GR L 2236; (January, 1906) (Digest)
FACTS:
The defendant, Neta Shiyokishi, was prosecuted and convicted by the Court of Customs Appeals for violating Section 3 of the U.S. Act of Congress of March 3, 1903, which prohibited the introduction of women into the Philippine Islands for the purpose of prostitution. The defendant appealed, contending that the Court of Customs Appeals lacked jurisdiction over the offense.
ISSUE:
Whether the Court of Customs Appeals had jurisdiction to try and convict the defendant for the offense charged.
RULING:
Yes, the Court of Customs Appeals had jurisdiction. The Philippine Commission, acting under the authority granted by President McKinley’s instructions (which were subsequently ratified by the U.S. Congress in the Act of July 1, 1902), validly established the Court of Customs Appeals through Act No. 355 on February 6, 1902. This court, therefore, was a lawfully constituted tribunal with the power to adjudicate cases involving violations of the relevant Act of Congress. The Supreme Court affirmed the conviction, finding the evidence sufficient to support the judgment.