Puerto Rico

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Puerto Rico Coat of Arms/Puerto Rico This image depicts a seal, an emblem, a coat of arms or a crest. ... Puerto Rico is a United States territory given special commonwealth status. ...

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The Supreme Court of Puerto Rico is the highest court of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, having the ultimate judicial authority within Puerto Rico to interpret and decide questions of local commonwealth law. It is head of the Judicial Branch of the Government of Puerto Rico, the other branches being the executive branch and the legislative branch. The Supreme Court of Puerto Rico holds its sessions in the city of San Juan. Seal of the Governor of Puerto Rico The Governor of Puerto Rico is the Head of Government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. ... Aníbal Salvador Acevedo Vilá (born February 13, 1962) is the eighth and current democratically elected Governor of Puerto Rico. ... The Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico is the legislative branch of the government of Puerto Rico. ... Seal of the Senate of Puerto Rico. ... The House of Representatives of Puerto Rico is the lower house of the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico, larger than the Senate. ... Political parties in Puerto Rico lists political parties in Puerto Rico. ... Politics of Puerto Rico Categories: Election related stubs | Elections in Puerto Rico ... The Puerto Rico General Elections of 2004 took place on Election Day, Tuesday, November 2, 2004. ... There are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the United States Government, but Puerto Rico has 78 municipalities at the second order. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Information on politics by country is available for every country, including both de jure and de facto independent states, inhabited dependent territories, as well as areas of special sovereignty. ... The supreme court in some countries, provinces, and states, functions as a court of last resort whose rulings cannot be challenged. ... A court is an official, public forum which a sovereign establishes by lawful authority to adjudicate disputes, and to dispense civil, labour, administrative and criminal justice under the law. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... San Juan from outer space, July 1997 Flag Seal Nickname: The Walled City Location Location within the island of Puerto Rico Government Country Puerto Rico Mayor Jorge A. Santini Padilla (PNP) Geographical characteristics Area    - City 199. ...

Structure and powers

The Supreme Court Building is at the entrance of the city of San Juan.

The Supreme Court of Puerto Rico was established by the Constitution of Puerto Rico in 1952. It is the only high court required by the constitution. All other courts are created by the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico. However, since Puerto Rico is also a commonwealth of the United States, there is also a Federal District Court in the commonwealth. Image File history File links Supreme_Court_of_PR_Building. ... Image File history File links Supreme_Court_of_PR_Building. ... The Constitution of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico is the controlling government document of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico at the Commonwealth level. ... 1952 (MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... The English noun Commonwealth dates originally from the fifteenth century. ... The United States district courts are the general trial courts of the United States federal court system. ...

The justices (currently seven) are appointed by the Governor of Puerto Rico and confirmed by majority vote by the Senate. One of these seven justices serves as Chief Justice; the remaining members are designated Associate Justices. Unlike the Supreme Court of the United States, the justices of the Puerto Rico Supreme Court do not serve for life. The Constitution of the island establishes that the justices are obliged to retire on the date they become seventy (70) years old. Seal of the Governor of Puerto Rico The Governor of Puerto Rico is the Head of Government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. ... Seal of the Senate of Puerto Rico. ... The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth- or other countries with an Anglosaxon type of justice, such as the Supreme Court of the United States, the Supreme Court of Canada, the Supreme Court of New Zealand, the Supreme... Associate Justice or Puisne (pronounced puny) Justice is the title for a member of a judicial panel who is not the Chief Justice. ... The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial body in the United States and leads the judicial branch of the United States federal government. ...

Originally the Supreme Court was composed of five justices. However, during the 1960s the number was changed to seven. During the early 1970s the number of justices was raised to nine only to be reduced to seven once again in 1976. The 1960s decade refers to the years from 1960 to 1969, inclusive. ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979, inclusive. ... 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1976 calendar). ...

The jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico is only within the Constitution of Puerto Rico and works only as an appellate court. It works similar way to the state Supreme Courts in the United States. As such, it does not have power to meddle with federal law. (See Conflicts with the Federal District Court for more information.) Federal law is the body of law created by the federal government of a nation. ...

The justices decide whether or not to hear oral arguments for the case. If the case is controversial, usually an oral argument is scheduled. When this argument occurs, each side has ten minutes to state their respective claims. After the sides have ended their argument, each justice has ten minutes (in order of seniority) to ask questions to each side. Justices might decide to yield the balance of their time to one of their colleagues.

The Supreme Court of Puerto Rico also regulates Law practice in Puerto Rico. When hearing cases regarding unethical practice by lawyers, the Court might see these cases individually in court rooms of no less than three justices. However, the final decision on the case requires the votes of all the current justices.

Appointments

The current justices of the court. From left to right; Justice Fiol, Justice Rebollo, Chief Justice Hernández Denton, Justice Fuster and Justice Rodríguez. Justice Rivera is not present in the picture.

Appointments to the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico have traditionally been a politicized and often controversial process. The Governor of Puerto Rico usually appoints someone who is affiliated with his own political party. So far, the Court has always been dominated by justices affiliated with the Popular Democratic Party. Three women have been appointed justices since 1952; one of them, Miriam Naveira, was Chief Justice for a period of one year. All justices in the history of the court have been white and catholic. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (845x634, 169 KB) Summary Supreme Court of Puerto Rico. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (845x634, 169 KB) Summary Supreme Court of Puerto Rico. ... A political party is an organization that seeks to attain political power within a government, usually by participating in electoral campaigns. ... The Popular Democratic Party of Puerto Rico —or Partido Popular Democrático de Puerto Rico (PPD) in Spanish— is a political party that stands for Puerto Rico to be a free associated state of the United States, which is also known as a commonwealth status. ... Image of a woman on the Pioneer plaque sent to outer space. ... Miriam Naveira de Merly (born July, 1934) is a Puerto Rican jurist who served in the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico from 1985 to 2004. ... White is a color, (more accurately it contains all the colors of the visible spectrum and is sometimes described as an achromatic color—black is the absence of color) that has high brightness but zero hue. ...

Current Chief Justice Hernández Denton was first appointed to the court by Governor Rafael Hernández Colón in 1985 and was elevated to Chief Justice by Governor Sila Calderón. Currently, there is one vacant seat in the Supreme Court after the retirement of Associate Justice Baltasar Corrada del Río. Current Governor Aníbal Acevedo Vilá has not nominated anyone for the position. Rafael Hernández Colón (born October 24, 1936 in Ponce, Puerto Rico) is a Puerto Rican politician who was the fourth democratically elected Governor of Puerto Rico for three non-consecutive terms (1973-1977, 1985-1993). ... This article is about the year. ... Order: 7th Democratically Elected Governor Term of Office: January 2, 2001– January 2, 2005 Predecessor: Pedro Rosselló González Successor: Aníbal Acevedo Vilá Date of Birth: Sunday, September 23, 1942 Place of Birth: San Juan, Puerto Rico Husband: Divorced Profession: Business Woman Political Party: Popular Democratic Party Resident Commissioner... Baltasar Corrada del Río (born April 12, 1935) is a former politician from Puerto Rico. ... Aníbal Salvador Acevedo Vilá (born February 13, 1962) is the eighth and current democratically elected Governor of Puerto Rico. ...

As of 2006, the Supreme Court is perceived as being equally divided between conservatives and liberals. Chief Justice Hernández, Justice Fuster and Justice Fiol are generally regarded as the "liberal" wing of the court, while Justices Rivera, Rebollo and Rodríguez are seen as conservatives. 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Current Composition of the Court

Federico Hernández Denton (Born April 12, 1944) is the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico. ... The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth- or other countries with an Anglosaxon type of justice, such as the Supreme Court of the United States, the Supreme Court of Canada, the Supreme Court of New Zealand, the Supreme... Rafael Hernández Colón (born October 24, 1936 in Ponce, Puerto Rico) is a Puerto Rican politician who was the fourth democratically elected Governor of Puerto Rico for three non-consecutive terms (1973-1977, 1985-1993). ... Order: 7th Democratically Elected Governor Term of Office: January 2, 2001– January 2, 2005 Predecessor: Pedro Rosselló González Successor: Aníbal Acevedo Vilá Date of Birth: Sunday, September 23, 1942 Place of Birth: San Juan, Puerto Rico Husband: Divorced Profession: Business Woman Political Party: Popular Democratic Party Resident Commissioner... This article is about the year. ... Seal of the Governor of Puerto Rico The Governor of Puerto Rico is the Head of Government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. ... In an educational setting, a dean is a person with significant authority . ... // A law school is an institution where future lawyers obtain legal degrees. ... Francisco Rebollo López (born in 1938) is an Associate Justice to the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico. ... Order: 5th Democratically Elected Governor Term of Office: January 2, 1977– January 2, 1985 Predecessor: Rafael Hernández Colón Successor: Rafael Hernández Colón Date of Birth: Sunday, September 4, 1932 Place of Birth: San Juan, Puerto Rico First Lady: Kate Donnally Profession: Lawyer Political Party: New Progressive... 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Jaime B. Fuster Berlingeri (Born January 12, 1941) is a politician from Puerto Rico currently serving as an Associate Justice to the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico. ... Rafael Hernández Colón (born October 24, 1936 in Ponce, Puerto Rico) is a Puerto Rican politician who was the fourth democratically elected Governor of Puerto Rico for three non-consecutive terms (1973-1977, 1985-1993). ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... The Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico is a nonvoting representative of the United States House of Representatives elected by Puerto Ricans every 4 years. ... In an educational setting, a dean is a person with significant authority . ... The University of Puerto Rico (UPR) is the university system of Puerto Rico. ... // A law school is an institution where future lawyers obtain legal degrees. ... In most common law jurisdictions, the Attorney General is the main legal adviser to the government, and in some jurisdictions may in addition have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions. ... Efraín Rivera Pérez (born in 1951) is an Associate Justice to the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico. ... Pedro Juan Rosselló González [pronounced “roh-say-YO”] (born April 5, 1944) is a Puerto Rican politican who was the sixth Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico from 1993 to 2001. ... This article is about the year 2000. ... Seal of the Governor of Puerto Rico The Governor of Puerto Rico is the Head of Government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. ... Liana Fiol Matta is an associate justice in the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico. ... Order: 7th Democratically Elected Governor Term of Office: January 2, 2001– January 2, 2005 Predecessor: Pedro Rosselló González Successor: Aníbal Acevedo Vilá Date of Birth: Sunday, September 23, 1942 Place of Birth: San Juan, Puerto Rico Husband: Divorced Profession: Business Woman Political Party: Popular Democratic Party Resident Commissioner... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Anabelle Rodríguez Rodríguez is Puerto Rican lawyer currently serving as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico. ... Order: 7th Democratically Elected Governor Term of Office: January 2, 2001– January 2, 2005 Predecessor: Pedro Rosselló González Successor: Aníbal Acevedo Vilá Date of Birth: Sunday, September 23, 1942 Place of Birth: San Juan, Puerto Rico Husband: Divorced Profession: Business Woman Political Party: Popular Democratic Party Resident Commissioner... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Solicitor General is a cabinet position in several countries, dealing with legal affairs. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Conflicts with the Federal Court

According to the Constitution of Puerto Rico of 1952, the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court is only within laws of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. However, on several occasions the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico has taken jurisdiction on cases having to do with Puerto Rican law. The most controversial of these cases occurred in November, 2004 when the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico declared that all ballots should be counted during the Puerto Rico General Election of 2004. The New Progressive Party then appealed to the Federal Court, claiming that some of the ballots should be nullified. Federal Judge Daniel Dominguez then took jurisdiction of the case, effectively nullifying the decision of the Supreme Court. The United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico is the Federal district court whose jurisdiction is comprised of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

On December 15, 2004, the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit nullified the decision of Judge Dominguez, saying that questions on the electoral process of Puerto Rico are matters for the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico. December 15 is the 349th day of the year (350th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the following United States District Courts: District of Maine District of Massachusetts District of New Hampshire District of Puerto Rico District of Rhode Island The court is based at the John Joseph...

External links

• tribunalpr.org - official site, in Spanish.