Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion ( 1946 )

OFFICE OF THE ATI’ORNEY GENERAL OF - AUSTtN Honorable0. W. Stakea GeneralNanages- Terns Fri8on System HwMrille, Texar War Gajor 3tidwd: Qpiniori 30. O-7460 tit Procrdtwa to be follwed t&e Rlson aystmlh in % 0 handling of insan yvye6 We to hospibal. . Your lettw raqneatlngan opinion of t;liadepart- amnt has been receivedand is quoted balou: & find it~aeaeasaryto ruqmat an 'Opinicw of your Depld%Fmrit on the follqvingt :- . *The ,pisoanalof the State EXeeuoaya Iartitutionr(aa adiniais~rr~d by.the hard o have refusedte necept iasane prisoners fioutrol) in aam instanas6,from tbr Texks FrQon System, by virtue.ofthe exirtene~of Art;icl*,6203e, .%visedCivil St@utos. "It ag$nmrrto us that ArWlbti-,J186a and 6203.~ trayconflict,aa Artiele'3~86a~providee for lnmne‘cionvicts to be turned over to tha stata~hoapitals, v&ire @ti8lo 620% propiderr that inaans tmxdatr ara to be &old ib the pr‘iaonhoapltal. nPleam adviseuhat precadum should be f#lowed by the Prison System in the handling of inJ3aumeomsat8 +a to BorpitaliUaation, that i6, which State &pnay +&ould take cm of such lnsana ClDZWiCt8, ala0 furtishLngua with til* ;Sfu``,~;.g~ 0iAt~So~,if any, regnrding 167' HozmrableD. W. Stekqr,Pegr.2 A eubeequentletter dated October U, 1946 furnhhing additional 5nfonmti0,a 18, in part, as foilouer *Replyingto your letter of Oatober 29 19b6 ngardin Sl#, States Pslson P8yahopathb Hosphl tall.ii#or IzvJktiale6203e,will ldvlse that aair hospital wee oonrtruotrd out, ;ibm;ey approprited by the Forty-ThirdLegir- . Howver, in this conneotioa,we wleh to advie. the6 thir hoepitelhe8 been ueed prlncipellyfor a generaltiepita for t&e lntfr oTa meP r b o a3 rbe& sdadttingcneee of verlouekindsj end on3: p a very eaall pert hem been uord forpqehopa?dia ptlonte: Xn fact, %t is not.lqtip@d to hmdle but.8 wry limited aumbm of palciurbr in iihnt oatbgwyr .. ,‘. 170..oasiad bu.thiAhd L&is- “Seati& 1.‘~. That. ahaiddill be’b&it, letabliehedaad -mintai.ned, as a, part, of ae *iron SyetcmPof Texas, an``Xneti~u~lon for the examinatlon,;obssrvstian, $reatmrttand itwar-, : aerationof all pereoixii whb h8~e.been oonvlcted of felony, ytmdwho &aye-.been duly:;adjudged In- sane.by any wiqmtent Court rb 14Cr in thr St&o of .Texaejcad, whit here ,beea+quitted by P Cow% of bmpetenb Juriediotioaupon the +g-aunde of insanityieeld’institutiozk to be knoti as the Stete~,P``eon PepchopethioHospital. r . 168 *section2. Pileconsttiation, rup art and maintenanceOS #aid inrtitutionshaf 1 be azAdwby appropriationto the Prisor? SyYyrtsm of.Toxarfor t%at purpose. Said Iaatitution shall be located cn any land adjaaent to6 or . within the u@llB iifthe prinoa8yrtoarat Huntwille, tiallsw~ounkijl,hxw. *Sed$.iea )q 'TheTeinr-StakePriron wr,ob Other gw8tm in abarge of the management of sai priron shall, upon the adviceof any priaoa phyalaim mnd any prisonor te raid Bospit'iA for abrervation, oar@-and treatment for thirty ()o) by8 and upon final 41LIpminattLwI h shall eit& be soturned to aoti%arwmD or oa efiidavlt of insanity shall! be Silrd agahat hi@ a&, provided by law; ~(J3,p3.00) I)ollaro er yearr, with provielons for hiwoelfand &ml Py not to oxaeed Five iiundmd’ . If;9 Uonorable0. W. St&or, Pam Q ~{~.O@D$~d &‘,‘ar,”tibh water, lights, Thi Cenor,al Hsn.ager of die Stata Prison ahaIf;’ appoiatauob assistant phyaloiana,wtrllqualifiedin paychtitry as he may deem beat, and.aaid asaiat~8 phymiaiana shali rearire a salary to ba f$xed by the Logis- latuts kaotto crwsed Two Thou88nd SItrrt Hundred ()2,700.000)Doliarsper jeerwith prqvialona fo@ board and 1wMry far hbwrlf and family. The mMag*I? of al*. Prlaml ?yacsrPSbrU’ supply thq necessaryguarda.* ‘waution 8. Thr feet that the proviiiona ia the Stat* Peniteat;Kast'p beooma hmne, he aholl be tri+at6d at b -ttm @irollphylicrisn gad ah l.be obswved by raid rrutltaril$o aI Judgr shalli'orthwithproved to try said can- vlct in the same'maamr a0 other persona and under tha same rules of prooodur.aa apply to the,triof.Of &itiSoM Who b0Uoin'3 i~r88R8.m Uenorsbh II. W. Stakes,Page 5 g&g 9 ata Ii08ital Or the treatma* %“P o m 0~30 +-+I+ OF o her p a6 proridrd hereafter by law, provided tbe provialon of thla law 6halli not apply to prisoner6 under aentenae of death .md oonfiaed within the State Penitentiary. %eatioa 2. When a Stetr Conviot, lo,aated 01)My of the prison farm booomoainaaar he 8hU.l lmmdiately be tranr)rrrud to tb nu& prison at gn.tWvU~e fer obsarvation and treat-.~, rent. *S46tioa 3. Thr cotmtiyJudge 6nd Offiwr* Wying uid 60nvist 6h*ll reaeir6 the oara6feea as allWed by law for the trirl of.sueb aaaeu in the County Courtl but all ooat6 and expwtaea lnaident thereto lmIlu&ing Cow% eoata and fees, ind 8h6 aorta of p``vlding the nemlawy olothing for tlw aWesion of said aonviot to & State Xoapit~ Pa* the treatmentof tihe inoaa*, tt+ get&r with the oxpenaeof transfer 6&d riavnar to auah M iaetltutton shall 96 Wd the aanagar of the P~iaon Sy&tea smt of fWla low& foe 'haagwo.nt MB apratloa of the PFsaon Syob-. -.--~ _- -- -- - an eaergeaoyand $. I necsoefty that th4~.Conati8utiimal Xul6 r&Wring Rllla to be read on &we* severaldry6 in eaah UCUSO be aueplsndedand that this Aat ahall take sffeat.and b6 In for66 from and after Its pauaago, end it is 60 6naated.w (%aphaaiaadded) ionornb3.e .P.N. dtaicer, Pnge 6 Wlo.bvlirve a oonsldemtion alro of Artlclo932a, 7smonfe Co60 of ~CrimlnalRocedure will afford he1 in nrrivlng at the intvmtof the Legisiaturs. Article f2e “a. To have besn lnmno at the tiao the act is allegidto have be*n sotss~ttmd~ but 8anoat the t5.m of trial, ha ah+ be imnodiatsl~dla- hargrdt “11. To kiavabeen inoun a8 thi tim ~the uct 18’allaged to havr been c omdtted and ,insmo at tbo ‘tine of triel, or aane at the tima the act Aa allegvd to have been eoaaritted and3naank at W tiruaf t+lj the 00&t ,~hall therrupon a a k.ao h n6 q. lnt@red 8~ the alnute.8 ivo of the Court nn WMr aom~tt~ng the dofendsntto thr Qustody of the shsriff, to be kmpt oubjoct to the Jurt+er ord6r of Thor’ County Judge of’the uounty,and t&a pro&edinga shall fcwthwlthbe eertifiied to the County Judge who shall at once take’the neaessary &spa. tg have’the defendanteomaitted to and eon- fi.nodin a State hoepitslfor the lnaaneuntfl ha brcoxer aant, .: Y3radion2. When the defez&i~:on the trial of tie main charge’ ia the Inmnitp ;of the 4ifez.w dant the jury shdL1 be inbtrmcted,If they 86&t him on that g~ouod, to atate that ,faatwith thair verdiat,and if the7 further find the defendant: ea.~ To hem been iwane at the ‘timathe aot is allegedto have been oommlttrrd,but sane at the time of trial, he ahall be Lmedlataly disoharged; Honorable D. #. Ytakea,Page $ "b. To have been Inanne at the time the act is allegedto hnve been aommittad and in- 5nn. at the tlae of trial, or Bane at the tim the aat Is allegedto have been committedand insane at the tiae of the trial, the Cou& shall thereupon 5mko and hare entered on the minn~ea of the Oourt an order ..nmitting the defendanbto the euatodyef the aheriff2, te be k ep lubjeot t to the furtherelder of the, County Judge of.the.oou%t~ and the prooeod&ga 8hall forthwith be amtiffed t. ahe aOmy - Judg. who dmll at ozwe 8ILlIoth n9cresewy atepa to hato the defendantaoiianittod to aad coafiaedin a StBatehospital for the lnsana until he beaon.. .M., 5Seotiaa3. When bh. defer&dent ao aoiaa&&ed to a hospitalfor tha lnaane beefma son., tha ruporintendent of the hoapitaX ah~ll ire written not:.. of that faet to the Judge of tit l c o ur t fma which the order of ecamitment tamed.,.Upon reaeiptof aueh aot%ae the Ju a 'shall repulre the sheriffto bring the defeon dstant frix8 the bo :pital.andplace bin in.tbe proper euatody~uptl? 2 the h*arin(c-may be bad‘before IL juryio moB .; Cvur% to deternine6afendant*alanityr.andif he be found mne he ahallbe diaehargad,unl~ahe hadbecm rioualyfouad to ba aaue a8 ~,tlme a% wMch t-ria alle;[gPd’to hare eommlttedthe Off.I%S. &argad in:whiah.V.nt, un1eas p1~viim5ly aaquitt.d, he a&all be tried.forthe offenra eiwsrged." Althou& Artial 932a, v,rC. C. P., deals with the questionof ~inaanity, when Inter 8.d as a defenaa,to a crime and doe. not eovei the ler of fa.68 before uai 2111 we t l&k it aignifiaant b&o.use it pmrides for ,wami en% of 11) all persona who are found to here g.: gggq#q a the tige the a@t ie alleged to have been a0nuaitt.d 5nd attha time of trial, and (2) all peraonslzme at the tlae the act ia alleged to have been oolamittedand inrane at the thee of tri81. 173 BonorableD. W. Stakes, Page 8 Tha additions1informationsuppliedin your saoond letterleads ua to the conclusionthnt there is in effeat no State Prison PayohopathlcHoaplBlaa providedfor in Artlole 6203e. Tou atate that,a prison hoapitnlwas oonstruatedout of money appropriatedby the 43rd Leglalature,but that it la uaed prinolpallyas a generalhoapitrl is rqulppedto handle but a limited number of payahopathiapatienta,and that no ap' pristlonhaa ever been mado to pay a Superinten- dent w cap"led for ia Seotion6 of Article6203e. Tha appropriation for the aonatruation of hospital18 found in the QeneralAppropriationBill li3rdLegislatureand la aa follows3 "hospital(to"be uaad alao ior ,oriminally Lnaane)to be built with coaviot labor within tie prisonwalla at Huntavrtllo,Teacaa. . . &iO,OOOe A aearohof the appropriationbills alnaa 1933 disclosesthat no appro riation has ever baea made to pay a .iuperintendent aa aalPed for in 3eotion6 of Article62038. Xt is tiie~opinion of this departmen tha8 until the defloienoier~alroady wation~d in oonneotionwith Artiole 62036 are met, Arti6lcl 3186a V. 1. G. Y:, .indArtiola932a V. 0. C. P1, willcontrol. hthough there may be a hoapitol within the prisonwall8 suitablefor the housing,oPinaane, it ia not proparlyett?ffsd ae urlled for ln Articlo6203, and there~forefor all praotiaalpurposesit is not the.Gtnts Prison Paychopathio Hospltslaa aontemplatedby Artialo620%. It is the furtheropinionof this deptitnent that until thehospital ia properlystnffed and equippedall ln- sane persona should be sent to a State tioapital in aaaordanoo with Artiole3186a, V.A.C.S., and Atiiolr932a, V.C.C.P. trust thia aatiafactorllp answ6rayour inquiry. Your8 very truly