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Justinian I · The Digest of Justinian §49.14.9.pr

Fiscal Claims on Ill-Gotten Assets after Defendant's Death

Passage 8530 of 9271 · Latin

Summary

Modestinus answers a query regarding whether an appeal process can be initiated after the defendant's death to reclaim inheritance obtained through an alleged crime, confirming that the treasury can pursue goods proven to be acquired by crime.

[IDEM libro septimo decimo responsorum. ] §49.14.9.prLucius Titius fecit heredes sororem suam ex dodrante, uxorem Maeuiam et socerum ex reliquis portionibus: eius testamentum postumo nato ruptum est, qui postumus breui et ipse decessit, atque ita omnis hereditas ad matrem postumi deuoluta est.
[THE SAME, in the seventeenth book of Responses.] Lucius Titius appointed his sister heir to three-quarters, and his wife Maevia and his father-in-law to the remaining portions; his testament was broken by the birth of a posthumous child, which posthumous child itself died shortly after, and thus the entire inheritance devolved upon the mother of the posthumous child.
soror testatoris Maeuiam ueneficii in Lucium Titium accusauit: cum non optinuisset, prouocauit: interea decessit rea: nihilo minus tamen apostoli redditi sunt.
The sister of the testator accused Maevia of poisoning Lucius Titius; when she did not prevail, she appealed; in the meantime, the defendant died; nevertheless, the dismissory letters (apostoli) were delivered.
quaero, an putes extincta rea cognitionem appellationis inducendam propter hereditatem quaesitam.
I ask whether you think that, the defendant being deceased, the trial of the appeal should be brought on account of the acquired inheritance.
Modestinus respondit morte reae crimine extincto persecutionem eorum, quae scelere adquisita probari possunt, fisco competere posse.
Modestinus replied that although the crime was extinguished by the death of the defendant, the prosecution of those things which can be proved to have been acquired by a crime can belong to the treasury.

Notes

  1. §49.14.9.prex dodrante — Based on the Roman inheritance practice of dividing an estate into twelve parts (unciae), "ex dodrante" refers to nine-twelfths (i.e., three-quarters) of the estate.
  2. §49.14.9.prruptum est — Refers to the legal principle where a previously made testament is automatically broken (ruptum) or invalidated by the subsequent birth of a new heir (in this case, a posthumous child, postumus).
  3. §49.14.9.prapostoli — Dismissory letters or written notices sent by the lower judge to the appellate judge to transfer the case.
  4. §49.14.9.prinducendam — A gerundive (future passive participle) functioning as the predicate of an accusative with infinitive construction, with "esse" omitted. Its subject is the accusative "cognitionem".

Cite this passage

Justinian I, The Digest of Justinian §49.14.9.pr. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:latinLit:phi2806.phi002.humanitext-lat1:49.14.9.pr

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