Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion ( 1940 )

COPY OFi'IcE OF TX% ATTOW-- OZX%RALOF TI~XAL AUSTXN Wmld C. Mann Attorney aollwal HonoxmbloH. A. Hod&es couaty Auditor ulll1eme0noouaty 606t6OtmI. mxu Deer Sfr: OplnloaHo. O-182s Ret Doer the Coolmissioners' Court hew logel euthmltp to pay the ju8tloe of the pee00 end oonrteblr 8semlaLng trial teea in oe88a ooming under the "Bad Cheek Law"? And related queetlon8. Your reoent nqusst Sor ea opinionof thle department on the qwstlon8 e8 are herein dated har been reoelved. We quote from your letter as r0lm8t %lndlp refer to the followFagertlalesln ths Code or CrlmlnelF'rooehro~a-t. 1020, ?BemlnlngTrlela, Felony Caeer, payable by thr County,or state, after 1nClotaenti Art. 1071, Slanlnaln~ Trlelr,Xlsdoineanoroaae1,payable by derendant after oonvlotlon;Art. 1052 ?2.50 Bee of the p~geg the Poaar for each ease tried and disposed of . The 46thLegislature,Rogulu Ses~lon,passed the B. Ho. 190, and \tdQer seation5 states 'Bed Cheok Law*, I-!. the Offloor servinggroae88,in or out of the aouutp, shall be oompenoatedaa thou& the oifeneawere a telony in grade. "This law has oaused some aontentloniron the Justice of the Peaoe end Constablesthat they are entitled to the payment froa t&e County In ;sraminingTrials was6loned by the wording Ias though the ofronse v.orea felony ln grade*, end have illed olalms ior payment. II.A. Rodger, pa8e a llonorabid Xlndly r6ndu me an oginlon in an6wer to the follow- * question*, "1. Doe6 ttm Co0ml66ionor6~ Caarthave logal euthorltt t0 pay tha JUatlOb Of the Foeoo ukd ConrUb m6Anl6g Prlel to66 in oa606 oomlng under the *Bed Cheek’I,ew~? "2. 16 there any obanga In the'EraalnlncTrial foe6 a6 set out ln htiOlb0 1029 and lm) C. C. T. oaaagionod by the bMota6nt of the *Bed Oheok hw*, or 6fq other law? -3. H. 8. No, 505 46thLsg., PigularSesaloa,deal6 with Costs and Foe8 in d rdomaenorCarrr, 'Jndrrthis Bill will the Conetable .;rJustlooor the Psaao be bntitlbd to thb Sxfuninln``Trial Foss where the deiendrstServe6 tb6 Fine nnd Coot8 in jail, under the Bad Weok Law conviction or Udbr any othsr law?* Seatloa5 of Artlo 567-b. Vornon’8Penal Cod., read6 a6 r0imt8: *In all pro6e6utlon6unaor reotlonr1, 2, and 3 or this Aot, >rooeealhall br iS6Ubd and eemvod lathe ooounty or out of the countywhere the pro6eautlon1s 2endln,: end have the s-8 blndlngforor an6 srteot es thou& the orrense bolu proreauted were a elonyi and all offloera18rulng and 6ervlng 6uch process5 n or out of the oountywherein the proaeaution16 psndlhg,ana all witnee6errm rlthln or wltko;ltthe oounty Nhorelnth6 pro6ooution ir pbnding, shall be. aompensetedla like nannor a6 thowh the ofienrewere a iblOW in grade.’ Articles1071 and 1072, Codr or CriminalProaodure, nab6 a6 r0li0w6a *Artio1e1071. Juatloer0r thm;poeob w,hosit as an examlnlnaoourt in ml6dmeanor aa shall be entitled to the 6auiereeo allowedby law to 6uoh justioee for sliallarrenlaes in the trial 0r 6u6h aasea,not to bxaaob three dollar6 ln any one oa66, to bo paid,bythe defendant in oa6r.~offinal aonviatlon." ~ArtlalolOT2. sh6rlffsMd 6OnStRbleS Sbming proaeas6ad ettsndln5any exa&lalngoourt ln the bxamlnatlon or a ~addmuor OQSO shall bo antitld to euoh tees ae are allowedby law ror slail~ 6bnloo6 In tha trial0r 8uoh oase6, not to bxoeod three dollar6 in any one aas,& to ba paidby the defendantin oa6e or rim ooavlatlon. . - HonornblaH. A. nod&OS, p”&e b Art1010 lOe0, Oodb of CrtolaalProaedure,proVl&eg fr~r fa r l rouatp Jud.tpor l jurtloo or the pea6e whn Sit6 a6 enladab3 00urt In a rbl0w oe60, d al60 prorid r0r o b r ta rlao b 6 fo rlhbrirrr sad 0038tabloa 66nln; NV0066 afid lttoadla8 guy lx e ntla oo* ln~ in thb uraa:neticdi 0r eny talOny bee.. uIb6.r th$S StitUb thb di6triOt Uld OOuty ettoX’My8 ar6 lntltltito osrteinaom~aratlon $or lttendl= 6ad bro666ut.. b& My rOiOW 066O bbfOZW M bICb&niag 00~1% The ooway 0rriom8 or ‘rllllnfason c0binty are 0~ pbnmtbb 02 an enawl aaluy baalr, and Sootion17 or :.rtlole 391”. ~X-OVidbS tSutt “In oo~tles whersln the oounty Oi%.?ersnsmd in this AOotera ecupomat*c? on the baa16 0r a? nnnuel Salary, thb dase of axa ah611 not be ohargednit!:and shall mA pay any ire or oomi66lon to aay solnot otflosr ror any SbIViMS by hia pbrfombd, d atf~abr 6hall be pet& but 66fl" by the aounty out oi tha afflaua~ Sal&r; Fund suah tesa and aorpmissloal a6 .,WAC othuwln be pal& hla by thr :itata for malt.lervlaea.* .:au,iehto aall your att3ntIonto o~lnlonsX0. 04X35, 04335 anl Ct-lb67 of this Ca?#%snt, wrIttea by IIonorableUok ctout, ao3lcr of ukich am httno*,bd, In rbapbat to Leatlon 5 of Qtlolo 567-b. aupra, In view of the for6~oIn~atatutbr~ you am res t-4 adrloedthat it is the oplnlon0r tals thperta.~nt that a ale 569-b, Vornon*rPenal Code (O``Oaly rezerrodto e6 the IiadChaok Law) doss fmt uiund or repeal Art101661020, 1071 and 1072 of th6 Cod6 or c?lmInal. Proo6duro,~ertelniag to stain6 trielr. Tha oouaty is not obligatedto pey the rxaainin,~ tirielfe~prIn mi6demunor aes66 but swh t606 are to be assessede8 pert Oi ths 006t6 rgalnrt tha defondazt and are to bo paid b.:~ hi& upon fIna; aonriation. Ro~evor,the don .lselonsrs~ aoiirthsa the lab3el 3uthorIty to pay the JustIaeOttthe pace ii& the oonststh erublf.~ trial fess ln fe1ony oases ocmi?: .:UCsr tAe “lab o:~a+~law”vl;e:ot!leaoiity orrioerb arb ooiqmxatel on an annuhl salnry bRai anO %Mr-s tSo preaizotosl"Ictx-6are ooaaenaetsdon (Ifee baslr. our anmar io your tlrct questionneo66earllywiwsrs your 8eaand Question. mU8b Bill HO. m, .AOt& Of the FQrtpSiXth h3iShtUIV~ refermd to in your tAr6 qusatlon,1s brought r0md In Vssn0n*a Code of GrImlnalrrooadun aa Artiolb 1055 snd provtider that8 EonoxnbleH. A. Hodges, pqo 4 Wi.m oounty 0hall not bo lloblo to the omorr and wltnooohaving eoots in l miodenoanor ouo uhexv dOrOILdOd p0y0 hi8 ri.W 0Jld OOOtO~ m SO&y #ha b0 llablo ror 0n0-hOir 0r thr s00O. 0r th0 orflooro 0r thO court, when tho dofondant fail0 to m hi8 flae and lays his rln8 oat in th0 Oountr Jr11 or dl80h~g88 th0 saw by mmaao or wo*ln6 lu0h tin0 out on the oount roads or on any oouatr projrot. And to 0r 000t4, th0 county cl0* ohal i00~0 0 warrant on tho County Tnaouror in favor of euoh oStlo8r to bo paid out or tho Road and Bridgerun4 or other rundr not othu- ~100 ap~roprlntod~w Art101001071 and 1072, cods or CrlmlnalProoedure, aupra, provldss that rOaO in exaalnl~ courto in mlodrmoanor oases shall bo p&la by the defendantin oaao of ttial oonrlotlon, merrrore, you~.ar*adrlood that oxadning trial r0+30 in mlodanoanor oases oan be texed as coots against the dofondantin oao0 of rlnal oonriotlonand where the dWmlant doe0 not pay his fin8 and ooot and 8bdi6rior the Mnle by lapin; bi6 rlna out in t!m ooulty Jail or dlsohargoo by meano or working 0uoh iin0 out on the oounty road or any oounty projeot,the juatloel 0r the pmo0 and oonotabl0 would be entitledto one-halfOS the exaalnln~trial fess as oorto under Artlo 1055, Cod0 of Crlmlml Prooedure,aupm. such era~lnlq trial fees can be ool3eotedonly after 0u??%%ln~ trial ha0 aotuaklybeon held. It 10 to be untisrotom!that we do not pass upon the oo.?etltutlonallty of Article 1071 of the Code of OrlminalPro- osduro,oupra l Trustin&that the iongoing tully lnswemyour inquiry, we ramaln Youra tory tnrly