okay by comparison Voa and Tapa look like thriving modern democracies
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"Oh, I can get you a wand - wait in line? I'll be back in a sec -"

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"...do you often leave arrestees unsupervised? I can't teleport, but..."

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"And I can teleport to you if you're within a couple trillion lightyears of here. We don't really have a problem with prisoners attempting escape but if you're uncomfortable I of course won't leave."

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"Are any of the other people in line violent criminals?"

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"No, there's a different procedure for those."

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She sighs. "You may go."

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He is back five seconds later with a strange-looking wand. He taps her. Now the sign is perfectly readable. 

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She orders a coffee and a chocolate bread.

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They're free. The teleporter walks her to a courtroom.

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She doesn't make any trouble.

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The judge explains her rights. It's a long list. She has the right to counsel, which will be appointed for her in this hearing; she has the right to refuse to participate in the judicial process, which may adversely affect the outcome of her kidnapping case but will not earn new charges; she has the right to prison conditions in line with intergalactic treaty and with expectations in her native society to the extent those are compatible with public safety; she has the right to refuse to testify under a truth effect, though this will of course affect the credibility of her testimony; she has the right to know the evidence against her and submit questions for her accusers; she has the right to an appeal; she has the right to a clear and straightforward explanation of the law and of the legal process,which the judge duly provides. 

(Kidnapping is the crime of unlawful transportation and confinement of a person against their will;  'unlawful' is met if the kidnapper did not reasonably believe themselves to be acting in their capacity as an officer of the law to carry out an arrest for which they had a lawfully obtained warrant; the penalty for each charge, of which there are three, is between one and six local years' imprisonment. Local years are a quarter of Amentan years.)

The judge wants to know if she understands her rights and whether prison conditions are acceptable and whether she understands the crime she is charged with.

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"I am entitled to issue warrants," she says.

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"Had you issued a warrant for the arrest of the persons you are accused of kidnapping?"

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"My say-so constitutes one."

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"What were they charged with?"

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"Possession of alien technology."

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"Were they informed that they were under arrest?"

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"I think they noticed."

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"Defendant's counsel, I recommend you talk to your client before we add anything to the record."

       "Yes, your honor."

"Do you understand the charges against you?"

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"No. Under what jurisdiction am I charged?"

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"Vanda Nossëo."

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"According to what law am I extradited?"

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"Vanda Nossëo prosecutes certain crimes against its citizens committed anywhere in the universe, barring locations that have negotiated a different arrangement, under Statute 43 of the Third Treaty on galactic operations."

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"The prison is fine as prisons go."

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"Do you have questions for this court."

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