Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion ( 1942 )

OFFICE OF THE A’l-l-ORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN Uonoreble Eert Ford, bbdnirtrator Texsr biquor Qootrol Poar6 1 Auauetin,TeXa8 Dear BSr$ We hare four let Qatr request%ng the opinion 0r thlr elltlonr state6 therein wNah road that ir 4 wbgea, r weft, or 4 trcm6portation or 8qul~f CIerigned lboturag or 11ucrit r4m6abhi~ 8 manuhoturing or ilucit bmr- le together ritb all suoh berer- or materio1 ohall be reined by say representative et tha me orriarr rho dmll arred ~sq Such of'fiosr 6hel’1 onto proceed iagainet the person arre,sted aml all prineipal6, aaaomplices, an6 aaoorsorlee to such unlavful aat, under the prorfrlons or law, in sny court having competent jurledietlm; but raid vehicle OS tomepnn8e ohs11 be returneb to the owner upon exeaution by him 0r a good uul 374 !’‘1 8ooorable Pert Ford, A&alnletr~tor, mga 8 ., , valid bond, rith eutilalent mrotlee in 8 Euro double the lppr8iSad t81UO Or the property, TN& ldd bard eh811 be apprord by aaid et- f&oar and #hall be aonditionad to return erid property to the CUStodJ Or said OrflO@ OB the w or tmi t0 ad0 ‘j-t 0r the OOU~, me oourt upon aonviotion 0r the poreon 44 wrested dull order the alooholia bavaragaa di8p04ed or M pr0ds3d in thi8 bt, 0~ mm less good cause to the oontraty is ehm w the omer, ehall order the 8814 by publia wo- tion of the property lal~ad, and the 0rri0w rinkin& the sale, after deduatUg the expenses of kaepkng the prOpeh7, the eelmra, and the cost 0: the sale, ah811 ~7 all llane, aceord- ing to prlmitios, ~blob are aet8bW3had by intonantlon or otherwise at eeld beering or in other ~ooeedinge brought ior edd purpose, 4e being bona tlda and as heving bean araataU without the lien or hering 8ny notlca that the oarrying rabiola was being used or SOS to be used ror lllagal traneport8tlon or liquor 8au ehall pay the belama of the prow& ta the i)otmi to bo allocated as par8dt re48. AU liane egalnet property sold under thie sadion ehall be truztiterrsd from the proparty ta the pro- oeade of its e8le. If, however no one ehall be foun6 olaiaing the team, ra d ale, water or 4.r weft, or eutomobile, the taking of the aeeia, with description thereof, shall be ulvertiaad in 801~4~ naeepepar publiehad in the oltr or aounty ehera taken, ar ii there be no nrrepapar la euoh city or county, 4 newspaper havl olr cula tion in the county, 'one a week ror t-0"4 f8 reek8 ud br handbills poet 02 in three (3 pub11 0 plaeae n08u the place 0r seizure, and 1 r a4 014i8nnt shall appaar within ten (10) day8 after the m- lication of tha &lv4rtleoment~ the property shall be sold ar~I the proceeds 8tter daduotlng the expenses and costs shall ba pdd ta the hoard to be ailocotad 8s pemdt tees. - - - (3) Wader authority of the above &&ion 8~ inspector of tha Texas Liquor Control Board ap- praheude 8 person illog8lly transporting liquor in a dry 8raa and eeieee the w&lo14 used la the traneportatlon. 8anonbla Pert Ford, Admlmiatr8tar, Faga 8 who provlaiona or mtion 44 8bw0 -ofad ara not oleer eith raf8PazW8 to the mathad a? rataU¶lry peeaaal0n or uv tehiola or property so ealrad, pamUng trl*l oi Orid& oompltinte~ and the prooadure, naoaeeary to parfeet eala 8nd disposition of meh property 8tfar eon++ tlonr 'Tour taluad oplalon is requested on tha r0iiorring gaaatione~ '1. Utar laieura 8nd pending thatri8l or erimlnal ooinplriata agalnat the daiaadant in oounty court, what proaadura, if any, is requl.Ped or the qfflaar laielng e8id propart to ret&n poeaaeeion th8reorS '8. Altar oonviotion of the daraml8at ia county oourton the orledn8leh8rgae 8nd,lf 8ppeolad, pending the ria diepoeition at arimin81 cUrgee, who la entitled to poeaaee- ion or said property. *a, After rinai aomiotion, aat proee- d.ura 18 aaoaae~ to laanre role 8nd diepOet- tion or the ealsad propartr. @4. If a OiVil 8ation in the rm or 8 euit in behalf or the state 8g8inef the dafend- ant la required, in whlah court till juriadio- tion or such ration 1iaP To hare 08refully oonaldorad the above atatad &eetione in comactlon rith Art1014 d.43644, Vernon*8 An- nOt8t%d canal code, and the oaee or Ftisrisa T. Ueihraugh, llg 8, T. (26) 601, 8nd 8nsuar your quaetlone as rollwe~ 1. It till be noted that the statute raferrad to (Artiole 8BB4tr eupra,) amOng other things, prwidae in 4rr0ct that when any peso0 otriaer or rapreaant8tl+a or tbo Boer6 olmrged with the duties of anforoing t&e criminal laws of this State shall diecorer any parem In the sot of transporting in violation Of the 18T any illicit bewraga or erg 4QUQiu4af deeignad to be USSd for the ii- legal eenufaoturing ot illlait baar8ga8, or any aPterie OS any &ml rNch 14 to ba used la the eenufacture or 11. llolt bavaregae~ ouch rahlola or rah.ialae (84 remad in ii the statute) together with 811 euoh bavaregae, aqulpeant or meterie shell be leired rithout 88rreat b7 eueh rap- reeentetira of the Boerd or ezq pee00 off&oar rho Oh811 arrest bny pereon in ehrge thereof. Such officer or of- rioera ehall at anca procmd lg8lnet the pareone 8rraeted and 811 princlpele, aooompliooe emI aaoeae0rloe to euch unlawful sot under tha pr0vlalona 0r law in 8uy court hating tompatent &wladiotlon but up rahlole or aonvey- moe a% eaiead shall be raturnad to the owner upon axa- aution bI him 0r a good and valid bond, or sufficient eura- ty in 8 sum double the talus of the property, which bond ehall be approved by said OfflO8r and ehall b4 conditlonad to return said prOpart to the custody of said ofiioer on #a d.81 OS trial to abide &dgeaat of the COurfe Other portions of the statute provide for the intervention or those interested es lien holder8 or otharriaa in the prop- erty aaxlfor setting up thalr reepaotira olelsce tharato. After the oonviotlon amI after the cl8lem ot priority or lien holders or others are eefabUeh4d in the property a court or competent jurisdiotion is authoriced to ordar / the ealead prOpert. sold 8ftCr p8ying the prior clelm or lien holders, if euch there be, then the ltetuta provldea / ror the diepoeltlon 0r tho rolainlng tunde, ii us. Attar the rapreee~tatl?oe of the Board or any paaoa offlcar has eelead eny rahicle uaad in the illegal transportation 4f 1: illlclt Bevoragas end erraetod the person in charge thereof and proooedod qpiast the person arrested in R court of ooqetant jurLed.iotlon, tbero 18 no other prowdure re- qulred,axl the officer eaieing the sea@ is entitled to I the poesaeeion of euob property pending the trial of crier- ! inal empleints against the daPenl8nt in the county court, / unlces said dcfenient executes 8 bond 9s authorlee& by said statute. ! In answer to your second question, it is our opinion that after COmiCtiOn Of the d4f4ndant iI% th4 coun- , ty court on the orkin charge or chargas, an4 the case is sppoalad, the regrceentati+a of the Eoard or peace or- ficor scieing said property in tha first Inet~OiJ shall I 373 Bonorable BSrt Cord, *dadniStrStOr, Page 8 retain poeaerOion Oc the same until final disposition oi the 0Sae by the SppollStS ootrrt. In 8UppOM Of Our %WWiW t0 your O0Oaab qtiertloa me tpaote from the orme of Flarlee t . Xldmmgh, aupra, ae rollOSar a , It appellant 8er8 aoquittad o? the charge *ai unlmmmp transpomng Liquor, the autowMl0 muld be immecLiate1~ redelirerod to him, beoauae the state has ao right of appor]l in auah ease. In the OvSBt he ia aomiated, and ff be Tam eatltled to retain poaeeaeion of poalr, rhiOb MOSSafWily OoBaumea a great deal or tlmel, the autmlobile would be greatly dlan- iahed in ~Slue or worthleaa at the aonclaalm or Pinal detemdnation 0r tho oaae on appeal. Z'he mare fact that the property was required to be delimmd to the sheriif on t&e date af the trial does Bof deprlre hip oi tha value of the OpertT nor it8 use, aXOept pending the hear aBd datsrdBatiOB Of his guilt in aoa- na~tion with the offense. me rtatute ru1ly proteote h%m in authoriaing hii reply of the property pending a trial of his aaaeI and If he is ooaT$otad, thea the aberiif or person into vboae oust* the automobile la returned is required to proaeed in a court of aotnpetent ~UJ'%&OtiOB Sad secure a torteitura Of the automobile and a sale thereOf as direoted by th&~;;tug In such a proaeeddg the et4 &&'abor that Phariss has been finally aotiated ot the offense ot lllegtilf transporting liquor, baeauae unbar the statute imolted and the authorltiea, the guilt of the automobile, or the state’s right ot forfUture, is ;nipatqd upon the oomiotioa Of the owner or person using the automobile in the oomudaaion of the offenee~ and relates bask to the date ot the ~omu&a~iOn of' the offense. The proaeecung is therefore not to forfeit but to onforae the farfelture that-has reaultei under the statute fi* the domlotion of unlawful transportation flomrablo Bert Ford, Adnidatrator, Page 6 a? intodaating liquor, in the eonmdeaion of Mch offense the automobile was wad. . . .s In answer to four third question it la 0lLT opinion, that the oounty court upon oomio i ion of the person arrested ahall order the sale by blio auotion of the &wopert;l selsed. It all1 be not er that Artiole 666-44, expreaal~ povidaa in part, @The Court upon a-on- tiotion of the person so arrested ahall order the alco- holic beroragea disposed of as provided In this Aat, and unless good aauae to the contrary la shown br the omer, ahall order the aalo by publle ruatlon of the prop- erty aelaad, and the ottleer makfng the sale, otter deduot- it& the expenses o? keeping the prOpe?ty, the aeiaure, and the aoat o? the sale, shall pay all lieaa, aacording te priori,tlea, ahlah are eatabllahed by intemantion or othor- rise rt said hearing or in other proaeadinga brought for aald purpose, 8s being bona ?Lde and as baring been created without tho lien or hating any aotloe that the carrying rehiole was being used or vaa to be used for illegal trms- portatlon of liquor and shall ~a)'~the balsnoe of the PO- oeads to the Board to be alloOat&l as permit fees. All Uana against property aeld under this Beation shall be tranaiarred from the property to the prooeeda of Its aa1e.l We n0u oonaider par fOu.rtb question. Te assume that JOU hare in mind some alril aotion rogfwding the sale of the property aelaed under &tiole 666-44. As heretotom stated, aaid statute requires the Court in whiah the COB- riotion was had to order the sale by publio auction of the property aeiaed. Wuating that the foregoing ?ully ansvera your inqulriea, we are Xoura very truly ATTOR#iZX C;uIERAL OF\TSU3 &dell Villiams Assistant C.,I .,.‘:J - , CF;‘!13x \ I ~OM!4lTTE~ B.&g/ L