People v. Luquis
People v. Luquis
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the Court.
This is the appeal of Manuel J. Jiménez in a case where he and Alfonso Luquis were convicted of transporting adulterated milk intended for human consumption. When the inspectors seized the milk the only one of the defendants who was in the scene of action was Alfonso Luquis, who it is conceded was the employee of another person. The Government attempted to prove that that other person was Manuel J. Jimenez, codefendant in this case. The inspectors took samples of the milk, gave one of them to Luquis, hut did not deliver one to Jiménez. The People of Puerto Rico did not come to the trial well prepared to prove its case against Jiménez. So much was this so that oné of the inspectors on the stand requested time to return to his office in order to bring the original record of Jiménez. In point of fact, it was not distinctly shown at the trial that Jiménez had a license to operate a milk shop. One of the witnesses testi
On appeal the sole error assigned is that the court erred in weighing the evidence. No error was assigned with respect to some of the evidence which was, we think, unduly admitted. On the whole, we do not think it was proved beyond a reasonable doubt that this milk proceeded from the shop of Manuel Jiménez. Considering all of the testimony objected to and not objected to, there was some circumstantial evidence tending to prove the guilt of Manuel Jiménez, but this circumstantial evidence was not enough in itself to show that the mill?: actually proceeded from the shop of Manuel Jiménez, admitting that the car was his and even that Luquis was his employee, a matter not clearly enough proved. There was no satisfactory proof that the mill?; was taken from the shop of Manuel Jiménez.” The possibility is not excluded that the milk may have proceeded from another source. If the objected evidence is considered, there was less to justify the court in finding the defendant guilty.
Of course, from all the evidence in the case one may extract the idea that there is a probability that Jiménez was
The judgment should be reversed and the defendant Ji-ménez discharged.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.