Or at least tolerated, because otherwise it'd be too harsh on the lowbie chars. Ie, it's why you can kill those guard mobs in town. Or anything else, not law related, for that matter.

I sure can't see any good coming of those special guards trashing down on a sub-pk level char.

If there's one sure fire way of getting a new guy to leave, deeply disgusted, that sort of thing would be it.