Law and Order
Law and Order in Saxum
Saxum has Federal, State, Municipal, and Independent Legal organisations that, in theory, operate to maintain law and order across the nation. The most well-known legal agencies are:
Federal Marshal Service (FMS)
The FMS acts as the enforcement and security arm of the Federal Judiciary, Saxum’s legal system. There is one Marshal for each State, one Marshal for Fortune City, and one Marshal for all territories of the Caldera.
Each Marshal has the authority to deputise any Citizen of Saxum, as they see fit, to assist in carrying out their duties. Some of these Deputy Marshals can be hired by the FMS to be permanent staff. The FMS has jurisdiction in all States and Territories of Saxum. Marshals can also act as a Federal Judge in the absence of an appointed Federal Judge.
Federal Department of Prisons (FDP)
Responsible for Saxum’s Federal prisons.
Tamarillo Rangers
The Tamarillo Rangers are a specialised law enforcement group found only in Tamarillo. They are authorised to enforce the law throughout the whole state of Tamarillo, operating between the Federal Marshal Service and Sheriff Departments. They are called upon for complex investigations that involve crossing multiple jurisdictions within Tamarillo. These investigations typically involve bandits and gangs who make use of Tamarillo’s vast open plains.
Sheriff Departments
Each State and Territory has the right to appoint its own Sheriffs, who, in turn, can appoint their own Sheriff’s Deputies to act as enforcement and security for their State’s Judiciary. This includes managing county jails, overseeing prison transfers, collecting taxes, and providing security for court. Sheriffs are responsible for a specific county, province, or city within their State or Territory. This varies depending on the region, such as Goldrock, Wheatstan, Tamarillo, and Fortune City. Like Marshals, Sheriffs can stand in for State Judges when an appointed State Judge is absent.
Police Departments
Police Departments operate in all regions except Tamarillo. They are responsible for maintaining law and order in specific towns or cities, and in the case of the capital, a district.
Independent Agencies
There are numerous independent organisations that contract with both the federal and state courts. These agencies take on various contracts to act on behalf of the court, including tasks such as bounty hunting, debt collection, private security, and more.
The Court System of Saxum
The Court System of Saxum is divided into State and Federal levels. County and State Courts handle local and serious cases, while the Federal Court System, including District Courts, Courts of Appeals, and the Supreme Court, oversees national matters. Judges are appointed by the President and confirmed by the House of Elders. Read more here:
Laws of Saxum
The laws enforced across Saxum are derived from the Constitution and Bill of Rights of the United States of Saxum. These rights and laws have developed over time and are in place to uphold the rights and freedoms of the states and individuals of Saxum. A full copy of the Constitution and Bill of Rights can be found at the following link:
The Constitution and Bill of Rights
The Armed Forces of Saxum
The laws of Saxum are upheld by the various legal agencies mentioned above to protect Saxum’s ideals of freedom. However, it is the Army and Navy of Saxum that provide the nation with its security.
The states are not permitted to maintain standing armies of their own, but with the government's consent, they can raise mercenary companies to fight in foreign wars. Wealthy individuals with the consent of their states can also raise private mercenary companies, which are known to frequent foreign battlefields.
These mercenary companies follow the same ranks as the Army but tend to have their own uniforms, even though they are entitled to wear the same blue uniforms as the Federal Army.
The Navy is solely federal, as states are not permitted to maintain their own naval forces. Private companies, which are also forbidden from maintaining a Navy, have found workarounds by operating heavily defended ships. While these private ships are not comparable to the ships of the Federal Navy’s fleet, they are capable of deterring pirates on the high seas.
More information on the Armed Forces can be found here: The Armed Forces of Saxum