Disclaimer: In the case where we are working on behalf of a player who is currently banned and they commit an offense (this offense is based off of our Code Of Conduct) we will cease contact while a pending investigation occurs from the players region. Should the player not have a region, the CSRP reserves the right to halt communication for any amount of time.

Ban Review & Appeal Consideration

These guidelines detail the process by which cases will be considered for ban/appeal.

Legal Proceedings: In the case of legal action being pursued, we will recommend all parties involved to not attend events during the course of the proceedings. If there is a current legal investigation into a community member, they will remain suspended until the conclusion of the proceedings. If legal action begins in the middle of the ban/appeal process, the panel will stop all proceedings immediately until the conclusion of said legal proceedings. Upon conclusion, the panel will request the court order. We do so for documentation and ruling purposes. We ask this to be provided to respect the limited financial resources of the project to afford independent copies. All legal documentation will be requested at the discretion of the panel, as appropriate to the investigative process.

Disclaimer: We will comply with any appropriate request for information made through the proper channels by either law enforcement or legal counsel.

A. Logistics

• Uniformity: All Cases will have the opportunity to be considered for appeal. However, please note that all indefinite bans do have the potential to not be undone due to the severity of the bannable offense.

• Timeframe: Cases will be considered for appeal upon submission for an appeal by affected parties. A ban can be appealed after either half the ban has been served, or a year has passed, whichever comes first. In the event of a rejected appeal, another appeal may be made after a minimum of one calendar year has occurred. 

• Grandfather Clause: Appeals that predate the creation of this committee will have their results respected. If an appeal was denied, 1 calendar year from the date of that decision must have passed before an appeal may be submitted to this panel.

B. Process

Regions should attempt to handle either a ban or an appeal themselves. In the event they are unable to do so, or there is a lack of resources, this panel will provide an appeals process and an individual panel built for only the case. 

Note: the results of such a panel can be made public or kept private depending on circumstance. Part of submitting an appeal is agreeing to this process.

1. Initiating the Process: A new conduct case may be submitted at any point after the infraction, though its pursual is up to the discretion of the commitee. Either a ban or an appeal can be submitted (once the aforementioned is satisfied) through the ticket form available in the discord. A panel consisting of a subset of 5 members will be selected at random from previously vetted members of the community. Qualified community members may apply to be added to this pool here.

1. 1. The pool for review composes the panel handling the process. They include one member who is from the same region where the ban was issued, provided they are a trusted member in that group.

   2. A member from the resource panel will moderate that the process is followed correctly through review of recordings and transcriptions of all communication regarding the appeal, and evidence considered. This member will not be considered one of the 5 panelists.

      1. This resource panel member can't vote and advise except what's in the Code of Conduct; his/her role is to answer questions from the panelists. Panel members for each case will rotate, and their identities kept confidential to the public for matters of safety. A statement will be signed from all parties privy to the appeal process to keep this information confidential, and any violation of this will result in immediate removal from the panel and be handled according to the Code of Conduct. 

2. Discovery Phase: The panelists will contact all parties of the event and collect evidence.

   1. This involves screenshots / equivalent conversation logs, calls with parties, etc.  

   2. Every communication and record reviewed in this stage will be recorded/transcribed appropriately for record and review.

3. Review and Discussion: Panelists will review all information that was submitted. 

   1. They then meet to debate and decide on action according to the Code of Conduct, past precedent, and their discretion.

   2. This discussion will be recorded for the record. 

4. Deliberation and Notification of Verdict: The panel will notify all involved parties as to the decision regarding the process.

   1.  This will communicate the decision of the appeal, clauses addressed, CITED justification of punishment via evidence, opinion and dissenting opinion if provided by panel, and the recommended privacy status of the appeal.

   2. The final decision will be sent to the TOs of the region, who will further determine the result’s privacy status at their own discretion, after consulting with the recommendation given by panel members.