Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion ( 1943 )

OFFicE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL 01= TEXAS
AUSTIN
‘\
Eonoreblc Cen V. Jackson
rJ1st.rict
Attorney
Houston, Tcras
,i : :
Altcentloll: Hr. John Snell, Jr. li -..-
t.Ebr sir: O~llllOIl
No. o-5621
-\,, vhf* doflne peace officers?"
\
Peace transferred this
'1 have raaelvod yours of Ootober 28th; and,
in reply, wlsb to olte you aortain section@ of the
city Code of fioustoa,Taxasr
"sec. 1643. Specie1 Offlccrr for tempor8ry
aorvioe Sn ewgonoy. The mayor, in 0a8e of 8 riot,
flood, fLre, or other public emsrgenoy, crhallhave
Power'to sppolat, for temporary 8eroloe only end
i
i
j~cmreble Dan U. Jeoksoa, page 2
not to excseC thirty days, any number of apeclal
0fflCers and to Clsohargs the same at uill. salid
specl.aloff:cua shall be paid by the city for
serrloe renduwd the olty in the dlsoharge of their
dutlos at 8 salary rate to bo determlned bs the
WjrOI-.
"3~. 1280 (firor.and last parsgraphs) Po-
1100 Chief LO adopt rule8 and rqulatlona; publl-
cattan of rules; luxlllarx pollco force; air raid
vardon8.
vhe ahlef of polioe. 8ubject to the approval
of tba l
a8yor, 1s hsrsby uthorl8etl,directed and
sarpo``ad to prepare aaa prom&ate such rule8 and
regulations, lw.3rarlslons and amabents thereof,
as UT, Lo hi8 dlsaretloa, be neoesnry for tha
oonduot oi puaau8 &wing air raid prlods, and la
ordu td carry out tha expressed intent of this
8rtlOlo; pmvidd, &VOV~F, that no much rule or
rtgulatloa8ball be aoatmry to the prorislons of
this artlole.
%a chief of poli4e, subject to the approval
of the rye?, amy armto, tora and cODduct lg auxti-
lary pall48 fop08 or other orgaaaltatlonor appoint
suchair ralav`` or oth* peraoas vhomay, ln
hia dlaorotfm, bs naosssary to our7 out the pro-.
~1814~ of thla utlole anA the rub8 and rogula-
tlw adopted paau8mt tlwreto,
"saa.1681. Aathorlt~ $0 appo1ntj pollee parers;
Th4 myorof tha alty la h4r4by luthc4?144d
to ap-
point, from tin to tiw, lpwlal officer8 to 8crva
4ad 4at at private pU4es of bu8lnea8, ln8titutlons
or h wa far duty in a n4 at lu4h plaoea only, upon
the requsat a& r*oma&atlon of the omu8, ten-.
urta or peoprleter8 of s\rahplasma. Any 8pe4lcrlOS
tiou *ho ha. kou rppo1at.d br tha ryo~ &all hsvc
full authority of a pollae offloer to protmt life
8n4 property at tha plsoa for whloh he hs8 bean sp-
pplnred.
n
. . . .
pnoratle Dan c'.Jackson, page 3
“Sec. 1683. Salary. OffiCel-8ah411
SpeCld
receive no salary from the city, but #ball be pal6
uholly by the person employing them.
"sea. 1664. Can4ellatlon of oomlas14.m. The
o~S#iO,, of auy sjmli.1 0ffiO.r Sh4llbS Sub l4 t
to aanoellatlon st any time by the aym or ohiof of
pOliCa, for Cmg WUSC that c&y or either of thw
deea luffialent.
Yea. 1685. Explratloa OS 0orri881olr. All
CwiSSiOnS Shall 4xpim 8UtwttmllJ 8t tidnlght
on the thirty-flrrtby of Deoenbu IO any jeer.
*. . . .
'ho. 1694. Eight to lp p a lnt
temp4rar~ a p a 4 la l
offioers ln wrgewy uot rffooted. liow ln this
artlale shall In any ulaa llmlt or abridge the rl@t
oftheuy4rtoapp4lnt,atanytlrs,f4rup4aaae
deem& luffloient by hlm, la ease of an enrgauiy
&:.;``;&@$ such as fire, floods, riots or other eYrgenol48,
saOh #peOl.aloffiOer8 as my be r4Quir4d for a pu-
iOd Of Pot t0 4X4eed thil'ty&yS.
"soa.1695. bobjeot to -11 in 488e Oi pUbll0
lnrgewyj arb4 p&o06 orrpelloe &ewtwrt psp
roll aad given badge. It 18 8180 rurtbr expreaal~
gPOVib4d th.tti thO.4 hOktt* -SW SC SW-
, 8181 oifloara,
~::*!:j/j:j:. a&n ba rubJ#t to the ~11 of the
myor sad tha 4hlef of pollae ln ease of a Hot,
r144d,rlre m other publl4a4rg4a4~. upcmth4 44-
4 -e. Of Sa ylueh lmerguro3tb4 -JOI, alullSl.6~'
km4 th4 pOWU
t0 pba4 St&y Sp44ul OtfiOu ob the
nwar deparwnt p~oii
pou44 r- a puied not
to @rood thirty days, aad lx muahla a e&ha ohid
of pelloe ahall laman to rauh spoolal 0iriur a
regular polloemn*a badge t4 be wed by umh otti-
4Or tw tb8 p4riOd Of tin4 that ha t# 84wa a
the pollee deputmat durm ruab wrgauar.
Yhe auxiliary poll04 offioen of th4 citr of
&UStOn Serve by r4aSOP of the lbove 84OtiW,8 lf the
city Code. There la no executive or&r under vhloh
>I::, th elu*illuy police foroc 18 operated.”
Artlolt 995, Rarimtd dt8tutea. 1925, provides a8
follow8:
“uhoaever the M ar duu it Mco8sery, la
order to la r o r a otha L 18 of the atty. or to avert
deagor, or to gwotoat life or property, la aeoe of
riot or any outbreak or eelamity or publla dimturb-
elwx?# or when ho hee roe8011to fsar euy 8orlous
vlol``lom of hu or or&r. or any outbrmk or my
othsr Ua&pr to ~16 oity, or tbo lnb8bitant8 thorr-
of, he 8hall 8OIDIL Lnto l*rvloe 88 e aipealal PO-
lice rorco, all or 88 mj or ths Cltl88as as in
N8 jupewnt my be aeoo8ury. Such 8usmoasnmy
ba by grr#lamtlaa or 0th.~ ardu eddre8scd to the
c1tluae gsserally, or thou of ally ward of the
a l& y,
o r lubdi.risioa
thereof, or my be by person-
llmtL!x~tloa. swdh 8p0oiel pollao r0rcttwhile
la 8OCVloe, shell be 8uhjut to the oders of the
uly o r ,
eimllp o r fo m luo hdutiee a 8h er a yx wq llr e,
cad ahell heve ttn eam~ pour vklla on duty aa the
rogulu pollae tore0 0r 80id oity."
maoh 36, a0d0 0r cr-1 ~OC``UIW, protithe:
"~8~3rbiiaviog u+0 *p0800 0rflo0r881 8h0
shorlff amlhi8 6opat%os,ooastabl~, the urnhal
or polluM8 of aa lumrpomcod tolm or olty, the
0m08~. db0+00u8~;0~d 0fri0ul8 ti pm8880
0rtb0 stet0w sw0O,OeGuypmmt0 perOm
ep eo ~lly
lp p a sa ta
eduuutoo r iea pel
r 00ue.~
&tiOlo uh7, &mtiO%.l, l'.Orlthd-0,prOrid*
“Aa leeeult o r b8ttuy h e a a vs
e@ p a ma a vh o n
conltted au4er a8y of the follovlq~ OirOOUOt8WO8z
Nhen aamtCto0 up06 aa oftlaa ia t&a
I.eALw ~8 oi a# dUCi08 Or hi8 OmOO, ir
ituaehowaordular.dto&heorrwxlerthetthe
mr ea ml8uultod v8e 80 orf’i4r.r dLsoher&ng en or-
ri0id du8y.
”
. . . .
To oonatltute ths offeaoa of agSNvated lrtiult vten
SQ sauult 18 oarittul upor 80 orricer there must be -- rlr8t
~ofiorcblsCam i;.Jackcon, page 5
cn acccultt 8eaon6, the person 888aulted must ba en Officer In
the d18Ohu‘gO Of hlc dUtl.Sj u&d, third, the l88ault must be
-de cc cn lnterruptloa or ths ofricer’s offlolrl dutlsc. The
foregoing prOpO8itioXl18 sUpparted by our OYIICourt Of Crl~lln-
cl A9peClS. See Blrdctto v. stata, 150 3. Y. (2d) 1035, and
the cuthorltlcc oltod tharmfa6er.
Under th8 d140ru410a ar Pub110 ofri00rO In 22 Rul-
ing a80 tru, 90`` 397, ~0 rm the r0ii0ving ~u~rgr;
* on the grouadth8ttba prlnolp8lduty
Or polio; &riOOrS 18 tkh0prO8OWStlW Or tb pub-
110 peaa*, VhiOh 18 8 Utter Or public CWQOIP, it
ha. boon held that poll II We Dub110 OfriOOrS‘;-
. . . hcabcmahcld tk mombars of ttn do-
tectlvo dbputmut 0r 8 dictrlct pollee foroc, or-
gsni~d t,UXiorSt&t0 8tauto uhlch OOniorrd an them
tho ponrs or pollee otilccr8 end constables, cre
pub110 oflloors end not wrcly Olrp1OyUOSof-the
conccrmmlth." (tkld.~SOCWilrg OlU-8)
h the MM Of XiOaiUS V. HUtChiruOn CO., 55 A.L.R.
1191, ow Beacon ns ca erployoe or the Portland Thwtor snd
won the urtttea requert or his employer he vaa 8ppointed cpe-
cl81 pollcorm by the City Cowicll of Portland a8 8uthorlzed
bY fba h8 Or thy Stat0 oi Jkw. 818 sorrlau nro pcld by
the thutor end la the aarw ho oloaued up about the thectcr
wN10 ct or- end dnrlng cbvv tlr hc wore his unlfcwm end
Yam stationed in tha lobby amI kloomy md kept ardor, qulet-
n-4, kqt the 81810s aloar la keopiog rlth the flro rub8 Sd
1 0l ~WUl -8 ~SOE’Vd th0
tht sata held that: “AS a ~orr``r~“``c``toO~.Cd
Officer.
Thor. 18 l ver y able d180u881arr0r l l1tuat1on rlal-'
1 ~ to th e005uuler la a #ldmtiOh
mr 0hood in th eUh4 tle y
Cc40 raporto4 In 3 S. Y. (W) 174 rhoroin Juotloe Wsrtln
VWking r0c 0~ court 0r c~irlrui Appeals, bra th0 r0ii0hg
to My:
“&p.lbnt -8 00U~iOt.d Oflggnv0t.d l S-
SaLlIt upon oar
J. II. Ohuts, ‘ths uld J. H. Chocte
them and thoro bclng 8 cpealcl p01loo offlaw of
the oity al Big Spria&'I poaalt~, rim of $25.
“A lUff~Ol8Ut St.tO..nt Of thS fOOt8 -OS-
~8l.y CO lllU8tXSte th0 bV FilltS d1IlOlUS~d 10
briefly 88 fO11OVS:
#The procaoutfng rltnws, Choate, on the 15th
day or nay, 1926, received rrcm the maym of Bi,.g
Spring the following vrlttoo oppolntmntt
“‘st8t0 or T-S, c0tay 0f ri~nrd, city 0r Big
Sprlag.
"2%8 18 to oortlfy that by vlrtw or rrti-
Cl0 9% af the RMiCd StikUtOS Of tbs %&ta Of
TeLPS, 1925, 3. n. ChMte 18 busby 8ppolntsd 8pd-
clcl polioemul r0r the olty of B& 8prlag, Texas,
vlth all and full paver glvon him under the uld
crtlole and for the purpose of enforolng any and
811 the hV8 Or th0 8tate Or TOWS Uithin th0 8ity
liPit Or BlgS)prlllgCadth0 OFdiProoW8 Or t!MJUld
c1r.y.
“‘ThiS OO~SSlOSl 18 t0 r#la ia fWC0 Ulltil
the olty oounoll oi the olty of Big Sprlag chcll
meet in Fugular 808~1oCL.
**Oivoa under tho haad and seal or the olty
of Ba Spd.n& thic the 15th4q or IU3,A.D.
1926, 8t m s-f&& 8OVU’dOOWtJ, ?OlUC.
“‘al* u. -8,
“‘(SskL.) ~YW, city 0r m8 SW-.
"'Attoct: Loulu Hlddlotoa, S&Wry, City of Big
Spring, by V. M.'
“He th o r ur to rl8t.d l8
8Wti1 pollSomu ua-
tii cttor a OS th 0rr0M0
at0 0t *hioh ami-
lax& ~88 ooarlrtod. Xemmroaoplisod88a pellos
ofriwr by the 0th.u OrflOOt8 or Bourd aouuty and
the city of Bl.gSpring, lS -11 88 by the publlo.
He UdO fTaQWltt WMCtS, OOlbCting fiae8, lPd
exerolsing t!xcdutloc tuually ~rforrd by 8 pallcs
ofrioar. on tho date la qUCStiOll,chute arrested
rI:pelhnt cm l pub110 ltreot la the olcy of Big
fi;onoreblc
Can *I.Jnck8on. page 7
Spring for diaturblng the pcaaa and for belag drunk
in a public place. Be further tertiflod th8t ap-
pliant at the time was drlrlne a aar vhlle lntoxl-
oated and uas clrunk and curslug on a pub118 street,
and that this happened in hi8 pre8eaoe and ulthln
hia rleu. Appellant ma8 arrested without a uarrant.
Choate teotlfled tkat appellant knwv he ~88 an of-
ficer prior to and at the tlmo of his arrest.
Irosecutlng vltnem8. Choate, apparently aever qUrr1l-
fled by takl~ o8th or giving bond, 8n8 he sated
at all tlme# by virtue of the appointment above at
811 tlma, but vlth the la q uleso enc e oomaent of
and
the mayor of Big Spring and the city council there-
of.
88
. . . .
-A de hoto offleer vam cleflnsd by the court
in his charge a8 follovsr
“‘A de facto offleer 18 one vho 18 in po88a8-
alOll Of
U OffiOe &Id d18Ohrgm it8 dUtle8 under
color of luthorlty, by vhlsh 18 meaPt authority de-
rived from an llootlon or qpolntmeut, hoverer lr-
regular or informl, 80 tbt the lnaabent be not
a mere roltmteer.'
lm-a
'Thlm deflmltlocl. to be la the lxmt
verblAg of the ow lpprotod ip Bmua v. State, 42
Tex. cr. R. 418, 60 S. u. 548,.96 A& St. Rep. t306i.
bfhatererright be said of it8 OorreCitW88 uod8r l
dlfferont 8tate of faot8, me boliov8 it 18 oorreot
under those exhibited la this reoord.
"It Va8 Uid h &OVIl V. atat., 8Upa, tbt
'the deolelone irdleato that, before one a be a
de faoto offioer, there mut be waa offloe vhloh
he oou1d hold de jurei* It Is plmulbl~ u: d bT
ap&bdlU&t tht 00 S&l OfflOe a8 8p8eia1 p0f" 100 Of-
ficer bad ever been eruted by orOiumaa of the
city of Big Sprln& ud aoae in Saot lx lo ted under
the Uv, lxvlthemfore pro8eoutlw vltne88, Choate,
oould not becor rurd0r any state of facta a de hot0
officer. A mufflcleot anaver to this 18 that article
_
Honorable ;~n W. Jackeon, W$c 3
995, R. S. 1925, by it8 tc= PUthOrlZe8 the ep-
pointPant of, and by swh, laplledl~ at lea8t,
create8 the4 office of, rpeJlo1 pollee officer. It
b8 been held that a polloenen la a peace offloer.
Hull v. %8te, 50 Tu. Cr. R. 607, 106 3. W. 403.
There being lxpre88 8tatUtwj authority under lald
ertlole $495for th alppClntwnt of prooroutl~ vlt-
PC88 to th8 OfflOe b,a &8YuY4 t0 hold, we are Of
the oplnlon th8t lyecotid under 8 proper 8tate of
fact8 be a de hot0 offlc8r. Are 8Uoh fact8 pro-
uac la thl8 reocud? It 18 urged that the vrltten
lppolntmeat oat out abow lxpre88ly limited hlo
lppoFotm8nt to offioe to th8 next m8tiag Of the
City OOUtWil, M6, thl8 OORt~rrO~ hW= htlpm-
06 long before the m8t in QtS88tiOn,he Ua8 there-
fore neither es ofiloer de jure nor a de f8OtO. By
the tdZU8 Of Uld WtlOlO 995, 8uch Ui appOintwat
ray be orelly wde. The
reoord lfflrutlwly a ho w
that VitM88 ooatlnMa to *at vlth exprea8 con8ent
awl aoqule8oewe of the oftr eouncll end ayor of
Ba Spring, If 1lde~I It 4OV8 not 6hOU that he did
80 by their 8rpF888 direot1oa, until lftsr the al-
lem oaami88lao of tin offew by appellant. It
fUPtbsr 8hOV8 b Vh8 rgtt.d t0 b - Va8 PeCOg-
tiud by th0 pttb~io a8 8Wh OffiOer. UO rO@rd
the8e faot8 a8 -1~ lufiloieat to 8hov affirm-
tire17 that br va8 8 DDE faoto officer. Fnrthermorq,
ve lee a0 ru8oa to doubt that 8eld vitae88, if h8
continued to rot uader u lxpi.redooml88loa vlth-
out iaterruptisn ud vlthoet qwatlon br tbv pub-
110 arbf#n offloere afBi# 8pring, but vlth
their aaqulv8oomee, tht 8wh mot8 vould ooavtltute
hir l de f-to Offlom. It u8 born uldr
l‘YOt,althou@ ln 84dl’Vd CorriO81olr 18 Wt
color of tit10 to offloe, still, if an llvoted or
appoFated p&l;* offloer ooatlmn8, vitheut break,
and vlthout queatlw by the p&110, to aural88
th8 fUMtlaa8 of theoffloe after the explwtion of
hlr OOUf.UiOIt, thi8 18 l 6Wth U.d eXewl8e Of the
autle8 Of the offfoe by tioqule8oeaOe, la Q, under
the Bodero rule, eosutltuto~ the p~rron thm sot-
ink an offloer de faoto.' Rx ?arte Traoey (Tax. Cr.)
APP.) 93 a. w. 542.
Honorable Den W. Jaokaon, pege 9
“Quoting from thl8 authority further;
"'In 011 Of these Ca888 the doctrina i8 8U-
aoumed chat, vhlle a de facto offlaer my be one
uho hold8 under oolor of 8leotlon or appointPunt,
vhich my not be altogether r8gular, there 18 rtlll
8nOthsP Oh88 vho my be d8 fOOt0 OffiG8r8 VithOUt
regard t0 eny eleCtiOU or OppOiUtIiI8at; that i8, one
vho eXerOl888 the dUti88 Of Ul Off%08 for a 18Ilgth
of clme, 8Qd acquleroence on the part of the author-
ities and of the publlo. fn 8uCh 088e8 the inour-
bent, regardle8a of hi8 lnductloa,mg be ooiuldered
8 de root0 officer. l l l k de facto offloer ry
be 8uch l * l vlthout a knovn lppo~tuat or 8leo-
tlon, but under 8UCh clrowJtaaa88 of reputation or
acqul88aence 88 vere caloulated to lad1108people,
vlthout Inquiry, to 8ubmlt to or invoke hi8 lotlon,
rupporlag his to be the offloer h8 088umd to be.’
*wthout eXpF888ly approvlag all th8 langurge
use&h the Traoey Ca8e, 8upr0, vc regard it and the
ca8e of Erovn v. State, rupra, a8 ample authority
to uupport our vlov that th8 faotr or8 8Uffloleat
to ObOti ~OSSOUt~ VitM88 a & racto offloer on
the date fn quartion."
In viev of the for8going authoritlell,you are adrilled
it Is our oplnlon that an aurlliary pol$.aeofficer 18 a mpeace
officer" a8 that term 18 defined by &FtlCle 36, Code of Crlmlu81
Ppocgdure, and 18 an "offloer" vlthillthe purvlev of Artlole
ll!J'[.
Swtfolp 1, of the Penal Code, vhen engaged la the ilavful
xllabarge of the dUtie8 of hi8 ofrioe.
Very truly your8
ATTORiTEXGEB8RALOF TEXAS r
Je88o DVenS
A8818tallt
JO:db