Wisconsin laws about superheroes [Bedlam]
It’s hard to be a superhero in Wisconsin. Wisconsin’s state laws are much less friendly towards superheroes than New Jersey’s are - which after all were largely written in deference to decades of superheroes active in Freedom City. (Wisconsin also lacked the high levels of fifth column infiltration that led to so much worry about secret Axis attack in both the Pacific Northwest and the East Coast.) Individuals may not testify in court, be paid a salary, or own property in a costumed identity. In other words, one may wear a mask and fight crime - but their mask is not a legal identity, and in general a crime-fighter must follow the same laws as civilians.
Wisconsin courts are also much more hostile towards super excess than New Jersey courts- a superhero who inflicts significant property damage during a battle may expect to be served (with the understanding that they will unmask in court or be forced to unmask and go to jail for contempt), just as one who commit any serious crime while carrying out their duties may expect a criminal case. While inhabitants of Freedom City might expect that this would lead to significant superviolence, in fact Wisconsin as a whole has a relatively low rate of meta-crime.
(Of course, as many a legal scholar has pointed out,, Wisconsin also has a low rate of metas in general - but is that because the laws against superheroing encourage emigration to other states? These are the sorts of dispute that help legal scholars make their careers.)
Superheroes in Wisconsin have gotten around these laws in several ways - by being careful in the laws they follow, maintaining a public identity as part of their costumed one, or by working with very friendly law enforcement. Bedlam’s Hammer of Justice has typically benefited primarily from the last one. As Hammer of Justice is not well-liked outside of his native city, this typically means that efforts to change Wisconsin’s super laws are branded as encouraging vigilantism.
Edited by Avenger Assembled
