People v. Olivera-Medina
People v. Olivera-Medina
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the court.
The United States District Attorney filed in the United States District Court for Porto Rico an information running in the name of the United States and charging the appellant with a violation of the National Prohibition Act. The original information, without verification, was transmitted to the Municipal Court of Ponce and later on appeal to the District Court of Ponce, in which the appellant was convicted of the offense as charged. He alleged then and now that the lower court had no jurisdiction of the case, inasmuch as the United States appears as complainant, and the Fiscal of this court acquiesces in that plea. <
In the case of People v. Rodríguez, 33 P.R.R. 379, ratified in People v. Baragaño, 33 P.R.R. 949, it was alleged that the District Court of Humacao had no jurisdiction, because the action was brought in the name and by the authority of The People of Porto-Rico instead of in the name and by the authority of the United States, the offense charged being a violation of a national law, and this court held that the jurisdiction conferred by the Congress of the United States on the insular, courts in cases of violations of the National Prohibition Act did not carry with it the procedure followed in the United States District Court for Porto Rico, hut rather that the insular courts should fol
The judgment appealed from is reversed and the appellant is acquitted.
Chief Justice Del Toro and Justices Wolf and Hutchison •concurred in the judgment.
Concurring Opinion
CONCURRING OPINION OP
The prosecution in this case was begun by virtue of an information filed in the District Court of the United States for Porto Pico by virtue of an information filed by Ira K. Wells, United States Attorney for Porto Rico. Exactly how this information, so drawn, was being prosecuted in the District Court of Ponce does not appear. None of the
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.