As a side note, California has literally no idea how lucky it got in receiving someone who finds it amusing to play the game, rather than someone who prefers to go with the “It’s not a question of who’s going to let me; it’s the question of who’s going to stop me.” option. (Obtaining permits, after all, implicitly concedes the right of the issuer to demand permits.) There are a lot more of the latter.
(Also, dear gods, I want to hear the fuss made by the building inspector who realizes that he hasn’t heard of half of these materials and that code, oddly enough, doesn’t seem to say so explicitly but he’s pretty sure you’re not supposed to have anything in your basement with “reactor” in the name.)
In not entirely unrelated notes, the IRS has joined the ranks of galactic taxation agencies who would greatly appreciate it if various corporations would cease opening their letters with “From the Office of the Comptroller of Iniquitous Extortions and Unavenged Robberies, greetings and high contempt.”
(This will never happen.)
They’re possible. See the Imperial Charter, Sec. III, Art. IV, Right of Person and Property:
In recognizing the sacred and fundamental Right of Domain, the responsibilities of the citizen notwithstanding, all Imperial citizen-shareholders shall retain the inviolability of their minds, persons, homes, data, correspondence, and honor, save in accordance with strict process of justice, upon probable cause and within specific bounds, or for the immediate public safety.
And Art. V, Responsibility of Law:
It shall be the duty of each citizen-shareholder of the Empire to abide by this Charter and respect its ideals and institutions; to follow the law of the Empire in such matters as this Charter shall provide for the existence of such law;
That said, they are much more constrained than in typical Earth jurisdictions. For one thing, the Curial courts take “probable cause” very, very seriously and don’t hand out search warrants like candy. They are very specific where what can be searched and what for are concerned. There are no such highly dubious innovations such as “no-knock” warrants, obviously. And searches must be, legally, carried out in the presence of the property owner, with a minimum of inconvenience caused (duplicating where possible, rather than seizing, for example), and with a courtesy, respect, and delicacy of touch entirely alien to the bunch of unhanged thugs which passes for law enforcement here in the United States.
Also, consider Art. VIII: Non-Imposition:
nor shall the Empire impose uncompensated costs, mandates, or restrictions upon citizen-shareholders, unless public necessity, legally determined, shall clearly demand it, and when they shall have been previously and equitably indemnified, under the principle of eminent domain.
If they have to search your property, and you aren’t in fact guilty of your special crime, you will be compensated for it and for associated inconveniences at the usual 108/96ths rate.
(Of course, when they catch the person actually responsible for the crime, said compensation goes on his bill, under the general principle that the criminal, as the one responsible for causing the whole messy affair in the first place, should pay all society’s costs in cleaning it up.)
