So this 5e game on bay12 I'm playing on has the most fucked up system of law I have ever seen in any game.
If you're charged with theft, and found guilty, death penalty.
If you're part of a crime organization and caught being part of one but have not done anything wrong yet in this town, you're free to go.
If you openly admit to being part of a crime group and admit that you tried to kidnap a child, but don't actually have the child, you're free to go.
If you're a red tiefling and you're the only one in the area, it's ok to shoot him because he's a red tiefling on a wanted poster that isn't even for this town or this continent.
If you're a guardsman, you can kill anyone as long as you have proper reason for it. Even if they are proven innocent or free to go.
And this is why I now want to take over the city. My first priority is to frame the guards by using disguise self to do open crimes to look like I'm abusing the guards power. Through this, I plan on having the nobles and the council and the mayor look awful because they let shit like this happen.
Step 2 involves either taking power by politically asserting myself into the system by harassing the nobles and whatnot with the above and gain followers (aka cannon fodder) who are victims of the "guard abuse".
Step 3 has me making a last attempt to have some of the nobles and/or councilmen and/or the mayor side with me and overthrow/kill the others. Replace them with party members or NPC allies.
Step 4 has myself establishing full dominance as I kill/drive off the other nobles who aren't party members or NPC allies and fully establish control.
Step 5 is to enlist a new town guard and everyone who was a guard previously is executed for misuse of power.
Ste 6 is to sell the town if I can, else I let other party members handle it once the old guard is all but a memory.
Step 7 is to bask in the glory of a PROPER justice system that will probably arrest me properly for knowing my affiliation with the shadow thieves. And then proceed to break out of jail because I'll be that high of a level by then