Practice question
An accused dies while a timely appeal remains pending. The sole damages claim is civil liability ex delicto based on that nonfinal conviction. What follows?
- The appellate court must convict the heirs
- The conviction automatically becomes final retroactively
- The solely offense-based civil liability is extinguished with the criminal liability
- The trial judgment remains enforceable solely because it was written
- The prosecutor may choose the result without law
Legal references
- https://lawphil.net/statutes/acts/act1930/act_3815_1930.html — RPC Article 89(1): death, personal penalties and pecuniary penalties before final judgment.
- https://lawphil.net/judjuris/juri1994/sep1994/gr_102007_1994.html — People v. Bayotas, G.R. 102007, September 2, 1994, main decision: death pending appeal and separate sources of civil obligations.
- https://lawphil.net/courts/rules/rc_110-127_crim.html — Rule 111 section 4: death during criminal proceedings, surviving independent civil claims and proper representation.
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