Esta ley enmienda la Ley de la Judicatura de Puerto Rico de 1994 para autorizar al Juez Presidente del Tribunal Supremo a permitir que ciertos asuntos civiles de la competencia de una sala, sección o parte del Tribunal de Primera Instancia sean presentados y juzgados en otra sala, sección o parte de dicho Tribunal por un período específico. La ley busca optimizar el uso de los recursos físicos y humanos del sistema judicial ante el aumento de litigios civiles y las limitaciones de infraestructura.
(S. B. 1099) (Conference) (No. 293) (Approved December 25. 2002)
To amend Section 5.005 of Reorganization Plan No. 1 of the Judicial Branch of July 28, 1994, as amended, known as the "Puerto Rico Judicature Act of 1994," in order to authorize the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court to provide that certain matters of the competence of a seat, section or part of the Court of First Instance, be filed and tried in another seat, section or part of said Court for a specific period of time.
The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico in Article V, Section 2, establishes a unified judicial system with regard to jurisdiction, operation and administration. Section 2.001 of the Judicature Act of 1994, as amended, establishes these same principles. The Constitution, in Section 7 of Article V, as well as the Judicature Act , in several Sections, among them, Sections 2.004 and 5.005, conferred on the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, the power to administer the judicial system assisted by an Administrative Director and, pursuant to judicial needs, to assign resources to the system to the different seats and parts so that the services they offer will reach the citizenry more efficiently and achieve the prompt solution of judicial matters.
In addition to human resources, equipment and materials that must be assigned in the most responsible way possible, it is essential for the physical resources, that is to say, the structures where seats, sections and parts of the
Court of First Instance are located, to also respond to adequate criteria of reasonable quality comfort, proximity and accessibility for the citizens, judges and employees of this Branch in order to guarantee prompt and efficient services.
In view of the considerable increase of civil litigation in Puerto Rico in recent years, and the well-known limitation of fiscal resources of the Judicial Branch to furnish or lease halls of justice with sufficient capacity, it is necessary for this Branch, through the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, to take administrative measures to achieve the purposes set forth in the Constitution and in the Act.
This Legislature deems that in view of the abovementioned demand for judicial services and the clamor of the citizenry for speedy and good quality justice, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court should be expressly authorized to provide that cases regarding certain civil matters of the competence of a part, seat or section of the Court of First Instance, may be filed in another part, seat or section of said Court that has the adequate resources and physical facilities, for the period of time that he/she deems pertinent pursuant to the needs of the service. This Act shall constitute an exception to the provisions of Rule 3 of the Rules of Civil Procedure of 1979, during the term of the order of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court pursuant to this Act.
Section 1.- Section 5.005 of Reorganization Plan No. 1 of the Judicial Branch of July 28, 1994, as amended, known as the "Puerto Rico Judicature Act of 1994," is hereby amended to read as follows:
"Section 5.005: Parts; sessions; juries The Court of First Instance shall have seats and parts and shall hold sessions in San Juan, Bayamón, Arecibo, Aguadilla, Mayagüez, Ponce, Guayama, Humacao, Caguas, Aibonito, Utuado, Carolina and Fajardo. It shall also have parts and hold sessions in those seats of the Court of First Instance, created by virtue of the process of conversion of seats of the District Courts into seats of the Court of First Instance pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 9 of this Act. Under the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, pursuant to the judicial need determined by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, sessions may be held in all the municipalities that until the effectiveness of this Act were included in the previous judicial regions of the same name. In spite of, the provisions of the Rules of Civil Procedure of 1979, as amended, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court may also provide that specific matters of the competence of a section, seat or part of the Court of First Instance be filed and tried in another section, seat or part of said Court, if required for the best use of the physical and human resources of the judicial system. Said determination shall be provisional in nature to address judicial needs and shall be extended for the term that the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court deems necessary. The judicial regions that comprise the parts of the Court of First Instance are the following:
(a) San Juan. Includes the municipality of San Juan.
(b) Bayamón. Includes the municipalities of Cataño, Corozal, Dorado, Guaynabo, Naranjito, Toa Alta, Toa Baja, Vega Alta and Vega Baja.
(c) Arecibo. Includes the municipalities of Barceloneta, Camuy, Ciales, Hatillo, Manatí, Morovis, Quebradillas and Florida.
(d) Aguadilla. Includes the municipalities of Aguada, Isabela, Moca, Rincón and San Sebastián.
(e) Mayagüez. Includes the municipalities of Añasco, Cabo Rojo, Homigueros, Lajas, Las Marías, Maricao, Sabana Grande and San Germán.
(f) Ponce. Includes the municipalities of Guánica, Guayanilla, Juana Díaz, Peñuelas, Santa Isabel, Villalba and Yauco.
(g) Guayama. Includes the municipalities of Arroyo, Cayey, Patillas and Salinas.
(h) Humacao. Includes the municipalilties of Las Piedras, Maunabo, Naguabo and Yabucoa.
(i) Caguas. Includes the municipalities Aguas Buenas, Cidra, Gurabo, Juncos and San Lorenzo.
(j) Aibonito. Includes the municipality of Barranquitas, Coamo, Comerío and Orocovis.
(k) Utuado. Includes the municipalities of Adjuntas, Jayuya and Lares. (1) Carolina. Includes the municipalities of Canóvanas, Loíza and Trujillo Alto.
(m) Fajardo. Includes the municipalities of Ceiba, Culebra, Luquillo, Vieques and Río Grande.
The juries for the several parts shall be selected from the same municipalities that up to the present were included in the previous judicial regions of the same name. Notwithstanding what is provided above, the Court of First Instance shall have parts in each municipality of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico in which at least one Municipal Judge per municipality
shall perform the duties that are assigned to him/her pursuant to this chapter.
Section 2.- The Judicial Branch shall previously inform the public and the attorneys of the Island, of the section, part or seat of the Court of First Instance to which filing and provisional attention of civil matters pursuant to the provisions of this Act, have been established.
Section 3.- This Act shall take effect immediately after its approval.
I hereby certify to the Secretary of State that the following Act No. 293 (S.B. 1099) (Conference) of the $4^{ ext {th }}$ Session of the $14^{ ext {th }}$ Legislature of Puerto Rico:
AN ACT to amend Section 5.005 of Reorganization Plan No. 1 of the Judicial Branch of July 28, 1994, as amended, known as the "Puerto Rico Judicature Act of 1994," in order to authorize the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court to provide that certain matters of the competence of a seat, section or part of the Court of First Instance, be filed and tried in another seat, section or part of said Court for a specific period of time, has been translated from Spanish to English and that the English version is correct.
In San Juan, Puerto Rico, today $8^{ ext {th }}$ of October of 2004.
Elba Rosa Rodríguez-Fuentes Director