.
• Treat civilians, law enforcement, EMS, businesses, gangs, and other factions fairly.
• Keep personal relationships separate from legal decisions.
• Follow server and roleplay rules at all times.
• Maintain realistic and serious courtroom RP.
• Never use a DOJ position for personal gain.
• No DOJ Corruption
• Unless specifically approved by server management for an RP storyline, DOJ members may not:
• Accept bribes.
• Sell confidential information.
• Remove charges for friends.
• Give special treatment to gang or faction members.
• Manipulate court cases.
• Destroy or hide evidence.
• Issue illegal warrants.
• Abuse government permissions.
• Unauthorized corruption may result in DOJ termination and staff punishment.
• Judges
• Judges are expected to remain neutral. Judges must:
• Review available evidence.
• Listen to both sides.
• Make decisions based on city law.
• Avoid conflicts of interest.
• Provide reasonable sentences.
• Respect defendants’ legal rights.
• Judges may not use their position to target or protect specific players.
• Attorneys
• Attorneys must properly represent their clients. Attorneys may:
• Speak privately with their clients.
• Review evidence when legally permitted.
• Negotiate plea agreements.
• Challenge evidence.
• Represent clients during court proceedings.
• File appropriate motions or appeals.
• Attorneys may not knowingly submit fake evidence or intentionally lie about evidence presented to the court.
• Prosecutors / District Attorney
• Prosecutors represent the government and should pursue cases fairly. They must:
• Review evidence before prosecuting.
• Ensure charges are supported by evidence.
• Provide required evidence to the defense.
• Avoid adding unreasonable charges simply to increase punishment.
• Follow approved plea-deal procedures.
• The goal is justice—not simply winning cases.
• Public Defenders
• Public Defenders must provide reasonable representation to players who cannot or do not have a private attorney. Public Defenders should:
• Speak with their client.
• Review the charges.
• Review available evidence.
• Explain possible outcomes.
• Negotiate when appropriate.
• Represent their client professionally.
• Warrants
• Warrants must have a legitimate RP and legal reason. Depending on server law, warrants may include:
• Arrest warrants
• Search warrants
• Property warrants
• Vehicle search warrants
• Warrants should contain: Suspect Name: Requested By: Agency: Reason: Evidence / Probable Cause: Judge: Date Issued: Expiration Date: A judge should not approve a warrant without sufficient probable cause.
• Search Warrants
• Search warrants must clearly identify what law enforcement is authorized to search. This may include:
• A residence
• Business
• Vehicle
• Specific property
• Law enforcement should remain within the scope of the approved warrant unless additional circumstances legally justify further action under the server’s laws.
• Arrest Warrants
• An arrest warrant should only be issued when sufficient evidence connects the suspect to an alleged crime. An arrest warrant should include:
• Suspect’s identity
• Charges
• Supporting evidence
• Requesting officer/agency
• Approving judge
• Date issued
• Court Cases
• Court cases should be handled professionally. A typical case may include:
• Opening statements
• Prosecution evidence
• Defense response
• Witness testimony
• Cross-examination
• Closing statements
• Judge’s ruling
• Sentencing when applicable
• Players should be allowed a reasonable opportunity to present their side.
• Evidence
• Valid evidence may include:
• Bodycam footage
• Dashcam footage
• Photographs
• Witness testimony
• Physical evidence
• Approved server records
• Police reports
• Other evidence permitted by city law
• Evidence should not be fabricated, altered, or intentionally hidden.
• Evidence should not be fabricated, altered, or intentionally hidden.
• Chain of Custody
• Important evidence should be properly documented. Records should show:
• Who collected the evidence.
• When it was collected.
• Where it was collected.
• Who handled it.
• Where it was stored.
• Major problems with evidence handling may be considered during court proceedings.
• Defendant Rights
• Defendants should receive the rights established by the server’s legal system. Depending on city law, these may include:
• Right to remain silent.
• Right to request an attorney.
• Right to know their charges.
• Right to challenge evidence.
• Right to a fair court proceeding.
• Right to appeal eligible decisions.
• Plea Deals
• Plea agreements may be offered when appropriate. Possible agreements can include:
• Reduced charges
• Reduced fines
• Reduced jail time
• Dismissal of certain charges in exchange for a plea
• All plea deals must follow DOJ policy and cannot be offered because of friendship or favoritism.
• Courtroom Rules
• While court is in session:
• Remain respectful.
• Do not interrupt the judge.
• Do not scream or intentionally disrupt proceedings.
• Weapons must follow courthouse/server policies.
• Follow lawful instructions from court security.
• Attorneys should address the court professionally.
• Serious disruption may result in removal from the courtroom or an appropriate in-character contempt action under server rules.
• Conflicts of Interest
• DOJ members should remove themselves from cases involving:
• Their own character.
• Close associates when impartiality is reasonably questionable.
• Their own gang/faction.
• Cases in which they were directly involved.
• Situations where they have significant personal interest.
• Another qualified DOJ member should handle the case whenever possible.
• Confidential Information
• DOJ members must protect confidential information. Do not leak:
• Sealed warrants
• Protected evidence
• Confidential investigations
• Private attorney/client discussions
• Sealed court documents
• Information obtained through DOJ permissions
• Using DOJ information to benefit another character, gang, or faction is prohibited.
• DOJ Chain of Command
• Example DOJ structure: Chief Justice ↓ Supreme/High Court Judge ↓ Judge ↓ District Attorney ↓ Assistant District Attorney / Prosecutor ↓ Senior Attorney ↓ Attorney ↓ Public Defender The exact ranks may be changed to match the server’s DOJ structure.
• DOJ Records
• Major DOJ actions should be documented. This includes:
• Warrants
• Court cases
• Plea agreements
• Major sentences
• Appeals
• DOJ disciplinary actions
• Important legal decisions
• Accurate records help keep the city’s legal system consistent.
• DOJ & Police
• DOJ and law enforcement should work together while remaining separate. Police investigate and enforce laws. DOJ reviews, prosecutes, defends, interprets, and handles legal proceedings. Judges should not automatically side with police simply because an officer made an arrest.
• No Powergaming
• DOJ members must follow normal FiveM RP rules. Do not:
• Force unrealistic legal outcomes.
• Create laws during a situation simply to punish someone.
• Abuse DOJ mechanics.
• Use OOC information in court.
• Use staff information as DOJ evidence.
• Ignore server rules because of your government position.
• DOJ Discipline
• DOJ members who violate policy may receive:
• Verbal warning
• Written warning
• Suspension
• Demotion
• Removal from a case
• DOJ termination
• Server punishment for serious rule violations
• Final Rule The DOJ exists to create fair, serious, and enjoyable legal roleplay—not to give players unlimited power. Every DOJ member is expected to uphold fairness, professionalism, confidentiality, and quality roleplay. No one—including police, government officials, donors, staff members, or DOJ leadership—is above the city’s laws and server rules.