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SbFkEME CObkI
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SECCND DlVlSlCN
G.k. No. 17271 November 17, 2010
JASON IVLEk y AGbILAk, FeIiIicner,
v:.
HON. MAkIA kOWENA MODESIO-SAN FEDkO, Judge o| the Metropo||ton Ir|o|
Court, 8ronch 71, Fos|g C|ty, ond EVANGELINE FONCE, Fe:pcncenI:.
D E C l S l C N
CAkFIO,
Ihe Cc:e
Ihe peIiIicn :eek: Ihe review
1
cf Ihe Crcer:
2
cf Ihe Fegicnc| Iric| CcurI cf Fc:ig
CiIy cffirming :uL-:i|encic c |cwer ccurI: ru|ing fincing incpp|iccL|e Ihe DcuL|e
Jecpcrcy C|cu:e Ic Lcr c :eccnc prc:ecuIicn fcr Feck|e:: lmprucence
Fe:u|Iing in Hcmicice cnc Dcmcge Ic FrcperIy. Ihi:, ce:piIe Ihe cccu:ec:
previcu: ccnvicIicn fcr Feck|e:: lmprucence Fe:u|Iing in S|ighI Fhy:icc| lnjurie:
cri:ing frcm Ihe :cme incicenI grcuncing Ihe :eccnc prc:ecuIicn.
Ihe FccI:
Fc||cwing c vehicu|cr cc||i:icn in /ugu:I 2004, peIiIicner Jc:cn lv|er {peIiIicner)
wc: chcrgec Lefcre Ihe MeIrcpc|iIcn Iric| CcurI cf Fc:ig CiIy, 8rcnch 71
{MeIC), wiIh Iwc :epcrcIe cffen:e:: {1) Feck|e:: lmprucence Fe:u|Iing in S|ighI
Fhy:icc| lnjurie: {Criminc| Cc:e Nc. 8237) fcr injurie: :u:Icinec Ly re:pcncenI
Evcnge|ine L. Fcnce {re:pcncenI Fcnce): cnc {2) Feck|e:: lmprucence
Fe:u|Iing in Hcmicice cnc Dcmcge Ic FrcperIy {Criminc| Cc:e Nc. 823) fcr Ihe
cecIh cf re:pcncenI Fcnce: hu:Lcnc Ne:Icr C. Fcnce cnc ccmcge Ic Ihe
:pcu:e: Fcnce: vehic|e. FeIiIicner pc:Iec Lci| fcr hi: Iempcrcry re|ec:e in LcIh
cc:e:.
Cn 7 SepIemLer 2004, peIiIicner p|eccec gui|Iy Ic Ihe chcrge in Criminc| Cc:e
Nc. 8237 cnc wc: meIec cuI Ihe penc|Iy cf puL|ic cen:ure. lnvcking Ihi:
ccnvicIicn, peIiIicner mcvec Ic uc:h Ihe lnfcrmcIicn in Criminc| Cc:e Nc.
823 fcr p|ccing him in jecpcrcy cf :eccnc puni:hmenI fcr Ihe :cme cffen:e cf
reck|e:: imprucence.
Ihe MeIC refu:ec uc:hc|, fincing nc icenIiIy cf cffen:e: in Ihe Iwc cc:e:.
3
/fIer un:ucce::fu||y :eeking reccn:icercIicn, peIiIicner e|evcIec Ihe mcIIer Ic
Ihe Fegicnc| Iric| CcurI cf Fc:ig CiIy, 8rcnch 157 {FIC), in c peIiIicn fcr cerIicrcri
{S.C./. Nc. 2803). Mecnwhi|e, peIiIicner :cughI frcm Ihe MeIC Ihe :u:pen:icn cf
prcceecing: in Criminc| Cc:e Nc. 823, inc|ucing Ihe crrcignmenI cn 17 Mcy
2005, invcking S.C./. Nc. 2803 c: c prejucicic| ue:Iicn. WiIhcuI ccIing cn
peIiIicner: mcIicn, Ihe MeIC prcceecec wiIh Ihe crrcignmenI cnc, Leccu:e cf
peIiIicner: cL:ence, ccnce||ec hi: Lci| cnc crcerec hi: crre:I.
4
Seven ccy:
|cIer, Ihe MeIC i::uec c re:c|uIicn cenying peIiIicner: mcIicn Ic :u:penc
prcceecing: cnc pc:Ipcning hi: crrcignmenI unIi| cfIer hi: crre:I.
5
FeIiIicner
:cughI reccn:icercIicn LuI c: cf Ihe fi|ing cf Ihi: peIiIicn, Ihe mcIicn remcinec
unre:c|vec.
Fe|ying cn Ihe crre:I crcer cgcin:I peIiIicner, re:pcncenI Fcnce :cughI in Ihe
FIC Ihe ci:mi::c| cf S.C./. Nc. 2803 fcr peIiIicner: |c:: cf :Icncing Ic mcinIcin
Ihe :uiI. FeIiIicner ccnIe:Iec Ihe mcIicn.
Ihe Fu|ing cf Ihe Iric| CcurI
ln cn Crcer ccIec 2 FeLrucry 200, Ihe FIC ci:mi::ec S.C./. Nc. 2803, ncrrcw|y
grcuncing iI: ru|ing cn peIiIicner: fcrfeiIure cf :Icncing Ic mcinIcin S.C./. Nc.
2803 cri:ing frcm Ihe MeIC: crcer Ic crre:I peIiIicner fcr hi: ncn-cppecrcnce cI
Ihe crrcignmenI in Criminc| Cc:e Nc. 823. Ihu:, wiIhcuI recching Ihe meriI: cf
S.C./. Nc. 2803, Ihe FIC effecIive|y cffirmec Ihe MeIC. FeIiIicner :cughI
reccn:icercIicn LuI Ihi: prcvec uncvci|ing.
Hence, Ihi: peIiIicn.
FeIiIicner cenie: cL:ccncing. He exp|cin: IhcI hi: peIiIicn in S.C./. Nc. 2803
ccn:Ircinec him Ic fcregc pcrIicipcIicn in Ihe prcceecing: in Criminc| Cc:e Nc.
823. FeIiIicner ci:Iingui:he: hi: cc:e frcm Ihe |ine cf juri:prucence :cncIicning
ci:mi::c| cf cppec|: fcr cL:ccncing cppe||cnI: Leccu:e hi: cppec| Lefcre Ihe
FIC wc: c :pecic| civi| ccIicn :eeking c pre-Iric| re|ief, ncI c pc:I-Iric| cppec| cf
c jucgmenI cf ccnvicIicn.
7
FeIiIicner |cmenI: Ihe FIC: fci|ure Ic recch Ihe meriI: cf hi: peIiIicn in S.C./.
2803. lnvcking juri:prucence, peIiIicner crgue: IhcI hi: ccn:IiIuIicnc| righI ncI Ic
Le p|ccec Iwice in jecpcrcy cf puni:hmenI fcr Ihe :cme cffen:e Lcr: hi:
prc:ecuIicn in Criminc| Cc:e Nc. 823, hcving Leen previcu:|y ccnvicIec in
Criminc| Cc:e Nc. 8237 fcr Ihe :cme cffen:e cf reck|e:: imprucence chcrgec
in Criminc| Cc:e Nc. 823. FeIiIicner :uLmiI: IhcI Ihe mu|Iip|e ccn:euence: cf
:uch crime cre mcIeric| cn|y Ic ceIermine hi: penc|Iy.
Fe:pcncenI Fcnce finc: nc rec:cn fcr Ihe CcurI Ic ci:IurL Ihe FIC: ceci:icn
fcrfeiIing peIiIicner: :Icncing Ic mcinIcin hi: peIiIicn in S.C./. 2803. Cn Ihe
meriI:, re:pcncenI Fcnce cc||: Ihe CcurI: cIIenIicn Ic juri:prucence hc|cing
IhcI |ighI cffen:e: {e.g. :|ighI phy:icc| injurie:) ccnncI Le ccmp|exec uncer
/rIic|e 48 cf Ihe Fevi:ec Fenc| Ccce wiIh grcve cr |e:: grcve fe|cnie: {e.g.
hcmicice). Hence, Ihe prc:ecuIicn wc: cL|igec Ic :epcrcIe Ihe chcrge in
Criminc| Cc:e Nc. 823 fcr Ihe :|ighI phy:icc| injurie: frcm Criminc| Cc:e Nc.
8237 fcr Ihe hcmicice cnc ccmcge Ic prcperIy.
ln Ihe Fe:c|uIicn cf June 2007, we grcnIec Ihe Cffice cf Ihe Sc|iciIcr Generc|:
mcIicn ncI Ic fi|e c ccmmenI Ic Ihe peIiIicn c: Ihe puL|ic re:pcncenI jucge i:
mere|y c ncminc| pcrIy cnc privcIe re:pcncenI i: repre:enIec Ly ccun:e|.
Ihe l::ue:
Iwc ue:Iicn: cre pre:enIec fcr re:c|uIicn: {1) wheIher peIiIicner fcrfeiIec hi:
:Icncing Ic :eek re|ief in S.C./. 2803 when Ihe MeIC crcerec hi: crre:I fc||cwing
hi: ncn-cppecrcnce cI Ihe crrcignmenI in Criminc| Cc:e Nc. 823: cnc {2) if in
Ihe negcIive, wheIher peIiIicner: ccn:IiIuIicnc| righI uncer Ihe DcuL|e
Jecpcrcy C|cu:e Lcr: furIher prcceecing: in Criminc| Cc:e Nc. 823.
Ihe Fu|ing cf Ihe CcurI
We hc|c IhcI {1) peIiIicner: ncn-cppecrcnce cI Ihe crrcignmenI in Criminc|
Cc:e Nc. 823 cic ncI cive:I him cf per:cnc|iIy Ic mcinIcin Ihe peIiIicn in
S.C./. 2803: cnc {2) Ihe prcIecIicn cffcrcec Ly Ihe Ccn:IiIuIicn :hie|cing
peIiIicner frcm prc:ecuIicn: p|ccing him in jecpcrcy cf :eccnc puni:hmenI fcr
Ihe :cme cffen:e Lcr: furIher prcceecing: in Criminc| Cc:e Nc. 823.
FeIiIicner: Ncn-cppecrcnce cI Ihe /rrcignmenI in
Criminc| Cc:e Nc. 823 cic ncI Dive:I him cf SIcncing
Ic McinIcin Ihe FeIiIicn in S.C./. 2803
Di:mi::c|: cf cppec|: grcuncec cn Ihe cppe||cnI: e:ccpe frcm cu:Iccy cr
vic|cIicn cf Ihe Ierm: cf hi: Lci| Lcnc cre gcvernec Ly Ihe :eccnc pcrcgrcph cf
SecIicn 8, Fu|e 124,
8
in re|cIicn Ic SecIicn 1, Fu|e 125, cf Ihe Fevi:ec Fu|e: cn
Criminc| Frccecure cuIhcrizing Ihi: CcurI cr Ihe CcurI cf /ppec|: Ic c|:c, upcn
mcIicn cf Ihe cppe||ee cr mcIu prcpric, ci:mi:: Ihe cppec| if Ihe cppe||cnI
e:ccpe: frcm pri:cn cr ccnfinemenI, jump: Lci| cr f|ee: Ic c fcreign ccunIry
curing Ihe pencency cf Ihe cppec|. Ihe cppec| ccnIemp|cIec in SecIicn 8 cf
Fu|e 124 i: c :uiI Ic review jucgmenI: cf ccnvicIicn:.
Ihe FIC: ci:mi::c| cf peIiIicner: :pecic| civi| ccIicn fcr cerIicrcri Ic review c
pre-crrcignmenI cnci||cry ue:Iicn cn Ihe cpp|iccLi|iIy cf Ihe Due Frcce::
C|cu:e Ic Lcr prcceecing: in Criminc| Cc:e Nc. 823 finc: nc Lc:i: uncer
prccecurc| ru|e: cnc juri:prucence. Ihe FIC: re|icnce cn Fecp|e v.
F:pc|c: