Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion ( 1943 )

,
OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
Honorable A. L. Xilbr /\
Countr Attornuy \ \
neliton Couaty
UeutOn, Texu
/----A\
received and aare-
fully oona ote from your re-
Qubt u sollOl?rc
Justioe at th6
preolnot 2, aw3
, thue fines
into the trearuru
id. Pow th6
tioe or the
a qualified
up In preo. lo. 1,
t. 2373 thu gualltled voter8 of eaah
&e&e preolnat la thla *tote ohall eleot one ju8-
tloe r0r the preolnot.
‘?hUe &t El6 hW6 YOU O~iniOU aE t0 UhO0
th%8.$3.00, fO%!6aOh OU6 Will belong to, OP t0
8n.y oat.=
Bonoreble A. L. Ullsr, page 2
Artiole 1052, Vernonts Annotated Taxes Cod6 of Crlm-
inal hoa4dw4, r4ed4 08 r0ii0v8r
%W66 Dollars ah&l be paid by thr oounty
t0 the COUSLtJ &idJJU, Ol’ JUd46 Of the COUl't St
Uw, and Two Dollsrs and fifty cents shall be
paid bj th4 county to the Justloe of the Ee4c4,
for laah orUslns1 eotlon tried bnd ripally dls-
posed of befor hUti. Provided, hovever, that in
all counties hbving a population of 20,000 or
less, the Justice of the Psaoe shah reoeivo a
trial fm of Three Dollars. Suah Judge or Justice
-11 present to the Commlsslonsrs’ Court of his
COwty at a rUgU.hP t4rrP thePUOf# a IWitt4I.I aO-
oOunt r p eo lfy l aeoh
g 0rlc8ba.l aOtion in whlah
hu e&lam suah ibe, certified by such Judge or
Justloe to be oorreot, and filed with the County
Clerk. The Commlssioners~ Court shall approve
such rooount for suoh amount 88 they find to te
torreat, and order a draft to be issued upon the
County Trdesurer in Savor of swh Judge Or Jus-
tio6 for th6 amoU!it SO approvud. Provided the
Conmlssloner4~ Court rihall not pay any account or
trial fees in any a886 trlsd and in vhlah an sc-
quit$rl 1s had unless ths State of !bxss ves re-
pmsntcd IR thu trial OS sale awau by the County
Attorn4p, or his assistant, Criminal District At-
torney or his esslstant, end the aertifioate of
said Attorney is ettmhad to said amount certlfy-
ing to the Sect that said eausa vas tr-54d, and
the State of Texas raa repreuntud, and that in
hi8 $Ud@i6nt t&626 VSS SUffiOfUllt 4VidUllO6 i.li said
a8use to demnd a trial of 8``8~ (As amended
ygt; 1 29, Illst Lsg., pa 239, oh. 104, i 11 Acts
# s 1st Lsg., 1st c. b., pa 155, ch. 55, t 1.)"
Artlo 1011, Vernon's Annotated Tcxes Cod6 of Cr2.m
lnal F!roc6dur6, reads a4 foll~vsr
“lo item of costs ahall br taxsd Sor a pur-
ported 84rvlo6 vhich vas not prformed, or r0r
a ssrvlce for vhioh no f64 is bxgrsssly provided
by leu.”
Honorable A. L. Uller, pago 3
We quote Prom 4 Texba Jurlsprudena4, pegor 23 an6 24,
as follasr
“1 a. -: P4yraCnt c$ Fine. - On6 who has psld
a Pine esseassd agelnst him end oosts 5a th6 trial
OOUPt 18 not 6IItiti6d t0 8pp681. %iU4 in &Xi Cmly
ease it yes leld that the defendant ‘hav5ag truat-
ed the aatter as at an end, to peralt him, 8Pter
having reoognfred tb judgment l(IIvalid end binding,
to apply Par a now trial., end th5s being refused,
to appeal, vould b4 entirely lnoonslatont.~ But
no person other thar the dsftndmt a4n defeat his
right to lppsel by payLag th4 f5n6 urd oosts &a-
sessed~ the le~tlsiaotlon 0r th6 judgmnt 40 es to
prevent em lppsal must ooms from ths dsfondant
or Prom SOIWorw eot5ng by his euthority.”
Ye quote fro8 the opinion of th4 TaXas Court of Crlm-
in.81 Appeals in the o&au of I5x Parte Van Koennerlts, P& 9. U.
987, es follovat
‘Thts 5s a dual action, in vhfch the applicant
seeks ths vrlt of habeas aorpus, releasing him Prom
erreat, and also sseks 8 welt of proh5bltinn egatnst
J. C. Burah, juxtloe of the peaoe of preclnot No.
6 of Trevfx oounty, Tex.~ 3%~asks that YU issue e
vrlt or prohlbrtlon pzwUblt5$q th6 meld J.C. BuMh,
juatioe oP the peace as aforaeald, Prom trfiq h5#
on a oertafn oaspla5nt rh56h has besa Piled againrt
him 5n th6 justioe oourt over vhlch the 66ld Burch
prealdea. ae att&aes a copy of th6 aasplaint un-
Qr vhloh he la held, and th5s oomplaint alleges
that ou the 15th day of January, 1926, th e lppli-
bent, in Tr~ls aouty, Tex., did unl8Wfully and
ullliully drive and operate a curtain motor vehiole
along and upon 8 aertaln publ5a highway, to rlt,
&long and upon South Congress evuwe. 8 str6et rlth-
in the aoPparat4 15m5ts 0r Austin, Ttx., an lnoor-
poreted eity,.at a greatsr rete of sp44d than 25
allea psr how, rtc.
“It 5s ap*llant*s aontentlon that the jus-
tlse of the peeoe In prealnot 00; 6 1s vlthoui jur-
lsdiptlon to try meld C&au, in vl4v of thu faot, es
Bonoreb& A. L. Roller, page 4
lppellmt oontends, that th6 offense uas oommltted,
5P at all, 5n preoimt Ro. 3 in Trevls . . oounty.
..~.&. We
da not egr6e vlth applloent@a oonzu``mn umt ma6
elleged sntloipatsd trial of the 8 llasnt befor
the juatiae court of precinct Ho. Fvould b6 8 am-6
nullity. Kim aatlou 5n the rvent of a trial, 5n
our jumnt, uould not be void. Under the pleln
t4ras of the statuts itself, ths jwtlau of pre-
oinot go. 6 has jurlsdlct5on or the subjuat-Platter
of th butt. hrticle 60, 1925 Revision C. C. P.
'If it be oonoedud that epplloont would have
the right upon proper motion to h4v6 the car6 tram-
Perred to the justice preoinot in which the alleged
offuzue wourred, which question it 1s uun644ssarp
to deolde.~ in thin cam, It oould still Pollov that
such right rould not rem&r the trial of ths a&us4
in just566 preolnct go. 6 void. Suppose the right
t0 b6 tr led ill the ~eOinGt Yh6r6 th6 OffUiU4 VW
ooanitted lfas undisputed, yut for SOS&S r4e.m~ lppll-
cant should not sue fit to assurt this r5ght and
should pleed gu5ltp in a justice oourt sltusted In
a precinat diiferent from th6 on6 5n vhiah the of-
few6 we8 oommltted; oould it be cc&ended th&t 8
v4ll.d judgplent G.Otid not be l'Urder4d 4&4kut hiI4 u~1-
der theso oondltlons? We think not. Thu Court of
Civil Appeals in-this 8tet4 hss, u6 thiPk, correctly
stated th6 rule es Pollovsr
“The word 'void* oau with no propriety be
applied to s thing vh5ch lppesrs to be souad, snd
uh5oh uhlle in cx5stunac asa owmand and 4nPoroe
rrspeot, and vhose infirmity Oaanot b6 smdo men5-
f6St. U a judgnwnt rendered without in faot brlng-
5ng the defendants into court oannot bc lttaaked
co~terally on this ground un&ss th6 vsnt of eu-
thorlty over them app6ars on the ruoord, it 1s no
mare void thaa if it uere founded upon a mere mla-
oonccrption of am6 8sstt4r of lev or of Peat oaourring
in the ex6roise of an unQu6st5oMb~ jur5sd5otion.
In eltber 0886 th6 judgmat oezh bo lvo ldud and smd6
Punatus officio by ems4 lppropr~ete praaeedlag in-
stituted far that purposej but, if not so &voided,
muat be respected and enfor~ed.~ Dunn v. ‘Peylor,
42 Pex. Clv. App. 241, 94 S. li. 347.
lionorabls A. L. Miller, page 5
'!I316 antlolpated eotion of th8 ju8tiae of ths
jnteau of preolnot Ilo. 6 being ln no event &ore than
voidable, eppllosnt is not entitled to the rsllef
sought.
“*Tkw d&trine is well settled, in th5s stete
at 16ast, that if the pmG6ed543 'Under uhlah a per-
son 18 held in Gurtody 4ad restrahed 4S hi4 lib-
arty 58 wraly voidable, hs aamot b4 releeaed 0G
hsbees corpus, but must seek his remedy in SQPO
Other msnuer. !fh6 OFdiJ.kbrymod4 Of 866kiq FSdr688
ega5rutevoldabls judgment 5~eorin5mlpro~eed-
5ng sould be by appeal. Th4 urlt of hab448 corpus
uas wv4r dssigned to operate 88 a vrit of emor, a
oertiorari,or es en appsel. ( Ex parts Bolend, 11
Tax. App. 159; Xx part8 IhK6y, 82 T4x. Cr. 8. 221,
199 8. Y. 637; Ex part6 J&pan, 36 46x. Cr. R. 462,
:tlti U. 43, and many 08888 oltsd in thes4 author-
.
“The tmttur in oontrovsrsy being oa4 ln which
the justicru of the p6aGe has jurladlotion of the
subject-m6tter Involved, Ye 0ll.l not deoidu Quaa-
tlons of praotloe 5n aa aatlon of this charact4r
that mag erise on thr trial of th6 0444 As stated
by Judge Eendeimm 5n Xx parte Yindsor il)ex. Or.
Appp.) 78 9. Ii.-310:
'We vi11 not essum that th4 oourt below Vi13
not properly admfnfster the lau, and will not de-
t4rm5ne questiims presunted to it, in 8 legal aad
proper 8anner.Q -
‘For the r ea so nslbove stated, the vrlt of
ii``ido~rpus md ths vrlt of prohibltlon ar6 both
.
hd6r the Paots stated the dla4 shoot6rs pleaded
guilty to th4 justice of th6 peeas of preeiaot go. 1 and paid
their flms, th6 08868 b6ing dOCkUt46and Plled fs juSti pre-
cinct x0. 1. Under Ex psrte Van Xoenaeritc lbove 65t6d such
juagmnts vert. not void far t&s justlae of preolnat ma. 1 had
jurisdiutlon. Also the dice &motors hat- paid their f5nes
oouki not appeal the aaaes. It 5s our op5n5oa that the justlo
Honorable A. L. Willor, page 6
of the pea06 of preoinot No. 1 vho aooepted the plea8 of gum
ie entitled to the foes provided by Artlole lO!j2, V.A.C.C.P.,
8 upra .
It 18 our further opinion that the juetioe of the
peace of preoinot No. 2, not having tried the oaeee, le not
entitled to any feee vhatever la the matter.
In this oomeotlon ve vl.eh to oall to your attention
the provieione of House Bill 342 OS the 48th Iagialature of
Texas, efiectlve Auguet 10, 1943. Ye quote from Volume Ver-
5j
non’s 1943 Texan Seeeion Lev Servloe, 48th Legislature, Eegular
Seerion, pagee 424-425, ae follave~
?3e it enacted by the Legislature of the State of
Texae t
“Section 3. Blo person shall bo tried in any
misdemeanor oaet tn any Justioe Prsolnat Court ex-
oept in the preolnot in vhloh the offenee vae mm-
mitted, OF in vhioh the defendant reeides; provided
that In any miedemoenor case in vhioh the offenee
wae aomultted in a preolnot vhere there ie no quali-
fied Juetloe Preclnot Court, then trial shall be had
in the next adjacent prcoinot in the came county
vhloh may have-a duly queiliiied Juet&oe Preolnct i
Court, or in ths precinct ln vhloh the defendant
may reelde; provided that in eng euoh mfedetrmanor
cane, upon disqualiiioation for any reae0n at all
Juetlcee OS the Peaob in the preoinot vhere the of-
fense va eoommltted, lwh eaec may be tried ln the
next adjoining preoinot in the came oounty, having
a duly qualified Juatioe of the Peaoe; pxovided
that, upon aweement between the attaFney repre-
eentlng the State and laoh defendant or hle attor-
ney, vhioh said agreement ehall be reduced to vrit-
lng, eigned by said attomey repres3ntbg the State
and each defendant OF hle attorney, and filed ln
the Justice Court in which euoh misdemeanor aaee ie
pendkng, the Justice of the ?eaoe before vhom euoh
oae8 ie pending ebey, in hi8 dieoretion, tranefer
euoh cauec to the Juetioe Court of my other pre-
clnat in the same county, naacd in euoh agreement;
Bonorable A. L, JUller, page 7
provided that in any mledemeanor Case in the Jue-
tloe Court in vhioh tvo (2) or more defendente are
to be tried jotntly, such aaee may be tried In a
Juatloe Court of the precinct vhere tha offense vae
coaanitted, or where eny of the defendants reelde.
3eo. 1-A. No ooneteble
shall be allowed a
fee in any mledeeceenor cae8 arising
In any precinct
other than the one for which he has been elected or
appointed, exoept through an order duly entered
upon the Minuteqpf the County Comaleeionere Court.
“Sec. 1-B. Any Justice of the Peaoe, Constable,
Deputy Conetable, Shariff, or Deputy Sheriff either
elected or appointed, Violating any provision of
this Aot shell be punished by fine of not leer then
One Hundred Dollare ($100) nor more than Five Bund-
red Dollars ($90) and shall be eubjeot to be re-
moved from offloe by action brought ln Dletrlot Court
for that purpose.
‘sec. 2. All lava end parts of laws In aon-
fliot herevlth are hereby repealed to the extent of
such conflict.
%ac. 3. The fact that many persane are daIlg
being proeecuted for mIsdemeanora In Juetloe Courts
at oomiderable distances from their hoezee and from
the preoinets in which the offcneee Vera committed,
for the purpose of inducing such peruone to plead
guilty, creates an-emergency and an Mperative pub-
110 neoeeslty that the Conetltutional Hule requir-
lng bills to be read on three several days in ea&
Hsuee be euepended, and said Rule is hereby euepend-
ed, end this Aot shall take effeot and be in foroe
fr o m a nd a fter Its p a ssa g e ,and it 1 8so lnaote&
“Paaeed the House, April 7, 19431 Yeas 125,
Rays 181 passed the Senate, April 29, 1943, by a
viva vote vote.
“Approved May 6, 1943.
‘Effective 90 days after May 12, 1943, date of
adjoixl7eent.”
Honorable A. L. Wller, page 8
Uhen House Bill NO. 342, eupra, beminer effective CZI
August 10, 1943, it vi11 control insofar se the filing of ale-
demeanor complalnte in justice oourte are ooncerned.
Trusting that this eatlefeetorily am&r& your in-
quiries, ve are
Very truly yours
WE. J. Penn-
Aeeietant