In Cardassian society, the criminal justice system served to enforce cultural norms, while  
reassuring the public with the comforting notion that good did triumph over evil.  
Accordingly, no criminal was brought to trial until authoroties had already found the defendant  
guilty. Trials were broadcast for viewing by the public, serving as a dramatic demonstration  
of the futility of violating society's norms. Under the Cardassian system of jurisprudence, a  
defendant could not present evidence until the trial was underway --- in other words, until   
after a verdict of guilty had already been rendered. Further, such defendants were required   
to testify against themselves.  

Cardassian citizens were required to have one of their molars extracted at age ten so that  
they could be kept on file by the Cardassian bureau of identification.  
In Cardassian culture, advanced age is viewed as a sign of power and dignity.  
Cardassian man and women sometimes exhibit overt irritability toward each other as an  
overture to a sexual relationship.Family is very important to the Cardassians, with some  
households being multi-generational. Intense mind-training programs are given to their children  
as early as four years of age, which contributes to their famous Cardassian photographic  
memories. Cardassian funeral rites are very strict. They concidered it a dishonor to the   
deceased if a non-Cardassian views the remains. Cardassians dislike cold temperatures. 
It is traditional in Cardassian culture that the commanding officer of a ship should entertain  
guest when they travel aboard his or her ship. It was also traditional for a freighter captain to  
take a percentage of the cargo's worth for himself. A favorite morning beverage of Cardassians  
is hot fish juice. 

The Cardassians were involved in a bitter, extended conflict with The United Federation of  
Planets. An uneasy truce betwean the two adversaries was finally reached in 2366. During 
the negotiations, Ambassador Spock publicly disagreed with his father, Ambassador Sarek, 
on the treaty. The peace treaty established a fragile armistice between the Federation and  
the Cardassian Union. Starfleet Captain Edward Jellico was partially credited for the  
negotiations. Among other things, the treaty provided that captives of either government would 
be allowed to see a representative from a neutral planet following their incarceration. 

The Cardassians annexed the planet Bajor around 2328, and over the next several decades 
systematically stripped the planet of their resources and forced most Bajorans to resettle on other  
worlds. During the occupation, the Cardassians arrested any Bajoran that were caught teaching 
the word of the Prophets. They were iimprisoned and often recieved repeated beatings for their 
beliefs. In 2369,  the Bajoran resistance movement had forced the Cardassians from Bajor after 
years of terrorist activity. In their retreat they abondoned Terok Nor, now designated as DS9. 
This proved a major mis-step, as the station became of major strategic, scientific, and commercial  
value when the Bajoran wormhole was found 

Many Cardassian war orphans were left behind on Bajor when the occupation ended. in Cardassian  
society , ophans are shunned and not acknowledged by the populace. The Cardassian withdrawal 
included an agreement to release all Bajoran political prisoners, per Supreme Directive 2645,  
although some prisnoners remained at the Hutet labor camp on Cardasia IV for nearly a year. 

In 2371, the Cardassian government, represented by Legate Turrel, concluded a historic peace  
treaty with Bajoran leader Kai Winn. In 2372, a civillian uprising overthrew the Cardassian  
Central Command, placing power into the hands of the Detapa Council.Suspecting that the 
council had been replaced by shape-shifting agents of the Dominion, The Klingon Empire  
subsequently invaded Cardassia Prime, and was nearly succesful in eliminating the Detapa  
council. Gul Dukat helped the council flee the Klingon invasion fleet by evacuating them aboard the  
Prakesh. Dukat, with assistance from Starfleet personnel, was able to ascertain that the council 
had not been replaced by the Founders. 

The Klingon invasion destroyed the industrial capability of dozens of Cardassian worlds,  
devestating the Cardassian economy. The Federation council, eager to maintain ties to the 
Cardassians, agreed to provide 12 industrial replicators to its government. The replicators 
were hijacked by members of the Maquis led by Commander Eddington. 

Humiliated by its dealings with the Federation and stung by the Klingon attack, the Cardassian 
government entered into an alliance with the Dominion in 2373. The pact had been secretly 
negotiated by Gul Dukat, who thereafter assumed leadership of the Cardassian Union. 
Dukat promised to return the Cardassians to their former glory......