Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion ( 1939 )

Eon.EsaoWalter CQunq?*tforney Taylor county Abilene,Texas has been reoeivedky this.~DepatTMmX.. Your latterreads ai foil& ?I~tha& you.vurymuah for.y~ur.,ipinio~s .No.OJS9.:i&Hg. 106. Is the ruling of the AttwiieyG~eral.:~.theae;op``wt th&l%;h-e Juatioeofthe Peaas shouldnetfaran'irtibt~ Seci,'a:,``~t'..fde,',~d~aiwl+ae fee againstthe defendantin tii~qmeanor~dases.wherin se h+ghmaypatrolmen arethe an-egtingofiic+-at. *I underetsnd~ib&aidne to h&d @at~$t.is~?iq$.ligal for a oo~rstable toaocept these fees ~leea,heaotualljy.pb*f~'th~'rrerrrioesset out in brtiolo11X5, Code of Crim.%nalFrii~edurbi``Ths +z&idn i am primar- Sly'interesiad‘b~is wh+k.oti'ii?f &e',Justik~a;'# the'P+aoeshouldtax anarrest fee againstthe defendantwh6n h hightcly patmilmanmakes the arrest.' 'OpinionaRo. C-106 and No. C-359 of this Deparbuenthold &at a oonstaliLeis not enkt+led$0 oolleota fee when he is nc+ presentat the time of an arre+tmade by the'hiighffay patsol,and that the ixu~stable is Only entitledto fees fo,?ietiaes he Performsas set out In'Prtiole 1055, code of CriminalProoedureof Texa6. &fiole KISS, Code of CriminalProoedure'ofTeay, reads In part, a6 follOwsr 'The followingfees shall %e alluwedt&e +&tie, ~+r'&er peaoe.officers perfe~tlie MUKI seMoee inmisdemeanor oase@,to b'taxed against the defendanton oonvitbn: HonorableEsco Walter, page 2 (O-768) "1. For executingeaoh warrant of arrest orsapias, or making arrestwithoutwarrant,tm dollars. . . . 65. For each ccmaltmentor release,one dollar.6 You are respectfullyadvisedthat this Departmenthas repeat- edly ruled that a ccn6tableor other peaoe officeris not entitledto charge,oolleot,or aooeptfees unless he actuallyperfonm? the serric- 06 Set OUt in tie SiZatUt83. If the constabledoes not make the arrsst, nor ihe camiiment, nor the releaas,he certainlycouldnot charge, collect,or aocepta fee for doing no* A state highwaypatrclmm re- oeivesa salazyfm the state of Texas for his serbiaes,and there ia no statutoryauthorityin thirrstatewhereby a state highwaypatrolmm may charge,collect,or aooept a fee from a defendant. The salary a state hfghuaypatrolmanreoeives from the state of Texas is the only compensa- tion to which he ia entitledtoreoei~o for performinghi6 duties in arrestingthe defendantchargednith misdemeanor. YOU are thereforerespectfully advised that if.a state highway patrolmarr srrestsa defendantin a misdemeanorease and kings the defend- ant before the just%09of the peace,and the defendantpleads guiltyand is assesseda fine, the justiceof the peace shouldnot tax an arrest fee againstthe defendant, For example,if a state highwaypatrolmanarrestsa defendantfor vio&tion of a misdemeanorstatuteand king6 the defend6ntbefore the justioeof the peace as outlined,bylaw, and'thedefendantenter6hi6 plea of guiltgbefore the jastio6of the peace and is assesseda ~fineof one dollar and costs,then this 56 the following6mountvhioh the defend- ant shouldb requiredto pay in dischargeof his fine and oosts,to-witr One dollarfine; five dollars fee for the countyattorney;four dollars, trial fee- making a total often dollars. Trustingthat this antmer8ycur Inquiry,we are Vow tidy yours ATLT'IYIRFTEP GENFX?&OFTEXA2 WJFlAl7t6gW @/s/We. J. Fanning zTGz:d C.bnn 7716. 3. Fanning ATTORlV3Y GENERALOF3ExLs Assistant APPRO7DD,OpinionConrmittee m G R L - Chairman