misdemeanor be instituted by two or more persons, they shall do so in one proceeding, and if possible with the same counsel, in the discretion of the court.

ART. 114. If a criminal action is brought to investigate a crime or misdemeanor, a suit can not be prosecuted in the same; the proceeding being suspended, should any be pending, in the state in which it may be, until final sentence has been pronounced in the criminal cause.

It shall not be necessary for the institution of the criminal action that it shall have been preceded by the civil action arising from the same crime or misdemeanor.

The provisions of this article shall be understood without prejudice to those of Chapter II, Title I, of this book, with reference to preliminary questions.

ART. 115. A criminal action is extinguished by the death of the culprit; but in such case a civil action still lies against his heirs and successors in right, which can only be brought in a civil court and through civil channels.1

ART. 116. The extinction of the criminal action does not carry with it the extinction of the civil action, unless the extinction be caused by a final sentence declaring that the act on which a civil action might be based did not exist.

In other cases the person having a right of civil action may institute before the civil jurisdiction, and through the proper civil channels, an action against the person who may be obliged to restore the thing, to repair the damage, or indemnify the losses suffered.

ART. 117. Nor does the extinction of the civil action extinguish the criminal action resulting from the same crime or misdemeanor.

A final judgment absolving from liability rendered in the suit brought by the exercise of the right of civil action, shall not bar the exercise of the proper right of criminal action.

The provisions of this article are to be understood without prejudice to the provisions of Chapter II, Title I, of this book, and of articles 106, 107, 110, and the second paragraph of article 112.

'This article is substantially a repetition of articles 125 and 132, subd. 1, of the Penal Code.

TÍTULO V.

DEL DERECHO DE DEFENSA Y DEL BENEFICIO DE POBREZA EN LOS JUICIOS CRIMINALES.

ART. 118. Los procesados deberán ser representados por procurador y defendidos por letrado, que pueden nombrar desde que se les notifique el auto de procesamiento. Si no los nombraren por si mismos ó no tuvieren aptitud legal para verificarlo, se les designará de oficio cuando lo solicitaren. Si el procesado no hubiese designado procurador ó letrado, se le requerirá para que lo verifique, ó se le nombrará de oficio, si requerido no los nombrase, cuando la causa llegue á estado en que necesite el consejo de aquéllos ó haya de intentar algún recurso que hiciere indispensable su intervención.'

ART. 119. Los perjudicados por el hecho punible ó sus herederos que fueren parte en el juicio, si estuviesen habilitados para defenderse como pobres, tendrán también derecho á que se les nombre de oficio procurador y abogado, para su representación y defensa.

ART. 120. Los abogados á quienes corresponda la defensa de pobres no podrán excusarse de ella sin un motivo personal y justo, que calificarán según su prudente arbitrio los decanos de los colegios donde los hubiese, y en su defecto el juez ó tribunal en que hubieren de hacerse las defensas.

ART. 121. Todos los que sean parte en una causa, si no estuviesen declarados pobres, tendrán obligación de satisfacer los derechos de los procuradores que les representen, los honorarios de los abogados que les defiendan, los de los peritos que informen á su instancia y las indemnizaciones de los testigos que presentaren, cuando los peritos y testigos al declarar hubiesen formulado su reclamación y el juez ó tribunal la estimaren.

Ni durante la causa ni después de terminada tendrán obligación de satisfacer las demás costas procesales, á no ser que á ello fueren condenados.

1Los abogados están obligados á defender á los pobres. Impuesta á un abogado la corrección disciplinaria para que están autorizados los juzgados y tribunales, resistiéndose todavía aquél á aceptar la defensa que por turno le correspondió de un litigante pobre, fué procesado y penado como reo de desobediencia grave, con arreglo al art. 265 del código penal, y habiendo interpuesto recurso de casación, se declaró no haber lugar á él por no haberse infringido dicho artículo. (Sentencia de Marzo 7 de 1877.)

TITLE V.

THE RIGHT OF DEFENSE AND THE BENEFIT OF POVERTY IN CRIMINAL CAUSES.

ART. 118. The persons accused must be represented by a solicitor and defended by an attorney, whom they may appoint as soon as they are notified of the indictment. If they do not designate them themselves or should they not have the legal power to do so, they shall be appointed ex officio, upon their request. If the accused should not have designated a solicitor or attorney, he shall be required to do so or they shall be appointed ex officio, if they should not have been appointed by him when the cause reaches a stage where he needs their counsel or some step should be taken wherein their intervention is necessary.1

ART. 119. The persons injured by the punishable act, or their heirs, who may be parties to the action, if they have been declared as entitled to defense in forma pauperis, shall also have the right to have a solicitor and attorney appointed ex officio to represent and defend them.

ART. 120. The attorneys whose duty it is to defend the poor can not excuse themselves therefrom, except for a personal and just cause, which shall be passed upon according to the prudent judgment by the deans of the college, where there is such, and in their absence by the judge or court before which the defense is to be made.

ART. 121. All parties to a cause, if not declared poor persons, shall be obliged to pay the fees of the solicitors who represent them, of the attorneys who defend them, of the experts testifying in their behalf, and of the witnesses which they present, if the experts and witnesses at the time of testifying shall have filed their claim and the judge or court shall have allowed it.

Neither during the cause nor after its termination shall they be obliged to pay the other costs of the proceedings, unless adjudged to pay them.

1

Attorneys are obliged to defend poor persons. A disciplinary penalty having been imposed upon an attorney, for which superior and inferior courts have authority, as he still refused to accept the defense of a poor person when it was his turn to do so, he was tried and convicted as guilty of grave disobedience, in accordance with the provisions of article 265 of the Penal Code, and upon taking an appeal for annulment of judgment it was disallowed, it being held that said article had not been violated. (Decision of March 7, 1887.)

El procurador que nombrado por los que fueren parte en una causa, haya aceptado su representación, tendrá obligación de pagar los honorarios á los letrados de que se valiesen los clientes para su defensa.

Los que hubiesen sido declarados pobres podrán valerse de abogado de su elección; pero en este caso estarán obligados á abonarles sus honorarios, como se dispone respecto de los que no estén declarados pobres.

ART. 122. Se usará papel de oficio en los judicios sobre faltas y en las causas criminales, sin perjuicio del correspondiente reintegro si hubiere condenación de costas.

ART. 123. Sólo podrán ser habilitados como pobres:

1o. Los que vivan de un jornal ó salario eventual.

2o. Los que vivan sólo de un salario permanente, ó de un sueldo, cualquiera que sea su procedencia, que no exceda del doble jornal de un bracero en la localidad donde tengan su residencia habitual.

3o. Los que vivan sólo de rentas, cultivo de tierras ó cría de ganados, cuyos productos estén graduados en una suma que no exceda de la equivalente al jornal de dos braceros en el lugar de su residencia habitual.

4o. Los que vivan sólo del ejercicio de una industria ó de los productos de cualquier comercio por los cuales paguen de contribución una suma inferior á la fijada en la siguiente escala:

En la ciudad de la Habana, 150 pesetas.

En las capitales de las otras provincias de la isla de Cuba, 100 pesetas.

En la capital de la isla de Puerto Rico, 100 pesetas.

En las capitales de los partidos judiciales de las islas de Cuba y Puerto Rico, 50 pesetas.

En las demás poblaciones de ambas islas, 25 pesetas.

5°. Los que tengan embargados todos sus bienes, ó los hayan cedido judicialmente á sus acreedores, y no ejerzan industria, oficio ó profesión.

En estos casos, si quedasen bienes después de pagar á los acreedores, se aplicarán al pago de las costas que deba satisfacer el defendido como pobre.1

1 Este artículo debe entenderse subordinado al 125, y, por lo tanto, procede denegar el beneficio si la sala deduce de los signos visibles de riqueza que el que le pretende tiene medios superiores al doble jornal de un bracero.-Sentencias del Tribunal Supremo 18 Febrero 1870; 31 Diciembre 1877; 22 Septiembre, 18 y 21 Noviembre 1879; 10 Enero, 29 Marzo y 24 Junio 1880; 11 Febrero 1881; 15 Diciembre 1883 y otras.

(b) Contra la sentencia que concede á un litigante el beneficio de pobreza no procede el recurso de casación.-Sentencia de 10 Mayo 1881.

(c) También debe declararse pobre á la persona que vive exclusivamente con una

A solicitor who, being appointed by those who are parties to a cause, agrees to represent them, shall be obliged to pay the fees of the attorneys of whose services their clients avail themselves for their defense. Those who have been declared poor persons may select their own attorney, but in such case they shall be obliged to pay his fees, as is provided with regard to those who are not declared poor persons.

ART. 122. Official stamped paper shall be employed in trials for misdemeanors and in criminal causes, without prejudice to the proper payment therefor, should there be an adjudgment upon costs.

ART. 123. Only the following can be permitted to prosecute and defend as poor persons:

1. Those who depend for a living upon an uncertain wage or salary. 2. Those who depend for a living upon a permanent salary or wage, from whatsoever source derived, which does not exceed double that received by a laborer in the locality of his habitual residence.

3. Those who depend for a living solely upon rents, farming, or stock raising, the proceeds of which do not exceed the wages of two laborers in the place of their habitual residence.

4. Those who gain their livelihood solely through the exercise of an industry or from the product of any commerce on which they pay a tax lower than that fixed in the following scale:

In the city of Havana, 150 pesetas.

In the capitals of the other provinces of the island of Cuba, 100 pesetas.

In the capital of the island of Porto Rico, 100 pesetas.

In the seats of the judicial districts of the islands of Cuba and Porto Rico, 50 pesetas.

In the other towns of both islands, 25 pesetas.

5. Such persons whose entire property has been attached, or who have made a judicial assignment thereof to their creditors, and who are not engaged in any industry, trade, or profession.

In such cases, if any property shall remain after the creditors have been paid, it shall be applied to the payment of the costs incurred at the instance of the debtor defended as a poor person.1

(a) This article must be understood as subordinated to article 125, and therefore it is proper to refuse the benefit if the court shall deduce from visible signs of wealth that the applicant has means which exceed double the wages of a laborer.--Decisions of the Supreme Court of February 18, 1870; September 22, November 18 and 21, 1879; January 10, March 29, and June 24, 1880; February 11, 1881; December 15, 1883, and others.

(b) An appeal for annullment of judgment does not lie from a decision granting permission to prosecute or defend as a poor person.-Decision of May 10, 1881. (c) A person who lives solely on a pension of 20 reales per day, left him by will