BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1902-03-18

intercourse or to iniure him in his business
|" or IN any other way to throw dIscredif,f =
contempt or dishonor upon him, or any
malicious defamation made public as afore-
said, designed to blacken or Witty the me-
mory Of one who is dead and tending to
scAndalize or provoke his surviving relati-
yes or friends.
Section 3. Slsnder is false and unpri-
yileged publication other than libel, which
limputes to any person the commission Of a
crime, or tends directly to iDjare him 10 re
spsct to his Office, profession, trade or busiv
ness, or which by natural consequences
causes actual damages.
Section f.. A publication or commanics
tion shall not be held or deemed malicious
when made in any legislative or judicial
proceeding or in any other proceeding sutho
rised by law. A publication or communities
ton shall not be presumed to be malicious
when made:
First. In the proper discharge Of an
official duty.
Second. In, q fair and true report Of q
Judicial, legislative, official or other proceed
ing, or Of anything said in the course
thereof.
Third. ITO an insular official upon prob
able cause with the intention Of serving the
public interest or of securing the redress ol
8 private wrong.
Section S. "Msliee shall be presumed
| to exist in any injurious Communication Of
without justifable motive" and addressed to
any person other than to a relative within
the third degree, or to person sChom the
author has under his guardianship, or ssher
said communication passes betsceen persons
having business in partnership, or othel
similar association"
Section 6. If the plaintiff be public
employee and the libel refer to acts connec:
ed scith his Office, judgment shall be render
ed for the defendant if he prove the truth 0
his charges.
Section z. If there be judgment ii
favor Of the plaiHtiff, the Judgment shal
include costs and q reasonable attorney
lfes, to be assessed by the |Oourt. II ther
be q judgment in favor of the defendant
and if the Court finds that the action wa
commenced BY the plaintiff scithout jus
ti6able cause, the judgment shall inelud
besides costs, an attorneys fee schich sha
be assessed by the Court and shall not eI
ceed One Hundred and Fifty (s150, 90
Dollars.
1 Section s. To sustain the charge of pull
fishing libel 1t is not needful that the scsrd
for schich suit 10 brought should have bee
read by any person it is enough and su
icient evidence if the accused knoWingl
parted with the immediate custody of th
libel or exposed the same to view under Gil
lcumstances which alloeed it to be read b
any other person.
Section 8. Actions brought under thl
Act shall be Independent of any crimins
action tohjch may arise out of the libel Q
slandsr but in case damages have bee
assessed In criminal action for libsl q
slander, prosecuted by the fiscal, no civ
action shall be brought to recover damage
for the same libel or slander untifthe plainti
has formally scaived damages adjudged i
lsueh criminal action.
Section 10. That all laws, parts Of lawi
orders and parts of orders, contrary to thI
Act be, and the same are hereby repealed
Section IL. That this Act takes effeC
from and after its passage.
Approved February 19sh, 1892.