RULE 120 - JUDGMENT 

Section  1.  Judgment;  definition  and  form.  –  Judgment  is  the adjudication by the court that the accused is guilty or not guilty of the  offense  charged  and  the  imposition  on  him  of  the  proper penalty  and  civil  liability,  if  any.  It  must  be  written  in  the  official language, personally and directly prepared by the judge and signed by  him  and  shall  contain  clearly  and  distinctly  a  statement  of  the
facts and the law upon which it is based.
 

WHAT IS A JUDGMENT?

     Adjudication by the court that the accused is guilty or not guilty of the  offense  charged  and  the  imposition  on  him  of  the  proper penalty and civil liability, if any
 

WHAT IS THE FORM REQUIRED FOR THE JUDGMENT?

1.    It must be written in the official language
2.    Personally and directly prepared by the judge
3.    Signed by him  
4.    It shall contain clearly and distinctly a statement of the facts and the law upon which it is based.
 
Sec.   2.  Contents  of  the  judgment.   –  If  the  judgment  is  of conviction,  it  shall  state  (1)  the  legal  qualification  of  the  offense constituted   by   the   acts   committed   by   the   accused   and   the aggravating   or   mitigating   circumstances   which   attended   its commission;  (2)  the  participation  of  the  accused  in  the  offense, whether  as  principal,  accomplice,  or  accessory  after  the  fact;  (3) the penalty imposed upon the accused; and (4) the civil liability or damages  caused  by  his  wrongful  act  or  omission  to  be  recovered from the accused by the offended party, if there is any, unless the enforcement of the civil liability by a separate civil action has been reserved or waived.
 
In  case  the  judgment  is  of  acquittal,  it  shall  state  whether  the evidence of the prosecution absolutely failed to prove the guilt of the accused or merely failed to prove his guilt beyond reasonable doubt.  In  either  case,  the  judgment  shall  determine  if  the  act  or omission from which the civil liability might arise did not exist.
 

IF   THE   JUDGE   HAS   VERY   STRONG   BELIEFS   AGAINST   THE IMPOSITION OF THE DEATH PENALTY, CAN HE REFUSE TO IMPOSE IT   UPON   AN   ACCUSED   WHO   IS   GUILTY   OF   AN   OFFENSE PUNISHABLE WITH DEATH?

     No, the judge must impose the proper penalty provided for by the law, even if he is against it.
     If he refuses to do so, it is grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack of jurisdiction.
 

WHAT ARE THE CONTENTS OF THE JUDGMENT?

1.    If the judgment is of conviction, it shall state the following:
a.    The  legal  qualification  of  the  offense  constituted  by  the acts committed by the accused and the aggravating and mitigating circumstances which attended the commission
b.    The participation of the accused as principal, accomplice, or accessory
c.     The penalty imposed upon the accused
d.    The   civil   liability   or   damages,   if   any,   unless   the enforcement  of  the  civil  liability  has  been  reserved  or waived by the offended party.  
2.    If the judgment is of acquittal
a.    Whether the evidence of the prosecution absolutely failed to  prove  the  guilt  of  the  accused  or  merely  failed  to proved it beyond reasonable doubt
b.    If the act or omission from which the civil liability might arise doesn’t exist
 

IS IT NECESSARY FOR THE VALIDITY OF THE JUDGMENT THAT THE DECISION BE PROMULGATED BY THE SAME JUDGE WHO HEARD THE CASE?

     No, a judgment promulgated by a judge other than the one who heard the case is valid, provided that the judge who rendered the judgment relied on the records taken during the trial as basis for his decision
 

WHY SHOULD THE DECISION BE IN WRITING, SETTING FORTH THE FACTS AND THE LAW ON WHICH IT IS BASED?

     The decision should be in writing to inform the parties the reason for the decision so that  in case any of them appeals, such party can  point  out  to  the  appellate  court  the  findings  of  facts  or  the
rulings on point of law with which he disagrees
     The written decision also becomes the basis of the appellate court to pass judgment upon
     Finally,  it  will  assure  the  parties  the  judge  reached  judgment  by going through the process of legal reasoning
 

IS A VERBAL JUDGMENT VALID?

     No,  a  verbal  judgment  is  incomplete  because  it  doesn’t  contain findings of fact, and it is not signed by the judge 
     It  may  however  be  corrected  by  putting  it  in  writing  and  in  the prescribed form
     When it is put in writing, it becomes a full blown judgment
 

IS AN ERRONEOUS JUDGMENT VALID?

     Yes.  An error in judgment will not invalidate a decision, so long as it conforms with the requirements of the law
 

IS  IT  VALID  FOR  A  JUDGE  TO  RENDER  A  JUDGMENT  WHICH IMPOSES  A  PENALTY  THAT  DOESN’T  EXIST  OR  ONE  THAT  IS IMPOSSIBLE TO FULFILL?

     Such judgment is void
     The  error  goes  into  the  very  essence  of  the  penalty  and doesn’t merely arise from the misapplication thereof
 

DOES   THE   JUDGE   NEED   TO   DESIGNATE   THE   PARTICULAR PROVISION OF LAW VIOLATED?

     If possible, he should
     But if he fails to do so, the  judgment is not void, as long as his conclusions are based on some provision of law
 

CAN  THE  JUDGE  IMPOSE  AN  ALTERNATIVE  PENALTY  OF  EITHER RECLUSION PERPETUA OR A FINE OF P10,000?

     No, the judge cannot impose alternative penalties
     The penalty imposed must be definite
     When   the   judge   imposes   alternative   penalties,   giving   the defendant the right to choose which to serve, he gives discretion belonging to the court to the accused

CAN  THE  JUDGE  IMPOSE  THE  PENALTY  OF  RECLUSION  PERPETUA AND A FINE OF P10,000?

     Yes, because in this case, the penalty is definite
     The difference here with the example above is the use of the word “and” instead of “or”
 

WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF USING THE PROPER TERMINOLOGY IN THE IMPOSITION OF IMPRISONMENT PENALTIES?

     The  judge  should  use  the  proper  terminology  of  the  penalties since each penalty has its distinct accessory penalties and effects
 

DOES  THE  FAILURE  TO  USE  THE  PROPER  TERMINOLOGY  IN  THE IMPOSITION OF PENALTIES RENDER THE JUDGMENT VOID?

     No, this doesn’t go to the essence of the penalty itself
 

WHAT IS THE REMEDY OF THE OFFENDED PARTY IF THE JUDGMENT FAILS TO AWARD CIVIL LIABILITY?

     The  offended  party  can  appeal  (Rule  45—errors  of  judgment, findings  of  fact,  and  errors  of  law),  file  certiorari  (Rule  65—jurisdiction), or file for mandamus
 

WHAT CONSTITUTES CIVIL LIABILITY ARISING FROM CRIME?

     Civil  liability  arising  from  crime  includes  actual  damages,  moral damages, exemplary damages, and loss of earning capacity
 

WHAT  IS  THE  EFFECT  OF  A  JUDGMENT  OF  ACQUITTAL  ON  THE CIVIL ASPECT OF THE CASE?

     It  will  not  prevent  a  judgment  against  the  accused  on  the  civil aspect of the case where—
o      The  acquittal  is  based  on  reasonable  doubt  as  only preponderance of evidence is required
o      Where the court declared that the liability of the accused is only civil
o      Where the civil liability of the accused doesn’t arise from or  isn’t  based  upon  the  crime  of  which  the  accused  is acquitted 

WHAT IS THE EFFECT OF THE FAILURE OF THE ACCUSED TO OBJECT TO  A  COMPLAINT  OR  INFORMATION  THAT  CHARGES  MORE  THAN ONE OFFENSE BEFORE HE IS ARRAIGNED?

     The  court  may  convict  him  of  as  many  offenses  as  are  charged and proved and impose on him the penalty of each offense
     The court must set out separately the findings of fact and law in each offense
 
Sec. 4. Judgment in case of variance between allegation and proof.
–  When  there  is  variance  between  the  offense  charged  in  the complaint  or  information  and  that  proved,  and  the  offense  as charged  is  included  in  or  necessarily  includes  the  offense  proved, the  accused  shall  be  convicted  of  the  offense  proved  which  is included in the offense charged, or of the offense charged which is included in the offense proved.
 

WHAT IS THE RULE IN CASE THE OFFENSE CHARGED IS DIFFERENT FROM THE OFFENSE PROVED?

     The accused can only be convicted of the lesser offense which is included in the graver offense either proved or charged
     The  reason  for  this  is  that  the  accused  can  only  be  convicted  of the offense which is both charged and proved
     For example, if the offense charged is rape and the offense proved is acts of lasciviousness, the accused can only be convicted of acts of lasciviousness
     If  the  offense  charged  is  less  serious  physical  injuries  and  the offense  proved  is  serious  physical  injuries,  then  the  defendant should only be convicted of the offense charged
 

X WAS CHARGED WITH WILLFUL HOMICIDE.  WHAT WAS PROVED WAS   HOMICIDE   THROUGH   RECKLESS   IMPRUDENCE.      UNDER WHICH SHOULD X BE CONVICTED?

     X should be convicted of homicide through reckless imprudence
     The  offense  done  through  negligence  is  lesser  than  one  done willfully
 

X  WAS  CHARGED  WITH  RAPE  BY  FORCE  AND  INTIMIDATION.    AT THE TRIAL, IT WAS PROVED THAT X RAPED A MENTAL RETARDATE.  CAN X BE CONVICTED OF RAPE OF A MENTAL RETARDATE?

     THERE ARE CONFLICTING DECISIONS

     People v. Abiera says that the accused charged with rape through one mode of commission may still be convicted of the crime if the evidence  shows  another  mode  of  commission,  provided  that  the
accused didn’t object to such evidence
     People v. Padilla says on the other hand that the accused cannot be  convicted  of  rape  of  a  mental  retardate  if  the  commission  of such is not alleged in the information
     The latter ruling is a better ruling because to convict the accused would violate his right to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation against him
 

X WAS CHARGED WITH RAPE.  WHAT  WAS PROVED AT THE TRIAL WAS QUALIFIED SEDUCTION.  CAN X BE CONVICTED OF QUALIFIED SEDUCTION?

     No, although qualified seduction is a lesser offense than rape, the elements of two are different.
     Qualified seduction is not included in the crime of rape.
     Therefore  if  the  court  convicts  him  of  qualified  seduction,  it  will violate  his  right  to  be  informed  of  the  nature  and  cause  of  the accusation  against  him,   since   some  elements    of  qualified seduction were not charged
 
Sec.  5.  When  an  offense  includes  or  is  included  in  another.  –  An offense  charged  necessarily  includes  the  offense  proved  when some  of  the  essential  elements  or  ingredients  of  the  former,  as alleged  in  the  complaint  or  information,  constitute  the  latter.  And 

an  offense  charged  is  necessarily  included  in  the  offense  proved, when  the  essential  ingredients  of  the  former  constitute  or  form part of those constituting the latter.
 

WHEN  DOES  AN  OFFENSE  CHARGED  NECESSARILY  INCLUDE  THE OFFENSE PROVED?

     An  offense  charged  necessarily  includes  an  offense  proved  when some  of  the  essential  elements  or  ingredients  of  the  offense charged constitute the offense proved
     For  example,  when  the  offense  charged  is  homicide  and  what  is proven  is  physical  injuries,  then  the  offense  charged  necessarily includes the offense proved
     Some  of  the  essential  elements  of  homicide  constitute  physical injuries
 

WHEN  IS  AN  OFFENSE  CHARGED  NECESSARILY  INCLUDED  IN  THE OFFENSE PROVED?

     An offense charged is necessarily included in the offense proved, when  the  essential  ingredients  of  the  former  constitute  or  form part of those constituting the latter
     For  example  when  the  offense  charged  is  acts  of  lasciviousness and the offense proved is rape, the essential elements of acts of lasciviousness  is  necessarily  included  in  the  crime  of  rape. 
Therefore, the offense charged is necessarily included in the crime proved
 

MAY  AN  ACCUSED  CHARGED   OF  MURDER   BE  CONVICTED  OF RECKLESS IMPRUDENCE RESULTING IN HOMICIDE?

     Quasi-offense  of  reckless  imprudence  resulting  in  homicide  is necessarily included in the charge of murder