People v. Ayala Ortiz

97 P.R. 163
CourtSupreme Court of Puerto Rico
DecidedApril 2, 1969
DocketNo. CR-67-134
StatusPublished

This text of 97 P.R. 163 (People v. Ayala Ortiz) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Puerto Rico primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Ayala Ortiz, 97 P.R. 163 (prsupreme 1969).

Opinions

Mr. Justice Ramírez Bages

delivered the opinion of the Court.

On account of some firearm shots in a public street of Barrio Obrero in Santurce which wounded a young man in [164]*164the abdomen and passed through the shoe of another, appellant Vicente Ayala Ortiz was arrested, after determining probable cause against him of the commission of two offenses of assault with intent to commit murder and of two violations of §§ 6 and 8 of the Weapons Law. On the preliminary hearing, the trial court ruled that there was not sufficient evidence to prosecute appellant for the offenses of attempts to kill, but there was for violations to §§ 6 and 8 of the Weapons Law. Guillermo A. Gil, Judge of the Superior Court, affirmed the ruling that there was not sufficient evidence to prosecute appellant for the offenses of assault to commit murder. After the trial was held in the Part of said court presided by Judge Gerardo Carreira Más, appellant was found guilty of violations to §§ 6 and 8 of the Weapons Law, and sentenced to serve concurrently the penalties of one year in jail and from two to four years in the penitentiary, which were suspended under certain conditions under the authority of Act No. 259 of April 3, 1946 (34 L.P.R.A. § 1027).

On appeal he alleges that the trial court or the jury, or both, erred (1) in depriving appellant of a fair and impartial trial when the trial judge made certain statements in the presence of the jury which obviously indicated his opinion concerning the evidence and the character of the witnesses; (2) in finding him guilty although the weapon was neither seized nor properly described; (3) in giving entire credit to witness Agustín Luna Roque who admitted that he was drunk at the moment of the occurrence of the facts which gave rise to the prosecution, thus depriving appellant of the benefit of reasonable doubt; and (4) in the trial judge making statements before the jury that he was going to charge the witness for the prosecution, Pascual Oyóla Sánchez, with contempt on account of perjury, as so he .did later, in asking the marshal in the presence of the jury to bring the Penal Code into the courtroom.

[165]*165We relate below the evidence for the prosecution:

1. Antonio Garcia Tapia, after testifying that on February 30 [sic], 1966, at about 10:30 in the night while he was on Principal Street in Barrio Obrero in Santurce, in front of the bar known as La Cuerda Floja he saw appellant there “because they told me he was called that way.” His examination continues as follows:

“Prosecuting Attorney:

Q. What happened there that night that called your attention?
A. I was talking there and there I saw defendant, since he has already been accused, and he called Cheguán.
Q. Who went there, who ?
A. That man over there, Vicente Ayala.
Q. What happened?
A. He came and told him ‘well let’s settle this.’
Q. To whom did he say those words ?
A. To the aggrieved.
Q. Who is the aggrieved?
A. José Juan.
Q. Is that Cheguán?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. What did he tell him?
A. That now they were going to settle things.
Q. What happened then?
A. He fired a shot at his feet and another at his stomach.
Q. At Cheguán?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. And with what did he fire those two shots ?
A. With a nickel-plated revolver, short barrel.
Q. A nickel-plated revolver, short barrel ?
A. Yes.
Q. Did you see that?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. And did you see that man, did you see defendant Vicente Ayala Ortiz when those two shots were fired?
A. As I told you now, he was accused because it was said he had done it.
Q. Don’t you know whether or not he did it?
[166]*166A. I say it was Mm because it was said; but I did not know Mm nor did I identify Mm there, but at the police station.
Q. You did not identify him at the police station?
A. I was told he had been there and they went to look for him.
Q. Don’t you know who was the person who fired the shots?
A. The person who fired the shots was taller than him and had a lighter complexion. (Italics ours.)
Mr. Andréu Ribas
Q. What?
A. Had a lighter complexion.”
After reading his own sworn statement where the witness states that it was appellant who fired the shots, he testified as follows:
“Prosecuting Attorney:
Q. Whether or not it is true that it was not Vicente Ayala Ortiz but a man of lighter complexion, taller, called Bullin?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. And in your sworn statement you stated that it was Vicente Ayala Ortiz?
A. It was Vicente Ayala Ortiz because they told me that that was his name.
Judge:
Q. The person, forget the name, who fired the shots, who is he?
A. The person who fired the shots I told you, the one who did it is taller than Mm.
Q. Then, it is not this defendant?
A. No sir, I beg your pardon, because I gave the name that way but I know for myself that it was not him because the person was taller and of a lighter complexion. (Italics ours.) Prosecuting Attorney:
Q. However, in your sworn statement you said it was Vicente Ayala Ortiz ?
A. Because I was told he had been the one, that name but for myself and for God I know that he was not.” (Italics ours.)

2. The examination of Pascual Oyóla Sánchez was partly conducted this way:

[167]*167“Q. Do you know or know who is Vicente Ayala Ortiz?
A. Well, I know him by the name.
Q. He is present in the courtroom today, will you please point him out?
A. I cannot tell who he is.
Judge:
Q. Where is that person that you know now by the name of Vicente Ayala Ortiz?
A. That man who is present.
Q. Then why do you say you do not know? Let us proceed.
Q.

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97 P.R. 163, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-ayala-ortiz-prsupreme-1969.