Section 24.-Derogatory clause.-All laws or parts of laws in conflict herewith are hereby repealed.

Section 25.-Time of taking effect. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

Approved, March 11, 1915.

[No. 36.]

AN ACT

OF

APPROPRIATING THE ADDITIONAL SUM OF NINE THOUSAND (9,000) DOLLARS FOR THE COMPLETION OF TWO BRIDGES OVER THE RIO GRANDE ARECIBO.

Be it enacted by the Legislative Assembly of Porto Rico:

Section 1. That in addition to the amount of twenty-five thousand dollars, appropriated by Act No. 132, approved August 9, 1913, to provide for the construction of a section of road from the portion of Road No. 2 already completed to the city of Arecibo, and for the construction of the necessary bridges thereon, there is hereby appropriated out of any funds in the Insular Treasury not otherwise appropriated, the further sum of nine thousand (9,000) dollars or so much thereof as may be necessary, in order to complete the construction of two bridges over the Río Grande of Arecibo, connecting the city of Arecibo with Road No. 2.

Section 2. That all laws or parts of laws in conflict herewith are hereby repealed.

Section 3. That this Act shall take effect upon its approval.
Approved, March 11, 1915.

[No. 37.]

AN ACT

TO ESTABLISH A SYSTEM OF JUVENILE COURTS; TO PROVIDE FOR THE CARE OF NEGLECTED AND DELINQUENT CHILDREN; AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE DISPOSITION OF ALL CASES OF JUVENILE DELINQUENCY, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

Be it enacted by the Legislative Assembly of Porto Rico:

ARTICLE I.—JUVENILE COURTS.

Section 1.-That there be, and hereby is, created and established in cach and every one of the judicial districts of the Island of Porto

Rico, a court to be known as the "Juvenile Court, " which shall be a court of record, and which shall have within its district exclusive original jurisdiction of all cases of juvenile delinquency and dependency and cases contributing thereto, and of all cases arising under the laws for the protection of children. In all such cases said court shall have criminal jurisdiction.

Section 2. The district judge of each one of the seven judicial districts shall be the judge of the juvenile court within his district. In the Judicial District of San Juan the judge of Section 2 of said court shall be the judge of the juvenile court within the said district. In case of absence of the judge or of his inability or disqualification to perform the duties of said court, and pending the appointment of a new judge, it shall be the duty of the Attorney General of Porto Rico to designate one of the municipal judges within the district, provided he is a lawyer duly admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of Porto Rico, who shall act as judge of the juvenile court and hear and dispose of such cases as may come before him in the office of the judge of the juvenile court, during the absence, disability or disqualification of the district judge or until the vacancy is filled.

Section 3.-Each one of the juvenile courts hereby created and established shall have a seal, with which all process issuing therefrom shall be authenticated; which seal shall be provided for each one of said courts by the Attorney General of Porto Rico, and shall contain the words, "Juvenile Court, District of

Porto Rico," inserting the name of the district for which such seal is provided.

Section 4. The juvenile court shall hold sessions at the times and places designated by the judge thereof to hear and determine any and all cases cognizable before said court. Whenever the session of the court should be held at the regular hall of sessions of the district court, it shall be held at a time when there shall be no adult accused awaiting trial for any crime with the commission of which he may be charged.

Section 5. The fiscals of the district courts and judges of the municipal courts shall act and serve as probation officers of the juvenile court within their respective districts, and shall perform the duties hereinafter specified, within their respective municipal districts.

The juvenile court shall have power to appoint and designate whenever the judge thereof may deem it necessary, discreet persons of good moral character who are willing to serve as special probation officer, without compensation, and who shall perform such duties as may be assigned to them by the juvenile court. No person shall be eligible as a special probation officer who has been convicted of any crime against the laws of Porto Rico.

Section 6.-The secretary, marshals and stenographer of the district court of each of the seven districts shall perform the duties of clerk, marshal and stenographer, respectively, of the juvenile court

within their respective districts,, which duties shall be such as may be assigned to them by the court or as this law shall direct.

Section 7.-The Attorney General of Porto Rico shall have prepared and shall furnish to each juvenile court of Porto Rico a uniform series of blanks for complaints, commitments, reports and such other blanks as may be necessary, and a special record book, to be known as "The Juvenile Court Record." The said record shall be kept as a permanent record of all cases coming before the court under the provisions of this Act, the reports of probation officers, physicians, teachers and employers respecting juvenile cases, and such other matters as may be required by the Department of Justice. It shall be the duty of each juvenile court, in addition to any other report which may be required in accordance with law, to submit to the Attorney General, between the first and fifteenth days of July of each year, and upon blanks to be furnished by the Attorney General and based on the juvenile court record, a report showing for the fiscal year ending June 30, the number, character and disposition of all the cases brought before the court, and such other information regarding such cases, and the parentage of such children brought before it, as shall be required by the juvenile court record. The information so reported by the juvenile courts shall be compiled by the Attorney General, and by him reported to the Legislature at its next regular session; and the Attorney General shall send a copy of his report to the Legislature and also to each juvenile court of Porto Rico.

ARTICLE II.- -GENERAL PROCEDURE.

Section 8. For the purposes of this Act, the word "parents" or "parent" shall mean one or both parents, as is consistent with the intent of this Act; the word "child" or "children" shall include one child or more than one, as is consistent with the intent of this Act, and shall, unless specifically stated otherwise, include any child within Porto Rico who is under sixteen years of age, or having once come within the jurisdiction of the juvenile court by the provisions of this Act has not attained its majority. The words "delinquent child" shall include any child who violates any law of Porto Rico, or any ordinance of any town or city within Porto Rico; or who is incorrigible; or who knowingly associates with thieves, vicious or immoral persons; or who is growing up in idleness or crime; or who knowingly visits or enters a house of ill-repute; or who knowingly patronizes or visits any gambling house; or who patronizes or visits any saloon or other place where intoxicating liquors are sold; or who wanders about the streets after ten o'clock at night without being on any lawful business or occupation; or who habitually uses vile, obscene, or indecent language, or is guilty of immoral conduct in any public place or about any schoolhouse. Any child committing any of the acts herein mentioned shall be deemed delinquent, and shall be proceeded against as such as hereinafter provided.

The words "dependent child" shall mean any child who is de

pendent upon the public for support, or who is destitute, homeless or abandoned, or who has not proper parental care or guardianship; or who habitually begs or receives alms; or who is found living in any house of ill-fame, or with any vicious or disreputable persons; or whose home, by reason of neglect, cruelty or depravity on the part of its parents, guardian, or other person in whose care it may be, is an unfit place for such child; or whose environment is such as to warrant the people, in the interest of the child, in assuming its guardianship. Any child permitted by its parents or guardian to use spirituous or intoxicating liquors as a beverage, and not for medicinal purposes, or whose parent or guardian rears, keeps or permits in or about any saloon, or place where spirituous or intoxicating liquors are sold, or any gambling house, or any house of ill-fame or ill-repute, shall be deemed to be without proper parental care or guardianship.

Any child under the age of ten (10) years who is found begging, or who accompanies or is used in aid of a person so doing, shall be deemed and considered a dependent child.

Section 9. The juvenile courts shall have authority to issue subpoenas for witnesses and to compel their attendance by attachment as for contempt, and to issue all such process as may be necessary in any case, arising under this Act.

Section 10. The probation officers are hereby vested with the power to make arrests and to file complaints and prosecute any person coming under the provisions of this Act. They shall serve all writs and process of the juvenile court, either in person, or through other persons specially deputized by them for such purpose; and they may deputize the marshal of the municipal court, or some other person of good moral character, to make an investigation of any case coming within the provisions of this Act, but the said marshal or other person shall not have power to make an arrest, unless they have a warrant duly issued by the probation officer authorizing the said arrest.

The special probation officer appointed by the juvenile court as hereinbefore provided, shall have power to make arrests only upon warrants duly issued by the judge of said court.

Section 11. Whenever there is a child to be brought before a juvenile court, it shall be the duty of the judge, if possible, to notify the municipal judge as a probation officer of the municipal district wherein the said child may, reside, in advance, when such child is to be brought before the court. The said municipal judge, upon being notified, shall make such investigation as- may be required by the juvenile court, and shall be present at the trial of the case, if posible, to represent the interests of the child; and in case of his inability to be present at such trial, he shall notify the juvenile court and shall furnish to the court such information, in writing, as may be required by the court, and the court may then order the case to be sent to the fiscal as probation officer.

Section 12.-It shall be the duty of the district fiscal, when acting as probation officer, to appear before the juvenile court for the pur

pose of prosecuting or conducting any hearing or trial of any case in which he is acting as probation officer.

Section 13.-It shall be the duty of every insular policeman, or of any other officer of the law, other than the probation officer, to arrest or detain any child for any cause under the provisions of this or any other law, to at once bring such child before the juvenile court or the judge thereof, or, to place it in charge of a probation officer, who shall thereupon make the necessary order for the proper care of said child, in accordance with the provisions of this Act.

It shall be the duty of the officer arresting or detaining such child to furnish the probation officer or the judge of the juvenile court with all the facts in his possession pertaining to said child, its parents, guardian, or other person who may be interested in the proceedings, and also the nature of the charge against the child or the cause for its detention.

Whenever a child shall have been placed in the custody of a probation officer it shall be the duty of such probation officer to transfer the case to the proper juvenile court, to take such child before said court, and in any such case the court may proceed to the trial of the case in the same manner as if the child had been brought before the court upon a petition as herein provided.

Section 14.-Any person having knowledge of a helpless or delinquent child within his district may file with the juvenile court of the district a petition in writing setting forth the facts, and verified by affidavit. The affidavit may be made upon information and belief, but in that case the affiant shall set forth the sources of his information and the grounds for his belief.

The court may, of its own motion or at the request of some interested person, require any additional information as to the parents or relatives of such child, or the causes of its helplessness or delinquency.

Section 15-As soon as the petition is filed, unless the parties shall voluntarily appear in court, a summons shall be issued, in the name of The People of Porto Rico, requiring the appearance of the child and of the person having the custody and control of such child, if any there be, to appear at the place and at the time set in the summons, which shall not be later than twenty-four (24) hours after service, unless otherwise directed by the court.

The parents or nearest relatives of the child, or its tutor, if one there be, shall be notified and made parties to the proceedings; and the judge may appoint some suitable person or some association for the protection and care of children to act in behalf of the child. If the person summoned, as herein provided, shall fail without reasonable cause to appear and abide the order of the court, or to bring the child, such person may be proceeded against as in a case of a contempt of court. If the party served fails to obey the summons a warrant may issue on order of the court, either against the parent or guardian, or the person having custody of the child, or against the child itself.