US v.

Fowler
G.R. No. 496, 31 December 1902
Torres, J.
Facts
The two defendants have been accused of the theft of sixteen bottles of
champagne of the value of $20, on the 12th August, 1901, while on board
the transport Lawton, then navigating the high seas, which said bottles of
champagne formed part of the cargo of the said vessel and were the
property of ulian !indsay, and which were ta"en lucri causa, and with the
intent to appropriate the same, without violence or intimidation, and without
the consent of the owner, against the statute in the case made and provided#
$efendants alleged that the %ourt of &irst 'nstance was without (urisdiction to
try the crime charged, inasmuch as it appeared from the information that the
crime was committed on the high seas, and not in the city of )anila, or
within the territory comprising the *ay of )anila, or upon the seas within the
+,mile limit to which the (urisdiction of the court extends, and as"ed, upon
these grounds, that the case be dismissed#
This contention was opposed by the prosecuting attorney, who alleged that
the court has original (urisdiction in all criminal cases in which the penalty
exceeds six month-s imprisonment, or a .ne of over $100/ that, in
accordance with the orders of the )ilitary 0overnor and the %ivil %ommission
admiralty (urisdiction over all crimes committed on board vessel 1ying the
1ag of the 2nited 3tates has been vested in the %ourt of &irst 'nstance of the
city of )anila
!ss"e
4hether or not the %ourt of &irst 'nstant of the %ity of )anila has (urisdiction
over the crime committed#
R"l#$%
No. This case deals with a theft committed on board a transport while
navigating the high seas# The transport Lawton, not being a vessel of this
56hilippine7 class, our courts are without (urisdiction to ta"e cogni8ance of a
crime committed on board the same#