People v. Nieto
People v. Nieto
Opinion of the Court
delivered tlie opinion of the court.
Sixto Nieto and Baúl Martiz were accused in tlie District Court of Mayagiiez of adulterating milk. Before trial the defendants moved the court for a jury trial, and alleged that although the information charged them with “unlawfully, wil-fully, maliciously, and criminally keeping for sale to he used for human consumption, cow’s milk adulterated with water added artificially,” Act No. 77 of August 12, 1925 (Laws of 1925, p. 558)
Appellant’s contention is based exclusively on the ground that the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act of 1940 repealed Act No. 77 of 1925, relating to the adulteration of milk.
Both Acts are in pari materia, but the Act of 1940, which is of a general character, does not mention milk among the foods whose adulteration it punishes. If special Act No. 77 of 1925, which defines and punishes the offense of adulterating milk did not exist, we would have to agree with the appellants that the milk, being a food for human consumption, was included in general Act No. 72 of 1940. But it is a well-settled rule of statutory construction that a general law does not repeal a special one unless such repeal is expressly stated in the former or the two laws are conflicting. Rivera v. District Court, 39 P.R.R 716 (1929); Tilén v. Mena, 24 P R.R. 760 (1917). In the present case both acts may stand without any conflict, the first one regulating all the foodstuffs not embraced in any special act which has not been expressly repealed by the general act, and Act No. 77 of 1925 regulating exclusively the adulteration of milk.
The appellants contend that Act No. 63 of April 25 of 1931 (Laws of 1931, p. 414)
The fact that the number and title of Act No. 77 of 1925, were not specified in the information, does not imply, as urged by appellants, that the offense charged was included in the general Act of 1940.
In view of the fact that the only error assigned by the appellants was not committed, the appeal is hereby dismissed and the judgment appealed from affirmed.
‘An Act providing punishment for the adulteration of milk and for other purposes.”
“An Act to prohibit the sale, storage or transportation of adulterated, misbranded, poisonous, or deleterious foods and drugs or medicines, and for other purposes.”
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.