People v. Guadalupe Solís
People v. Guadalupe Solís
Opinion of the Court
delivered the opinion of the court.
Juan Guadalupe Solis was accused and convicted of involuntary manslaughter in that, while driving an automobile, he struck and killed a child. He was sentenced to four months in jail by the district court, and has appealed to this court.
The testimony was that the child, who was six years old,was going to Camuy in a public bus; that the bus stopped to let off several passengers, among them the victim, her uncle and her mother; that the conductor took the victim and placed her on the road, near her uncle; that the child tried to cross the road, whereupon she was struck by the delivery truck which was being driven by the defendant in the same direction as the bus was traveling, and was thrown to the side of the road; that the delivery truck continued for 50 or 60 meters, climbed up an embankment and crashed against a tree, which was knocked down by the force of the crash. The People’s witnesses testified that the accused was driving at a high speed and that he did not blow his horn. The only witness for the defendant testified that he was driving 20 miles per hour, and that he had blown his horn.
The defendant contends that the lower court erred in refusing to permit evidence to he introduced to show the negligence of the uncle of the victim. But the rule is well established that “A homicide caused by the culpable negligence of the defendant is manslaughter, whether the de
The defendant complains that the lower court erred in refusing to permit counsel to argue to the jury that, by virtue of an incident at the trial hereinafter noted, the jury should presume, as to certain evidence wilfully suppressed by the district attorney, that such evidence would have been adverse to the government if it had been produced (§464, Code of Civil Procedure, 1933 ed.). The incident arose in the following manner:
“District Attorney: Or the degree of veracity. Your Honor, The People have two witnesses left to testify, Andrés Bodriguez and Marcos Sergio Hernandez. This is cumulative testimony. The People places the two witnesses at the disposal of the defense and closes its case.
“Attorney Mr. Dones Padró: Do you waive it or not?
“Judge: He waives presenting on the ground of cumulative testimony.”
We need not consider the alleged errors in the instructions of the lower court to the jury, as the defendant did not object to the instructions or any portion thereof at the trial. Having failed to give the district court an opportunity to correct the mistakes, if any, therein, he cannot raise this question on appeal. People v. Mediavilla, 54 P.R.R. 538; People v. Martínez, 50 P.R.R. 744. We have nevertheless examined the charge to the jury as a whole and find nothing in it of which the defendant can legitimately complain.
The defendant finally contends that the jury erred in weighing the evidence. We conclude, after an examination of the record, that the evidence adduced by the government amply justified the verdict. Indeed, it is our view that the lower court, under all the circumstances, was extraordinarily lenient in imposing a sentence of four months for a crime of this nature.
The judgment of the district court will be affirmed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.