Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion ( 1946 )

OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
Xonorabk W. K. Baldridge
Countr an4 Dlrtrlot Attorney
Dmatoa, raw8
Dar birr opialoa lo. O-7151
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lorr tha threr iacher q-0,
h are 1088
8r th8 a,aro,
on8 p8rroa
Ia8 la Donton
end oirtinct
UnlmfullJ
mt8 GOfi8tltUtO
unAer Artlolo 927, Vernon’8
, Srom rhloh we quota:
creek, lake, bayou, pool,
lagoon or tank, in thlr State, aa7 wt, trap ur
Dther device fw catching fish, or take 3r catch
any flab fram aald vaterr vlth any aet, seine, dt-
rice, or hook and line or trot line, other than as
pernltted herein. Uhoever vlol4ter 8ny provlelon of
thl8 8rticle 8hll be fined not 108s than tvsnty-five
nor more than one hundred dolbrr. ”
. . ..-..- ._...~_.. . . ..-.. .--.--- .--.--...-
Bonorabl8 Y. II. Baldrldm - Pam 2
The prevlourly quoted article maker Illegal both
(1) the act- of 4``~11~ In fr 88hvatrr l net vhoee mcl8hs#
7 80
h e 88quAr0, M O l (2) the aOt O?
taklag or aetahlaq of ?18h from fresh vator vlth en7 net
other thaa a8 permItted thweln.
Ue think It 18 olrar th a l taoh act of placing a net
In fre8h uaterr of thlr State contrary to Article 927, 8upra,
18 a wparate act and a 8eparatO OffOaW, beoauw each plaClEL(I
II 8 wparate tranuatlon ocaurrlng at a dlffereat lace and et
a different tlrw. 22 Corpus Jurlr !Jeoundum, w@ 6 8 8tat88,
“Separate and dlrtlnct act8 of the 8am8 nature perroL8d at
differrot tirr gsnerelly aonrtltute repmate oifenrer.”
Xovever, the catahlrq or taking of flab from an un-
laufti set 18 One tranraatlnn rerultlng from a rlngle act or
rolltloa, rOwdlO88 a? the number of fish taken. If 18 vell
8ettled In locordmce with thlr theory that ‘the rteallng o?
dlfferent artlale8 at the 88~18 time aad place, 80 that the
trmmeatlon 18 the unm,l8 but one otfenn, and the acetarred
may not be convicted on reparate Indictment8 aharglng dlffer-
eat part8 a? the tranractlon a8 dL8tlnct offewe8.” Ullron
08. State 45 Tex. 76, and Yllllr VI. litate, 6 3. Y. 857.
Were 8everal lot8 are In feet put 0r one tranractlon, there
18 only one crime although each or 8uCh lct8 tight have con-
rtltuted a orlm In ltrl? I? not part of ruch tramaction."
22 Corpur Jar18 &aundum, pp* 60-61.
Th4 failure of the Isglrhturo to exprorrly meke
tha unlawful taking O? reah fl8h a 84paratO o?fenIe, jurt
a8 they have uule a remrate oftrnr4 of the unlavful taking
o? each gysr bird 8nd laah g&me llm81 under Artlale 873,
Vernon*8 Annotated penal Code, lndloate8 the Leglrlature did
not contemplate nor derlre that each unlavful taking Of 8 ?18h
be a reparate oftenee under Article 527, 8upr8.
Therefore, JOU are advised that each net, the meehee
of vhlch are leee then three inches aquare, placed in the
vatsre of Lake Dallas In Centon County, Texas, constitutes a
separate offcare 83 each placing of l net is B separate trans-
action. YDU are further advised that the unlautul taking =r
catchlog of flab 81 prohibited b7 Article 927, 8upra, re-
8ultlng from one tran8aation, So rluaplo, from one oet,
oonrtltutrr only one vlo&tion a8 It 18 but one tranaactlon,
regardle88 0s the number 0s rirh cwght or taken.
Your8 vary truly
I
Stevclrt if. D8Vor4
A88i8t&nt