cia where the case occurs. For orders of mere practice in any of these courts, two justices shall be sufficient, if they agree. ART. 146. In every cause there shall be one justice ponente. The associate justices of the court, excepting the presiding justice, shall take turns in this duty. When the courts or chambers are composed of but one chief justice and two associate justices, the former shall also take his turn as ponente every fifth time. ART. 147. It shall be the duty of the ponente: 1. To advise the court of the petitions of the parties. 2. To examine everything relative to the evidence offered and advise the court whether it is pertinent or not. 3. To take the depositions of the witnesses and any other evidence when, according to law, the same can not or should not be taken before. the court ordering the same, or if taken without the town where the court is sitting, and when judges of examination or municipal judges are not commissioned to take them. 4. To propose the rulings and decisions, which are to be submitted for discussion by the court, and to finally draft them in the terms agreed upon. If the ponente does not agree with the vote of the majority, another justice shall be charged with the preparation of the decision; but in such case the ponente must prepare a dissenting opinion.1 5. To read the decision in open court. ART. 148. If for any reason it is impossible to decide a case on the proper day, this fact shall not be an obstacle to other cases being decided which may have been heard subsequently, without, however, altering the order more than is absolutely necessary. ART. 149. Immediately after the conclusion of the oral trial or on the following day before the hour for public business, the court shall discuss and vote upon all questions of fact and law, which may have been the subject matter of the trial. The decision approved shall be prepared and signed within the period fixed in article 203. ART. 150. The discussion and voting for decisions shall be held in all courts behind closed doors, before or after the hours designated for the ordinary dispatch of business. ART. 151. After the decision proposed by the ponente has been discussed, he shall vote first, and afterwards the other justices in the inverse order of their seniority. ART. 152. When the importance of the decision so requires, the presiding justice shall make a brief résume of the same before the vote is taken. ART. 153. The orders, rulings, and decisions shall be made by an 1See in Appendix I, Order No. 63, May 25, 1899. mayoría absoluta de votos, excepto en los casos en que la ley exigiere expresamente mayor número. ART. 154. Si después de la vista y antes de la votación algún magistrado se imposibilitare y no pudiere asistir al acto, dará su voto fundado y firmado y lo remitirá directamente al presidente. Si no pudiere escribir ni firmar, se valdrá del secretario. El voto así emitido se conservará rubricado por el que presida en el libro de sentencias. Cuando el magistrado no pudiere votar ni aún de este modo, se votará la causa por los no impedidos que hubiesen asistido á la vista, y si hubiere los necesarios para formar mayoría, éstos dictarán sentencia. Cuando no resulte mayoría, se estará á lo que la ley ordena respecto de las discordias. ART. 155. Cuando fuere trasladado, jubilado, separado ó suspenso algún magistrado, votará las causas á cuya vista hubiere asistido y que aun no se hubiesen fallado. ART. 156. Comenzada la votación de una sentencia, no podrá interrumpirse sino por algún impedimento insuperable. Todo el que tome parte en la votación de una providencia, auto ó sentencia, firmará lo acordado aunque hubiese disentido de la mayoría; pero podrá en este caso salvar su voto, que se insertará con su firma al pie en el libro de votos reservados dentro de las veinticuatro horas siguientes.1 ART. 157. En las certificaciones ó testimonios de sentencias que expidieren los tribunales no se insertarán los votos reservados; pero se remitirán al Tribunal Supremo, y se harán públicos cuando se interponga y admita el recurso de casación. ART. 158. Las sentencias se firmarán por todos los magistrados no impedidos. ART. 159. En cada tribunal, sala ó sección de lo criminal se llevará un registro de sentencias, en el cual se extenderán y firmarán todas las definitivas. El registro expresado estará bajo la custodia de los respectivos presidentes. ART. 160. Las sentencias definitivas se leerán y notificarán á las partes y á sus procuradores en todo juicio oral el mismo día en que se firmen, ó á lo más en el siguiente. Si por cualquier circunstancia ó accidente no se encontrare á las partes al ir y hacerles la notificación, se hará constar por diligencia, y bastará en tal caso con la notificación hecha á sus procuradores. Los autos que resuelvan incidentes se notificarán únicamente á los procuradores. 1 absolute majority of votes, except in such cases in which the law expressly requires a greater number. ART. 154. If after the hearing and before the vote is taken, some justice shall become disabled and not be able to attend the voting, he shall give his signed vote with the reasons therefor, and shall forward it directly to the presiding justice. Should he be unable either to write or sign, he shall employ the clerk. The vote thus cast shall be preserved in the book of decisions by the presiding justice and rubricated by him. If a justice should be unable to vote even in this manner, the voting in the cause shall be done by those who are not disabled and who may have attended the hearing, and should there be sufficient number to form a majority, they shall render the decision. If there be no majority the provisions of the law with regard to disagreements shall be observed. ART. 155. When any justice shall be transferred, retired, removed, or suspended, he shall vote upon the causes the hearing of which he may have attended and which have not as yet been decided. ART. 156. After the voting for a decision has commenced it can not be interrupted except by some insuperable cause. Everyone who takes part in the voting upon an order, ruling, or decision shall subscribe to what has been agreed to, even though he may have dissented from the majority; but in this case he may reserve his vote, which shall be inserted, with his signature at the foot thereof, in the book of reserved votes within the next twenty-four hours.1 ART. 157. The certificates or transcripts of decisions issued by the courts shall not contain the reserved votes; but they shall be transmitted to the supreme court, and shall be made public when an appeal for annulment of judgment is interposed and allowed. ART. 158. Decisions shall be signed by all justices not disabled. ART. 159. In every criminal court, chamber, or section shall be kept a register of decisions, in which shall be entered and signed all final decisions. The said register shall be under the custody of the respective presiding justices. ART. 160. Final decision shall be read and served upon the parties and upon their solicitors in all oral trials the same day on which they are signed or not later than the following day. If for any reason or by any accident the parties can not be found when sought for service this fact shall be made a matter of record, and in such case the notice served upon their solicitors shall be sufficient. Decisions upon incidental issues shall be served upon the solicitors only. 1 See in Appendix I, order No. 63, May 25, 1899. ART. 161. Los tribunales no podrán variar, después de firmadas, las sentencias que pronuncien; pero sí aclarar algún concepto oscuro, suplir cualquiera omisión que contengan, ó rectificar alguna equivocación importante dentro del día hábil siguiente al de la notificación. Estas aclaraciones podrán hacerse de oficio ó á instancia de las partes ó del ministerio fiscal. ART. 162. Los tribunales conservarán metódicamente coleccionadas las minutas de los autos que resuelvan incidentes y sentencias que dictaren, haciendo referencia en cada una en el asiento correspondiente de los libros de autos y sentencias del tribunal. Las hojas de los libros de autos y de sentencias de los tribunales estarán numeradas y selladas, rubricándolas el presidente respectivo. CAPÍTULO II. DEL MODO DE DIRIMIR LAS DISCORDIAS. ART. 163. Cuando en la votación de una sentencia definitiva, auto ó providencia no resultase mayoría de votos sobre cualquiera de los pronunciamientos de hecho ó de derecho que deban hacerse ó sobre la decisión que haya de dictarse, volverán á discutirse y á votarse los puntos en que hayan disentido los votantes. ART. 164. Si en la siguiente votación insistieren los discordantes en sus respectivos pareceres, se someterán á nueva deliberación tan sólo los dos votos más favorables al procesado y entre éstos optarán precisamente todos los votantes de modo que resulte aprobado cualquiera de ambos. En este caso pondrán en lugar oportuno de la sentencia las siguientes palabras: Visto el resultado de la votación, la ley decide La determinación de cuáles sean los dos pareceres más favorables al procesado se hará á pluralidad de votos. á Lo dispuesto en este artículo y en el anterior no es aplicable al caso que se refiere el párrafo segundo del artículo. 153. ART. 165. En las sentencias que pronuncie el Tribunal Supremo en los recursos de casación ó en los de revisión, no habrá discordia, quedando al efecto desechados los resultandos y considerandos que no reúnan mayoría absoluta de votos. 1Constituida la sala con tres magistrados, votada por uno la absolución del reo por falta de prueba, por otro la condenación como autor de delito frustrado, y por otro la condenación también como autor de delito consumado, si éste opta por el primero de los mencionados votos, y la discordia desaparece, la sentencia absolutoria no puede impugnarse en casación, bajo el concepto de que no estime probados hechos que lo están.-Sentencia de 2 de Mayo de 1885. 1 ART. 161. Courts can not amend their decisions after the same have been signed, but on the first legal day after the notice is served they may elucidate some obscure point, supply any omission, or correct any important mistake therein. These elucidations may be made ex officio or at the instance of the parties or of the public prosecutors. ART. 162. The courts shall preserve in methodical collections the drafts of rulings upon incidental issues and of decisions rendered, making reference in each one in the proper entry to the book of rulings and decisions of the court. The leaves of the book of rulings and decisions of courts shall be numbered and sealed and rubricated by the respective presiding justice. CHAPTER II. MANNER OF ADJUSTING DISAGREEMENTS. ART. 163. If in voting upon a final decision, ruling, or order of mere practice there should not be a majority of votes upon any findings. of fact or conclusions of law, or upon the decision to be rendered, the discussion and voting upon the points not agreed upon shall be repeated. ART. 164. If at the second voting those who disagree insist upon their opinion, only the two votes most favorable to the accused shall be subjected to another discussion, and one of these must be selected by all the voters so that one or the other be approved. In such case there shall be inserted in the decision at the proper place the following words: In view of the result of the voting, the law decides: The determination of what are the two opinions most favorable to the accused shall be made by a majority of votes. The provisions of this and of the foregoing articles do not apply to the case referred to in the second paragraph of article 153. ART. 165. In decisions rendered by the Supreme Court upon appeals for annulment of judgment or upon those for review there shall be no disagreement, the resultandos and considerandos which do not receive an absolute majority of votes being therefore rejected. If a chamber be constituted of three justices, and one should vote for the acquittal of the prisoner for lack of proof, another for his conviction as an author of a frustrated crime, and the other for his conviction also as the author of a consummated crime, if the latter should choose the first of these votes and the disagreement disappears, the decision of acquittal can not be appealed from for annulment upon the claim of its not considering acts proved which are such. (Decision of May 2, 1885.) |