Ley 62 del 1980

(P. del S. 1350)

L E Y

Para enmendar la Regla 138 de las de Procedimiento Criminal de 1963, que establece sobre la custodia del jurado, para permitir que tanto el acusado como el fiscal, en interés de la justicia, puedan solicitar al Tribunal que el jurado quede bajo la custodia del alguacil.

EXPOSICION DE MOTIVOS

La presente medida va dirigida a enmendar la Regla 138 de las de Procedimiento Criminal de 1963, que dispone en cuanto a la custodia del jurado. Se amplían las disposiciones de dicha regla autorizando tanto al acusado como al fiscal, cuando en interés de la justicia sea necesario, solicitar del Tribunal, que el jurado quede bajo la custodia del alguacil antes de someterse la causa a dicho jurado.

Decrétase por la Asamblea Legislativa de Puerto Rico:

Sección 1.- Se enmienda la Regla 138 de las de Procedimiento Criminal de 1963, para que se lea como sigue: "Regla 138.-Jurado; Custodia Durante el transcurso del juicio, y antes de someterse la causa al jurado, el tribunal podrá permitir que los jurados se separen, o disponer que queden bajo la custodia del alguacil, quien prestará juramento de mantenerlos juntos hasta la próxima sesión del tribunal, y de no consentir que nadie, incluso él mismo, les hable o se comunique con ellos, acerca de ningún particular relacionado con el juicio, y de regresar con ellos al tribunal en la próxima sesión. Así mismo durante el transcurso del juicio, cuando en el interés de la justicia sea necesario, tanto el acusado como el fiscal podrán solicitar del Tribunal que, en su sana discreción, ordene que el jurado quede bajo la custodia del alguacil.

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Sección 2.- Esta ley comenzará a regir inmediatamente después de su aprobación.

Presidente del Senado

Presidente de la Cámara

Departamento de Estado CERTIFICO: que es copia fiel y exacta del original oprobado y firmado por el Gobarrnodor del Estado Libre Asociado do Puerto Rico ol dia ..27. do margr.... de 19 80..... 2

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OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE SERVICES

CAPITOL BUILDING
P.O. BOX 3906
SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO 00904

July 28, 1981

Sila S. Vázquez, Director of the Office of Legislative Services of the Legislature of Puerto Rico, hereby certifies to the Secretary of State that she has duly compared the English and Spanish texts of Act No. 62 (S.B. 1350) of the 4th Session of the 8th Legislature of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, entitled:

AN ACT to amend Rule 138 of the Rules of Criminal Procedure of 1963 that provides for the custody of the jury, to provide that the defendant as well as the prosecutor, in the interests of justice, may petition the Court to keep the jury in the custody of the marshal, and finds the same are complete, true and correct versions of each other.

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(NO. 62) (Approved May 27, 1980)

AN ACT

To amend Rule 138 of the Rules of Criminal Procedure of 1963 that provides for the custody of the jury, to provide that the defendant as well as the prosecutor, in the interests of justice, may petition the Court to keep the jury in the custody of the marshal.

STATEMENT OF MOTIVES

The purpose of this bill is to amend Rule 138 of the Rules of Criminal Procedure of 1963, that provides for the custody of the jury. The provisions of said rule, authorizing the defendant as well as the prosecutor, when it is essential for the administration of justice, to petition the Court to keep the jury in custody of the marshal before the case is submitted to the jury, are hereby broadened.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF PUERTO RICO:

Section 1.- Rule 138 of the Rules of Criminal Procedure is hereby amended to read as follows: "Rule 138.- Jury; Custody During the course of the trial, and before submitting

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the case to the jury, the Court may permit the jury to separate, or provide that they remain in the custody of the marshal, who shall be sworn to keep them together until the next session of the Court, and not to permit any person to speak to or communicate with them, nor to do so himself, on any matter connected with the trial, and to return with them to the Court in the next session. Likewise, during the course of the trial, when it is essential to the administration of justice, the defendant as well as the prosecutor may petition the Court to order that the jury remain in the custody of the marshal, at its discretion.

Section 3.- This Act shall become effective immediately after its approval.