Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion ( 1940 )

OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY CENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN lntly r eeo ir od a 44mplalnt urabae4d on4 44rd 4f w4M or d4lirorillg 00 tPh4 ml- r a quanMty ol ,wwttl whioh hr bolng on. oord and eoll~6~ f4r 444 t the grioowhloh had boon qwted. "In the 15&S of the S~OVO rxplanatlon,rhould a ooznplaint be filmd umlar Artiole1087 for rol.lii+g 1~3s~than the quantityr4 rosontsd0r a oommodlty, totit: ~3od j Snd ii 80, wi 11 you pleasepropare Xor Beprt3nQnt or Agrioulture,Page % this Dqwtment the pro~or form complaintta be f&l&? *Ii the oomplalntshouldbe file4 uuiler ~0 other statute,pleme adriu ana alro turn- irh w with the properf~xm oomplalntunder that 8tatute.* Artiolo 102!7, Vernon*8AnnotatedPen61 do&e, reaQs u f4&wO: Tal8e weight8anb rnea~ure``- llnyperron rho, by hlmseifor by his urvaat or a ent ai anothotpe~on, shall offer or oxpoee#or mle, eefl,we, or rotainin hia poarw8ion ury rel*e wet tr or rmwurea, or w4ighingor meuuri~ de7f"ous. $31the buying es arUin@ of any eamma- lty’or thingor in oalouLat2ngor mrasuri~ 8er- vi44 or in the 64t4rainati4iI or weight or meuure when a oharge la m84e fsr ruoh detenaiaati~a, or rho rhau ul8pom Of any oondmanedmmlea, *i(Fhtr, m4wurem or w4ighiagor mmmring awi0r 44atrm-y to lawl or MIO #hail rel,ll6r offer tw exgoaefor skl4 leas then the quantity he rrprwento af say omai``ity,thing or 8oflLoe.or s&&12 take or at- tempt to take more thrn the quaatityhs reprountr 4i any aommo41tysthing or r)ervie*, when, a*,th* buyer or weigherof MY oomamdity,he furnl#he8 the weight.nmaa~ura, or weigliiag or mwauring &a- vioe by meana of w&Rlfohthe awunt o? any o@mmad- ity, trhlng,or eervieris determinotlj or who rhall SP:,: ~11 4r b)ff#mror aale, or tm or kwe in hir pos- aeulon for the purposeof rellingor wsing, any dolor or Iniatruwnt to be orrsdto or ealoulat6dt4 talnifpand weight or wesuTej @hall be ul2fy ot a ralsdeineanm, and shall be puniahsdby a "i ine OS not lem than $%O or ame than $100, upon the iiclrtoaa- riotlonin any oourt of oomp*tentjuriOai0ti44: 444 trpoa& seoondor Bubsequet oowlotion in ssy oourt of owpetent juristllotien he mha3.1 be ponle,hwl by a fine of not lorm than #I50OT more than #%08,* Artiols103'?(e), VormzI'4Ann&~tOd Penal Godr, pro- rides thatr 'Dsiinitiona.-. The anrtl*person*as we4 in this Aot shall be aonstrued to importthe plural Department of Agrloulture, Page % and singular,a8 the ease demands, and ehalL ln- elude oorgoratione, oompaniss, societies,an& aa- aooietlons. The uorde 'weighta,measures or (and) weighingand nearrurlng devises' as us& in this Act, shall be oonstru$d to include all weights, 8cdlea, beams, measures of every kinU, instruments 6na meohemlu~ dsvi01~ for weighing and meeourin and any applia~&~ and aooessorlemeonneat& witit any OF all euoh~tnatrumants.The word *self* or *sale' as used in this Act, shall be construed to lnoluds barter and exohange. The term *false wel.ghtor measure, or weighing aridmeasuring de- rioeel 1' shall be oonatrued to mean any walght or mamaure whloh doea not oonfow to the UnfteQ States Btandaxds of weight of measure or any wslghiagor meaanrlng devleewhloh closenot gira uorreotre- eulte or immanipu3.atedto give lnoornot remits in tsnnrsof'Qnltad St&w Standards of weight or meatsure.* Artiole lO4%, Vernon’sAnnotated Penal Code, reads as rollow~: TBailurete regard unit ot mmfmmo - w&4- ever in buying any oaneodityor artiolsof ptaperty, merohandlsoor prWluee, the standard w&&t tafv&hfeh per ,bushelor bamfel,or divisiblemerohantable t\utpaat~i~ of a busthelor barrel, or by the 44rU qr ton or ou 7 la pgxd, has been rid by ths lam of this State, ehall take any greater number of poondr thereof to the bushel, barrel or cubic yard, or 6ivis- iblo merohanteblequantity Oi buehel, barrel,eubi0 yard or linsal yard, or in selling rtnyor the same, shall give any less number of pounds thsreor to the bushel,barrel, oubic or lineal yard, or dlvioible merohantablc quantity of bushel, barrel, oubio or linealyard than la allowed by the laws ot thia Stats, with intent to gain an advantage thereby, rhall be fined not less than twenty nor more than two hun- drlsddollars.* Artiole 1037, aupra, mike6 it an orrense for any peraon, who, by himself or hte em@oysa or agent, or as the employer or agent of snother, shall use in the buying or sel- ling of any commodity or rstain in his possessiona false I ’ Wqartment of d&culture, Foga 4 weight or meaauxe, or weighing or measuring instrument. This statute furthermakes It an ol'fsnsofor any person to use OF he70 in hla p~sswa,ionr0r the purposeof selling or using,anyilevioa or inrtrumentto ba used. or oalaulatad to, fnlsifyany weight or measurea Olaarlyunder ths faots sat out, there Is no rlolatlonol Artlale1057. There ara no hota under the above mantfonedsituationmhewlngthat talae weight8or nmamtrw wer6 weu in the buying or adlfng of any oalPrradity, neitherwere false weight.8or measures wed or had In the pos8#alon ot tha party l.nquestionfar the puxgoseof sellingor wing any devloeur in8trumsnt to be used to, or oaloulateQto, Salalfy any wal.ghtor meas- Artiole5954, T8rnon*a Annstated Uitil Statutes,pro- %s in part thatr Vhenevar any oonmoditpla #old by the oord, it shall maan 128 oubio tee&. or the aontentoof a rpaoe 8 feet lmg, 4 feet wltb, and 4 teat hi& $+jg*aI We quote irum Tear furiaprubenoe, Volume 44, pagr 516, 88 to11uws: mOe`` the 8tatote. it hw b4an he&a that a oord 1~ a~%simmreoi *ood bontalnlng 1868aabio feet e ora etherwI8oexpr``8e&, %t is a pile ot woo4 B is& long, 4 feet tide, and 4 feet high, However,tha law &a8 not rfnquire thrt, In order h0 a8eurtainthat a quantityOf wood 8@1d 18 a OBrd, OX any multiple there- of, it Shall be pleoed in a piI8 Or 8uoh dia6nsfian8) anp other meemnwnent or pile that oontalnsa full' oord.8atfsfies the~8tatut6.RSaoks Y. State, 204 9. W. 450. Under the above rtatedfacts,ws ar8 OS the opinion that the complaintoould not be filed under Artlole1057, supra,but shouldba flleU under Artlale1042,Vernon'8Annot- ated Penal Code. With rsr8renoeto a form oomplalnt,wa wuuld re- speotfullyrefer you to kow No. 462, page 280, of Wilson's Texas OrimlnalForms Annatat&, whloh form wa believe18 the propsr form for a sonplaintundsr the abuts Ptatibd faate, and Artlole1042, aupra. Y0, R