8ayaca vs kamos

S77 SCkA 93 (2009)

8espondenL !udge acLed wlLhouL legal basls ln orderlng a deLenLlon Lhus dlsplaylng blas manlfesL parLlallLy
lncompeLence ln offlce gross lgnorance of Lhe law gross mlsconducL dlshonesLy and grave abuse of auLhorlLy and
dlscreLlon ComplalnanL added LhaL respondenL's conducL was unbecomlng and lnapproprlaLe for a [udge whlch ls greaLly
pre[udlclal Lo Lhe besL lnLeresL of Lhe servlce Pe Lhus prayed for Lhe suspenslon of Lhe respondenL !udge clLlng among
oLher reasons Lhe laLLer's chronlc drlnklng hablL
ln hls CounLerAffldavlL daLed respondenL !udge clarlfled LhaL hls lssuance of Lhe warranL of arresL agalnsL
hereln complalnanL was a mlsLake done ln good falLh lor almosL slxLeen (16) years lL was Lhe pracLlce ln hls sala LhaL
before acLlng on a moLlon lL passed Lhrough hls Clerk of CourL who sLudled Lhe records Lo deLermlne wheLher or noL Lo
granL lL lf lL would be granLed Lhe Clerk of CourL would Lhen requesL Lhe sLenographer Lo Lype Lhe order and LhereafLer
he would afflx hls lnlLlal for respondenL !udge's slgnaLure Whlle he apologlzed Lo complalnanL 8ayaca and hls parenLs
Lhe respondenL !udge malnLalned LhaL Lhe maLLer was merely a case of slmple negllgence
lssue Can Lhe dockeL clerk or Lhe Clerk of CourL deLermlne probable cause?
1he 8lll of 8lghLs whlch ls Lhe very hearL of Lhe fundamenLal law of Lhe land emphaslzes Lhe lndlspensablllLy of
one's llberLy because lL ls consldered as Lhe greaLesL among Lhe clvll and pollLlcal rlghLs LxLreme care musL be pracLlced
by a maglsLraLe ln slgnlng papers relaLlve Lo dlsposlLlon of moLlons wrlLs declslons and orders especlally warranL of
arresL because Lhe llberLy and properLy of an lndlvldual ls aL sLake 8espondenL !udge's made a mlsLake ln lssulng a
warranL of arresL Pe cannoL Lake refuge behlnd Lhe lame excuse of relylng on hls sLaff or Lhe Clerk of CourL because Lhe
poslLlon of a [udge demands personal efflclency and professlonal compeLence lndeed such excuse ls verlly an admlsslon
of lncompeLence
ln Lhe dlscharge of Lhe funcLlons of hls offlce a [udge musL sLrlve Lo acL ln a manner LhaL puLs hlm and hls
conducL above reproach and beyond susplclon Pe musL acL wlLh exLreme care for hls offlce lndeed ls laden wlLh a heavy
burden of responslblllLy (Cfflce of Lhe CourL AdmlnlsLraLor vs LsLaclon !r 181 SC8A 33) Pence a [udge ls requlred Lo
pore over all documenLs on whlch he afflxes hls slgnaLure noLwlLhsLandlng hls heavy caseload

eop|e vs A|e[andro
Gk 1763S0
1he pollce conducLed a buy busL operaLlon agalnsL accused appellanL for sollclLlng drugs1he prosecuLlon charged Lhe
appellanL wlLh vlolaLlon of SecLlon 3 ArLlcle ll of 8A no 9163 And Lhe appellanL pleaded noL gullLy Lo Lhe charge
AppellanL was senLenced Lo llfe lmprlsonmenL and Lhey appealed Lo Lhe CA quesLlonlng Lhe ldenLlLy and lnLegrlLy of Lhe
plasLlc sacheL of sbobo selzed from Lhe appellanL by members of Lhe enLrapmenL Leam 1he CA afflrmed Lhe declslon oL
Lhe 81C and furLher held LhaL Lhe pollce offlcers are presumed Lo have performed Lhelr duLles ln a regular manner ln Lhe
absence of any evldence of lmproper moLlve on Lhelr parL lL llkewlse dlsregarded Lhe appellanL's defense of denlal as lL
was unsupporLed by rellable corroboraLlve evldence"

lssue ls Lhe evldenLlary presumpLlon LhaL offlclal duLles have been regularly performed by Lhe pollce offlcers appllcable
ln Lhe prosecuLlon of 8A 9163?

ln Lhe presenL case Lhe procedural lapses by Lhe apprehendlng Leam ln Lhe handllng of Lhe selzed lLems from
Lhelr fallure Lo mark lL lmmedlaLely upon conflscaLlon Lo Lhelr fallure Lo lnvenLory and phoLograph lL ln Lhe presence of
Lhe accused or hls represenLaLlve or counsel a represenLaLlve from Lhe medla and Lhe uC! and any elecLed publlc
offlclal wlLhouL offerlng any [usLlflable ground effecLlvely negaLed Lhe presumpLlon of regularlLy

Lhe LoLallLy of evldence presenLed ln Lhe presenL case does noL supporL Lhe appellanLs convlcLlon for vlolaLlon
of SecLlon 3 ArLlcle ll of 8A no 9163slnce Lhe prosecuLlon falled Lo prove beyond reasonable doubL all Lhe elemenLs of
Lhe offense 1he prosecuLlon's fallure Lo comply wlLh SecLlon 21 ArLlcle ll of 8A no 9163 and wlLh Lhe chaln of cusLody
requlremenL of Lhls AcL compromlsed Lhe ldenLlLy of Lhe lLem selzed leadlng Lo Lhe fallure Lo adequaLely prove
Lhe cotpos Jellctl of Lhe crlme charged ln accordance wlLh Lhe consLlLuLlonal mandaLe LhaL Lhe gullL of Lhe appellanL
musL be proven beyond reasonable doubL we hold for fallure Lo esLabllsh Lhe requlred quanLum of evldence LhaL Lhe
presumpLlon of lnnocence musL prevall and acqulLLal should follow as a maLLer of rlghL