City Owner's Manual — How the DOJ System Works
A plain-language walkthrough of the whole CrestWood DOJ: the website, the phone app, the in-city access points, and what each of the 15 DOJ roles actually does. Written from the live code and the project's own rulebook/plans — where the system is incomplete, it's flagged with a gap tag.
1 · Overview
What the DOJ system is, and the three ideas that make it work.
The CrestWood Department of Justice is the city's whole legal, records, and licensing system — courts, the clerk's office, the DA, the bar, licensing, and the public record. It has two faces that share one database, so what happens in the city and what shows on the website are always the same data.
🖥️ The website
A PHP + vanilla-JS portal (served by XAMPP). A public, read-only face anyone can browse, plus passcode-login dashboards for DOJ staff. You can only log in from an in-city terminal or the phone app.
🎮 The in-city resource
A FiveM resource (crestwood_doj) that puts DOJ terminals, a City Services clerk desk, a printer, a filing cabinet, and map blips into the world. Opening a terminal loads the same website inside the game.
🗄️ One shared database
The game and the website both read/write the crestwood_doj MariaDB. A person is tied to their records by their citizenid. File a case in the city → it appears on the public record instantly.
The public website is deliberately login-locked from the open internet. A passcode login is only accepted when the request proves it came from a live in-city DOJ terminal, and the phone app uses a separate token flow. A random browser that tries to log in is told: "Log in from a DOJ terminal in the city." This is the anti-tamper rule from the rulebook (§4.1): you can browse the public record from anywhere, but you can only sign in or submit filings from inside the city.
2 · How the website works
A single-page app: a public area everyone sees, and role dashboards behind the login.
Public area — no login needed
Browse-only. This is the "public record" the rulebook (§4.2) allows: registry numbers, party names, charges, verdicts, statuses, and dates — never personal identifiers, financials, evidence, or sealed matter.
- Home — welcome, the Quick Guide, City Guide, Citizens FAQ, plus live widgets (today's Court Docket + who's on DOJ duty).
- Public Records — searchable registries: Case, Marriage, Property, Professional are public. Licenses, Citations, Warrants are shown to DOJ personnel only.
- Penal Code — the full offense table (code, offense, level, jail, fine, Texas + CW refs).
- DOJ Library — the Rulebook, Driver's Handbook, Bar Study Guide, Professional Exam Handbook, Citizen FAQ, City Job Directory, the Form Catalog, and the posted Fee Schedule.
- Careers — every hiring department, its role ladder, and how to apply.
Logged-in dashboards — per role
After you sign in, the site renders one dashboard tailored to your role (see §5). Common building blocks:
- DOJ Notifications & Mail — role-to-role messaging + formal notices.
- New Filing — case, marriage, property, professional (clerks, master clerks, paralegals).
- Clerk desk panels — Pending Filings, Issuance Queue, Invoice Desk, Permit Queue, Examinations.
- Court tools — Docket, Bail Administration, Court Sessions, Recusal, Sentencing.
- Examinations & Study — practice + official Bar/DMV, and license applications (citizens).
Login, first-time setup & recovery
- Open a terminal or the app. The game hands the page your character identity (citizenid, name, role) so it can route you straight to the right screen.
- New citizen → setup. A brand-new account is walked through first-login setup: choose a passcode + a security question (rulebook §6, account security).
- Returning → passcode login. Enter your DOJ passcode. A session token is issued and stored on your account; it rides in the request body (Apache strips auth headers here).
- Forgot it? The security-question recovery flow lets you reset your passcode. Seed/legacy accounts (e.g. clerk1, judge1) are also pushed through setup on first use.
Where the records live
Everything is rows in the crestwood_doj database. The website reaches them through one dispatch endpoint (api/router.php), which fans out to specialized handlers. At a high level the API can:
- Verify logins, run account setup + passcode/security recovery
- Serve the Penal Code, public registries, and the City Bulletin
- Take filing drafts & submissions and run clerk review (accept / reject)
- Handle cases, counsel assignment, and public-defender requests
- Process license applications, background checks & issuance; permit queue
- Run the Bar/DMV exam engine (codes, sittings, practice) + continuing education
- Do sealing, expungement, recusal, bail, and DOJ invoices
- Carry DOJ mail/messages, scheduling, law-firm sites, and the IT terminal board
3 · How the phone app works
The DOJ app on LB Phone — the pocket version of your DOJ account. (The separate Phone App page mocks the actual screens.)
What it is
A custom app registered with LB Phone, pre-installed on every new phone ("Department of Justice — cases, invoices, bills, licenses"). Opening it mints a short-lived phone token tied to your citizenid — a separate auth path from the website passcode login, so the app never sees a staff token.
Everyone sees (citizen view)
- My Cases — cases where you're a party
- My Invoices & My Property Bills (read-only; you pay in-game)
- My Licenses and My Filings / license & permit applications
- City Bulletin — the public announcement feed
What each role sees on top
If your citizenid matches a DOJ account, the app adds a small, read-only role panel above the citizen view — a "what needs me" glance that points you to a terminal or MDT for the real work:
- Clerk
- pending filings + queued print jobs
- Judge
- upcoming sessions + assigned case count
- DA / Prosecutor
- open criminal cases
- Police / Marshal / FBI
- active warrants + recent citations
- IT
- open tickets, incidents, locked terminals
- Executive
- active cases, pending filings, licenses this week
- Attorneys
- retained cases + upcoming sessions
Plus a public Law Office directory (the DOJ Law Office + any live private-practice firm sites). Filing, exams, and dashboards proper still happen at a full DOJ terminal.
4 · In-city access points
The physical places in the city where the DOJ system is reachable. Map icons come from config.lua; the terminal / clerk desk / printer / cabinet are placed in-game with the admin /placer tool (so they carry no map icon).
| Point | How you reach it | Rough location | What it's for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Supreme Court | Map blip (purple shield) | Downtown, front steps ~(240, -398) | Highest court — final appeals, federal trials, expungement petitions. Home of the Permanent Records Library. |
| City Hall | Map blip (gold shield) | Del Perro ~(-1284, -566) | The clerk's-office hub: the City Services window, DOJ printer & filing cabinet, and the DMV upstairs. |
| DMV | Map blip (yellow, close-range) | City Hall — upstairs ~(-1301, -576) | Written knowledge test + practical road test. Run by the separate cw_dmv instructor, not the DOJ resource. |
| Police — Clock In | Job spot (blue blip + floor marker) | Mission Row PD ~(440, -975) · Paleto ~(-450, 6013) | Officers go on/off duty here; gateway to the police MDT. |
| DOJ Terminal | E on the computer (or /doj) | Placed in-game (no map icon) | Log into the DOJ portal in-city: file, pay, take exams, run your role dashboard. Sign out when done or it trips a security lockout. |
| City Services window | E on the clerk NPC | City Hall (placed in-game) | Citizen intake counter: IDs & licenses, submit a form, certified copies, invoices, exam registration, IT tickets, contact officials. |
| DOJ Printer | E at the desk (clerks only) | City Hall clerk desk | Print signed originals + file the copy; print certificates & licenses; "print for pickup" so a citizen can self-collect. |
| Filing Cabinet / Document Library | E on the cabinet | City Hall | Read-only browse of filed document copies and their signature status (90-day library). |
| Document Storage Locker | E (role-gated stash) | City Hall | Real personal storage for documents/credentials (60-day retention), for clerk/leadership roles. |
| Permanent Records Library | E at the Supreme Court | Supreme Court | Permanent verdicts, judgments, pardons & sealed-matter inventory. Site of the expungement shredder (a clerk must physically shred by case #). |
A terminal binds to whoever opened it. If you walk away without signing out and someone else opens it, it trips a security alert and locks that person's DOJ login until DOJ IT repairs it. Hit a locked terminal? Use "Request IT assistance" on the alert screen, or file an IT work ticket at the City Services window.
What's on the City Services window menu
The single most-used point for citizens. Its options:
5 · Roles & workflows
The 15 DOJ roles from the account register, grouped by branch. Each card covers what they do, the access points & dashboard sections they use, a step-by-step workflow, and whether the Bar Examination is required (from the DOJ Library's "Positions Requiring the Bar" list). Where a workflow isn't spelled out in code, it's drawn from the rulebook/role-policy and marked (policy).
Chief Justice Bar required Head of the judiciary
What they do
Runs the courts: oversees all judges, assigns cases, hears the highest appeals, and holds full DOJ administrative authority (create/remove users, assign roles, seal, restore expunged records).
Where they work
DOJ terminal → dashboard: Manage Users (Edit User Roles), Recusal Queue, Expunged Records, Bail Administration, Court Sessions, City Bulletin, Firm oversight. Presides at the Supreme Court.
Typical workflow
- Review the recusal queue; reassign any case a judge stepped off.
- Assign incoming cases to judges and set the court calendar.
- Hear final appeals; enter the ruling on the record.
- Order sealing / restore expunged records; manage user roles as needed.
Judge Bar required
What they do
Presides over hearings, trials, and sentencing at the assigned court level (Municipal / District / Supreme).
Where they work
DOJ terminal → dashboard: My Docket (assigned cases), Pending Assignments, Actions (Recusal Request, Submit Sentencing, Official Letter), Bail Administration, Court Sessions, City Bulletin, and judge-signed access to hidden property. Presides in the courtroom.
Typical workflow
- Pick up a pending assignment from the docket (or recuse in writing if conflicted).
- Hold the hearing; a bailiff keeps order and a court reporter records it.
- Enter the verdict & sentence; resolve bail (grant/deny/forfeit/refund).
- Sign orders (sealing, expungement, warrants) as the case requires.
Master Clerk Bar required
What they do
Senior clerk: supervises the clerk team, manages user accounts, registers/dissolves law firms, and can seal records — on top of the full clerk toolset.
Where they work
DOJ terminal → dashboard: New Filing, User Management, all clerk-desk panels (Pending Filings, Issuance Queue, Invoice Desk, Permit Queue, Examinations), Exam Scores, Recusal Queue, Expunged Records, Property Closings, and Law Firm oversight. Works the City Hall desk, printer, cabinet.
Typical workflow
- Triage the clerks' pending queues; step in on escalations.
- Approve accounts, assign roles below judge, register a new firm.
- Administer examinations and review exam scores.
- Seal a record or process a documented license revocation when ordered.
Clerk No bar
What they do
The workhorse of the office: processes filings, issues IDs/licenses, handles invoices, registers exam candidates, prints & files documents, and staffs the City Services window.
Where they work
City Services window, DOJ printer, filing cabinet, and the terminal dashboard: Daily Tasks, New Filing, Pending Filings, Issuance Queue, Invoice Desk, Permit Queue, Examinations, and the Property Closings "Print to Sign" panel.
Typical workflow
- Take intake at the window (form, ID/license request, certified copy, exam registration).
- Review a submission → accept (it gets a registry number) or reject with a reason.
- Issue the credential / certificate and bill the fee by invoice.
- Print the original at the DOJ printer, file the copy in the cabinet.
Court Reporter No bar
What they do
Records court proceedings and files the official transcript for the record.
Where they work
In the courtroom during a session; DOJ terminal → dashboard: Transcripts — Upload Transcript URL. Also gets Scheduling + a Training Guide entry.
Typical workflow
- Attend the scheduled hearing assigned by the presiding judge.
- Record the proceeding.
- Upload the finished transcript URL to the case from the dashboard.
Bailiff No bar
What they do
Courtroom security, custody of in-court defendants, and service of process. Reports to the presiding judge.
Where they work
In the courtroom; DOJ terminal → dashboard: Court Docket (with refresh) and Notify the Bench (Message Judge / Message Clerk).
Typical workflow
- Pull the day's docket and prep the courtroom.
- Manage the queue / custody as parties are called.
- Message the judge or clerk about readiness or an incident.
District Attorney Bar required Head of prosecution
What they do
Leads all prosecution, decides which cases go to court, directs criminal investigations, and supervises the Public Defender program (PD assignment is DA-only).
Where they work
DOJ terminal → dashboard: an in-dashboard DA office layout — charges/cases, the PD assignment queue, Exam Scores, Bail Administration, Court Sessions, Recusal, City Bulletin.
Typical workflow
- Review criminal cases and decide which to escalate to court.
- Assign a Public Defender when a defendant requests one.
- Spot repeat-offender / organized patterns and open a federal case with the FBI (policy).
- Prosecute at the hearing; take a bail/plea position.
Prosecutor Bar required
What they do
Staff attorney in the DA's office: files charges and court actions and prosecutes cases — but PD assignment stays DA-only.
Where they work
DOJ terminal → dashboard: the DA-style case/charges panels without the PD assignment queue, plus Recusal and Court Sessions.
Typical workflow
- Take an assigned criminal case from the DA.
- File the charges / court actions on it.
- Prosecute at the hearing and record the outcome.
Private Attorney Bar required
What they do
Retained defense/civil counsel; must be bar-registered and practice under a registered firm (or a solo <Surname> Law Firm).
Where they work
DOJ terminal → dashboard: an "Open the DOJ Law Office →" button that launches their full firm portal (a Cole-Law-styled site with clients, filings, calendar, and team), plus a citizen-style panel and Recusal.
Typical workflow
- Accept a client's retention request (firms have 3 days to accept — policy).
- Get added as counsel of record on the case.
- Prepare & file paperwork from a terminal; appear at the hearing.
Public Defender Bar required
What they do
Free, court-appointed defense counsel. DOJ staff — they practice out of the DOJ-owned DOJ Law Office and cannot join a private firm.
Where they work
DOJ terminal → dashboard: the DOJ Law Office takeover, plus Recusal and "Submit Criminal Report to DA". Their names appear on the public PD roster.
Typical workflow
- Get assigned a defendant by the DA's office.
- Prepare the defense; file from a terminal.
- Appear at the hearing; report to the DA as needed.
Paralegal No bar Exempt
What they do
Lawyers'-office support staff: prepares and submits filing paperwork on behalf of the office. No court actions and no recusal authority — an attorney must take those steps.
Where they work
DOJ terminal → dashboard: Paralegal — Filing Tools (case / marriage / property / professional). CE training modules are available (no biweekly standing requirement).
Typical workflow
- Draft a filing at the direction of an attorney.
- Submit it into the clerk's review queue.
- Hand off any court action to a licensed attorney.
Police No bar
What they do
Patrol, respond to calls, investigate, and make arrests. Under the rulebook's street processing (§3.1), an arrest sets jail/fine on the spot and automatically opens a case on the record.
Where they work
Police — Clock In job spots (Mission Row / Paleto). DOJ terminal → dashboard: the web MDT — desk parity with the in-game police tablet (records, warrants, citations).
Typical workflow
- Clock in at a duty point.
- Respond / investigate; run people & vehicles on the MDT.
- Process an arrest — the case is created automatically for later contest.
The Bar is only required for the Chief of Police job grade (plus normal police certification), not the ordinary officer role.
U.S. Marshal Bar required
What they do
Federal court security, prisoner transport, and warrant service.
Where they work
DOJ terminal → dashboard: U.S. Marshal Dashboard with Actions — Request Prisoner Transport, Report Security Incident (both send structured DOJ messages to Police / the bench). Present at the courthouse.
Typical workflow
- Secure the courtroom for a federal session.
- Request a prisoner transport when a defendant must be moved.
- Serve warrants and report any security incident.
Inspector Bar (Head Inspector)
What they do
Health, business, and building inspections (one office, any specialty). Files inspection reports and flags violations to the Prosecutors' office. Reports to the Governor's executive office.
Where they work
DOJ terminal → dashboard: Inspections — File Inspection Report and Flag Violation to DA — with a past-reports view.
Typical workflow
- Inspect a business / property / building.
- File the inspection report.
- Flag any violation to the DA for follow-up.
The Bar is listed as required for Head Inspector; the requirement for an ordinary inspector isn't separately defined in the docs.
Citizen No bar
What they do
Everyone starts here. A citizen can look up their own record, pay their invoices/bills, file their own paperwork, apply for licenses, and take exams (the Bar is what a citizen passes to become an attorney).
Where they work
City Services window (IDs, forms, exam registration), the DMV, any DOJ terminal, and the DOJ phone app. Terminal dashboard: My Invoices, My Property Bills, My Cases, Take the Bar Exam, Study (Bar / DMV), the Library, Apply for a License, and self-file forms.
Typical workflow
- Get a State ID and set up a DOJ passcode (see §6).
- Check invoices/bills on the phone app; pay them in-game.
- File a form or apply for a license from a terminal or the window.
- To contest a charge: self-file, request a public defender, or hire an attorney.
6 · Everyday citizen journey
The "getting started" path a new soul follows, straight from the site's Quick Guide + the in-city City Guide.
Do these first
- Go to City Hall and get your State ID at the City Services window — your first one is free.
- At any DOJ terminal, set up your DOJ account passcode (first-time setup).
- Visit the DMV upstairs: pass the written test, then the road test, then have a clerk issue your driver's license.
- Open the DOJ app on your phone for your cases, invoices, bills, and licenses.
Paying & filing
- Pay all invoices in person at the City Services window (the Invoices desk).
- File forms, request IDs/licenses, and register for the Bar Exam at the window, a terminal, or the app.
- Need a lawyer? Hire a private attorney or request a public defender.
- To become an attorney yourself: register for the Bar at the window (code + $5,000 fee), then sit the official exam at a DOJ terminal.
Sign out when you finish. Walk away logged in and the next person who opens that terminal trips a security alert that locks your login until DOJ IT repairs it. An innocent person can still log in normally at another terminal.
CrestWood DOJ — City Owner's Manual · review copy, mock data. Faithful to crestwood_doj code + the DOJ Rulebook v2.1. Gaps are tagged, not invented.