BOOK THIRD. THE ORAL TRIAL. TITLE FIRST. CLASSIFICATION OF THE CRIME. ART. 649. When the oral trial is ordered begun, the cause shall be referred to the prosecuting official, or to the private accuser, if it involve a crime which can not be prosecuted at the instance of the Government, in order that within a period of five days they may classify the acts in writing. Thereupon all the proceedings in the action shall be made public.1 ART. 650. The written classification shall be confined to the determination in explicit and numbered conclusions: 1. Of the punishable acts which may result from the sumario. 2. Of the legal classification of the said acts, determining the crime which they constitute. 3. The participation therein of the person or persons accused, should there be more than one. 4. The facts appearing from the sumario constituting extenuating or aggravating circumstances of the crime or which exempt from criminal liability. 5. The penalties which the person or persons accused may have incurred by reason of their respective participation in the crime. The private accuser, in a proper case, and the public prosecutor when they bring a civil action, shall state in addition: 1. The sum at which they estimate the losses and damages caused by the crime, or the thing which is to be restored. 2. The person or persons who appear liable for the losses and damages or the restitution of the thing, and the act by virtue of which they may have contracted this liability." 'See notes to articles 622 and 623. "Prosecuting officials would not comply with their duties if, when presenting the written classification to which the article we annotate refers, they should not state in the fifth conclusion in the explicit manner required the penalties which the person or persons accused may have incurred by reason of their respective participation in the crime. "It is not sufficient, therefore, that it be stated that the penalty incurred is such and in what degree; it is necessary to state the amount or duration of the same as it ART. 651. Devuelta la causa por el fiscal se pasará por igual término y con el mismo objeto al acusador particular, si lo hubiere, quien presentará el escrito de calificación firmado por su abogado y procurador en la forma anteriormente indicada. Si hubiere actor civil, se le pasará la causa en cuanto sea devuelta por el fiscal ó acusador particular, para que á su vez, en un término igual al fijado en los artículos anteriores y con idéntica formalidad, presente conclusiones numeradas acerca de los dos últimos puntos del artículo precedente. ART. 652. Seguidamente se comunicará la causa á los procesados y á las terceras personas civilmente responsables para que en igual término y por su orden manifiesten también por conclusiones numeradas y correlativas á las de la calificación que á ellos se refiera, si están ó no conformes con cada una, ó en otro caso consignen los puntos de divergencia. Se les habilitará al efecto de abogado y procurador si no los tuviesen. ART. 653. Las partes podrán presentar sobre cada uno de los puntos que han de ser objeto de la calificación dos ó más conclusiones en forma alternativa, para que si no resultare del juicio la procedencia de la primera, pueda estimarse cualquiera de las demás en la sentencia. ART. 654. El tribunal al mandar que se entregue la causa á las partes en cumplimiento de lo dispuesto en los artículos anteriores, dispondrá lo que considere conveniente para que éstas puedan examinar la correspondencia, libros, papeles y demás piezas de convicción, sin peligro de alteración en su estado. ART. 655. Si la pena pedida por las partes acusadoras fuese de carácter correccional, al evacuar la representación del procesado el traslado de calificación, podrá manifestar su conformidad absoluta con aquella que más gravemente hubiese calificado, si hubiere más de una, y con la pena que se le pida, expresándose además por el letrado defensor si, esto no obstante, conceptúa necesaria la continuación del juicio. Si no la conceptúa necesaria, el tribunal, previa ratificación del procesado, dictará sin más trámites la sentencia que proceda, según la cali se considere que exigen la parcipación de los procesados y las circunstancias del hecho. (Exposición del Fiscal del Tribunal Supremo de 15 de Septiembre de 1883, número 37 y Circular de 15 de Noviembre del mismo año.) El ministerio fiscal puede utilizar el derecho de presentar conclusiones alternativas, sin que sirva de obstáculo para ello lo que dispone la regla 3.a del art. 142, pero debe economizar cuanto sea posible utilizar ese derecho, principalmente en el caso del art. 732. (Exposición del Fiscal del Tribunal Supremo de 15 de Septiembre de 1883, núm 40.) Practicadas en el juicio oral diligencias de prueba, la acusación pública y privada pueden modificar su primitiva calificación, y el tribunal proponer otra distinta á las partes, según los arts. 732 y 733. ART. 651. After the prosecuting official has returned the cause, it shall be referred for a like period for the same purpose to the private accuser, if there be one, who shall submit the written classification subscribed by his attorney and solicitor in the manner previously indicated. Should there be a civil plaintiff, the cause shall be referred to him upon its return by the private accuser or public prosecutor, in order that, in his turn, within a similar period to that fixed in the foregoing articles and with identical formalities he may present numbered conclusions upon the last two points of the foregoing article. ART. 652. Thereupon the cause shall be referred to the accused and to the third persons civilly liable, in order that, within a similar period and in their order, they may state also by numbered conclusions correlative to those of the classification which refers to them, whether or not they agree to each one, or otherwise state the points of divergence. For this purpose they shall be assigned an attorney and solicitor, should they not have any. ART. 653. The parties may submit on each of the points which are to be the subject-matter of the classification two or more conclusions in alternative form, in order that if the propriety of the first is not established by the action, any of the others may be considered in the sentence. ART. 654. The court in ordering that the cause be referred to the parties in compliance with the provisions of the preceding articles, shall prescribe what it may deem proper, in order that the latter may examine the correspondence, books, papers, and other exhibits, without danger of any alteration in their condition. ART. 655. If the penalty requested by the accusing parties be of a correctional character, after counsel for the accused have acted upon the transcript of the classification, he may state his absolute conformity with that containing the most serious classification, should there be more than one, and with the penalty requested, the counsel for the defendant stating furthermore if, this notwithstanding, he considers the continuation of the trial necessary. Should he not consider it necessary, the court, after the ratification of the accused, shall, without further proceedings, issue the proper is considered is required by the participation of the accused and the circumstances of the act." (Report of the fiscal of the Supreme Court of September 15, 1883, No. 37, and circular of November 15, of the same year.) Prosecuting officials may avail themselves of the right to submit alternative conclusions without the provisions of the third rule of article 142 being an obstacle thereto, but the use of this right should be as restricted as possible, especially in the case of article 732. (Report of the fiscal of the Supreme Court of September 15, 1883, No. 40.) After evidence has been taken at the oral trial the public and private accusers may modify their original classification, and the court may propose another classification to the parties, according to articles 732 and 733. ficación mútuamente aceptada, sin que pueda imponer pena mayor que la solicitada. Si ésta no fuese la procedente según dicha calificación, sino otra mayor, acordará el tribunal la continuación del juicio. También continuará el juicio si fuesen varios los procesados y no todos manifestasen igual conformidad. Cuando el procesado ó procesados disintiesen únicamente respecto de la responsabilidad civil, se limitará el juicio á la prueba y discusión de los puntos relativos á dicha responsabilidad.1 1 Véase en el Apéndice I, la Orden núm. 181 de Abril 30 de 1900. El fiscal del Tribunal Supremo, en la exposición á que nos venimos refiriendo de 15 de Septiembre de 1883, núm. 41, resuelve en sentido negativo la duda suscitada respecto á si, pedida por las partes acusadoras una pena correccional, podría exigirse al procesado que desde luego manifestase su conformidad. En sentido contrario se ha resuelto en la citada exposición la de si, manifestada por la representación del procesado su conformidad con la pena pedida y no conceptuando el letrado defensor necesaria la continuación del juicio, negándose el procesado á ratificar dicho escrito, podrán su abogado y procurador seguir defendiéndole y representándole, no habiendo necesidad de apelar á otros procuradores y letrados, cuyo nombramiento no autoriza la ley en tal caso. Ha ocurrido la duda de si, cuando la representación del procesado haya manifestado su conformidad con la pena pedida y el letrado hubiese dicho que no conceptuaba necesaria la continuación del juicio, pero el procesado ratificase dicho escrito, deberá devolverse la causa á la representación de dicho procesado para que proponga las pruebas que puedan convenir para su defensa. En opinión de la fiscalía del Tribunal Supremo, esto no se puede hacer, porque la ley no lo consiente en este caso, y entiende además que no por ello podrá el procesado quejarse de indefensión. El tribunal no tiene facultades para separarse de la calificación mutuamente aceptada y continuar el juicio porque tal calificación adolezca de algún error. Por último, la misma fiscalía, en el documento á que nos venimos refiriendo, con motivo de haber ocurrido dudas sobre si en el caso de que continúe el juicio porque no todos los procesados manifiestan su conformidad con la pena pedida, el que hubiera estado conforme podrá ser sentenciado según su indicada conformidad, ó con arreglo al resultado que ofrezca el juicio, con los otros procesados, se expresa en los siguientes términos: "Desde el momento en que el juicio se ha continuado, no hay por qué recordar la conformidad de unos y la no conformidad de otros. Todos los procesados han de ser objeto de una sola sentencia, en que ha de resolverse según las pruebas que se hayan practicado, y por consiguiente, el que estuvo antes conforme con sufrir determinada pena correccional, ahora ha de pasar por el resultado que ofrezca el juicio, afectándole, por tanto, las pruebas que se practiquen, á instancia suya, de los restantes procesados ó de las otras partes contendientes." La ratificación del procesado en el escrito que de conformidad con la pena pedida haya presentado su representación ha de prestarse ante la audiencia. (Exposición del fiscal del Tribunal Supremo de 15 de Septiembre de 1883, número 39.) Véase la memoria del fiscal del Tribunal Supremo de 1884, y las notas á los artículos 742 y 795. Cuando existen en un proceso varios procesados y están unos conformes y otros no con la acusación, debe continuar el proceso respecto á todos. (Memoria del fiscal del Tribunal Supremo de 15 de Septiembre de 1884, consulta 6a.) Constando que el ministerio fiscal en su escrito de conclusiones calificó los hechos de autos como constitutivos de un delito de disparo de arma de fuego y pidió para su sentence, according to the classification mutually accepted, and can not impose a higher penalty than that called for. If such penalty should not be according to said classification, but a higher one, the court shall order the continuation of the trial. The trial shall also be proceeded with if there be more than one accused person and all should not express such agreement. If the person or persons accused should disagree only with regard to the civil liability, the trial shall be confined to the proof and discussion of the points relating to such liability.1 1The fiscal of the Supreme Court, in the report to which we have made reference, of September 15, 1883, No. 41, decides in a negative sense the doubt raised as to whether, if the accusing parties shall have requested a correctional penalty, the accused could be required to state his agreement thereto immediately. The question as to whether if counsel for the accused having stated his conformity with the penalty requested and not consider it necessary to continue the trial, the accused refusing to ratify said instrument, his attorney and solicitor may continue to defend and represent him, has been decided in a contrary manner, there being no necessity to appeal to other solicitors and attorneys, whose appointment is not authorized by law in such case. The doubt has arisen as to whether, when counsel for the accused having stated his agreement with the penalty requested and the attorney should have stated that he did not consider the continuation of the trial necessary, but if the accused should ratify said instrument, the cause should be returned to the counsel of said accused person in order that he might submit the evidence which he may consider advisable for the defense. In the opinion of the fiscal of the Supreme Court, this can not be done, because the law does not allow it in such case, and he is of opinion furthermore that the accused can not complain of no defense thereby. The court has not the power to ignore the classification mutually accepted, and to continue the trial because such classification contains an error. Finally, the said fiscal, in the document in reference, on the occasion of doubts having arisen as to whether in case the trial should be continued because all the accused do not state their agreement with the penalty requested, the one who shall have agreed thereto may be sentenced according to his said agreement, or in accordance with the results of the trial, together with the other persons accused, makes the following statements: "As soon as the trial is continued it is not necessary to remember the agreement of some and the disagreement of others. All of the persons accused must be the subject of one and the same sentence which is to be decided upon according to the evidence adduced, and, consequently, he who previously agreed to suffer a specific correctional penalty must now adhere to the results of the action, being affected, therefore, by the evidence submitted, either on his own or on motion of the other accused, or of the contending parties." The ratification of the accused to the petition which in accordance with the penalty requested his counsel may have presented, must be made before the audiencia. (Report of the fiscal of the Supreme Court of September 15, 1883, No. 39.) See the Report of the Fiscal of the Supreme Court of 1884, and the notes to articles 742 and 795. When there are several accused persons in one proceeding, and some do and others do not agree with the accusation, the proceedings must continue with regard to all. (Report of the fiscal of the Supreme Court of September 15, 1884, sixth question.) It appearing that the prosecuting official in his findings classified the acts involved as constituting the crime of discharging firearms, and requested the imposition of a |