G.R. No. 1314 : January 12, 1905
THE UNITED STATES, complainant-appellee, vs. JOSE SAMSON, defendant-appellant.

FACTS:
The defendant-appellant, Jose Samson, was charged with the crime of housebreaking. The evidence established that at midnight, five armed men, including the appellant, forcibly entered a house. One of the occupants was taken by the appellant to his own house, where she was detained for three to four days. Violence was employed against the house’s inhabitants, who were tied up to facilitate the intruders’ movement. The apparent objective was to rape one of the daughters of the homeowners. The Court of First Instance convicted the defendant, appreciating the aggravating circumstances of the offense being committed by a band (en cuadrilla) and at night.

ISSUE:
Whether the judgment of the Court of First Instance convicting the defendant of the crime of housebreaking and imposing the corresponding penalty is in accordance with law.

RULING:
Yes. The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the lower court in all respects. The Court found the testimony of the witnesses credible and sufficient to establish the appellant’s guilt. The legal qualification of the facts as constituting the crime of housebreaking under paragraph 2 of Article 491 of the Penal Code, with the noted aggravating circumstances, was correct. The penalty imposedfour years nine months and eleven days of prision correccional, a fine of 2,300 pesetas, and costswas also deemed consistent with the law. The decision was affirmed with costs against the appellant.