Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion ( 1942 )

liemerablede* P. Hatebitt lxstriet Attorney Corpus Chrlsti, Texas Daar Slrr Attsatloas Authur A. Klein Opilriorao. o-4611 Be8 Under the frets subritted should the district atteraeg preaeed with the hearing conoernil~gthe dostruetio~ of gambling devices? From yeur reeemt letter YQ are apprised of the fellow- lwg faata: Officers seized certala gambll~dsvloes nad slet machines at a olub belmg opmated In the city of Brmiasvllle. After aaeertaln1Rgthe name 8md address of the owmor ef the solead naohl~es, they proceeded to his hema to arrest hl& At the rear of the realdenae they observed a warehouse aad ap- proalrhingit aav slot maehines through a& ope& deer. The owner ~88 not present amd the offloers left to make further lpquiry amd serreh for hlm.Later they returlqd to the wamhouse Ond without a search warrant, preeeeded to take late thair peaseasioa ten'slrt taehlnes. Preoeedlmgefer the destructlonof the tern slet machl&ea having beem lmtltuted, the owmr new eoatests their destructionom the groundsr (1) the offfcers had ne search wrrramtsf )(2) the equipleat seieed was OIPthe ovner't home premises; 3 the nrehlnes seized were not beflg uaed at the tire for garblilg p~peses. Aa we understmndy@uz'InquirJ, you '*Id3to k&ow phe- ther the nahlmm mleed at the wan&house may be legllg des- troyed. The Eallas Caart of Civil Appeals la two reaeit'rases meem to have readered lplmlens deslelvs of our-questian. We ````.t15``li~(``)s``, 146 se W. (26) 4&3, rnd Hlghtmim v. In the latter calee.writ6f orpop '188r:fused I;sihe Sup& Cou& 08 Jamuary 14, 1942, In the Crlllson eat40 kc4writ wan sought. .. Bourrble Joo'P. Eatelaitt, Att'nr Arthur A. Klein, Page 2 (o-4611) The fauta,in the Calllson ease dimlose that police offirers.of the aity of Dallas by virtue of ~wmrant prsperlg obtained, seized several thousand puaahboards, labels and other puuehbeard reoeasories frem 8 worehouae of the appel- laat. The distrlot attorney of Dallas Cetmtg la compliance with Artlelss 636 and 637 of the Penal Code pmeeeded to file for a destruetloP order upoa sold devices seeking their des - tmctlom as gambling devises. At a hearing before the trial aoud the devleea were ordered destroyed.- Otaappeal the Court ef Civil Appeals reversed the trial court, holdiag that for the devleee to be wlthia the eontemplatisn of Artlales 636 and 637, Penal Code, it mast appear t$at the devlees were be- ing used or exhibl$ed for ga~3.u purpoees. While the court held that puacrhbo8rdswere gambling devleea per a& and could not be used for Amy other purpose, we quote the followiltlglaw gurge with refdreaee to the proposition that the devlees must be exhibited or be used for gaxlag purposest "The aim of the statute, under whle& this proceeding is brought, Is to prohibit the use or exhibition of 011 possible @mea that fall under the olasslfleatlon of lotteries OF gambling devices; The character of the property seleed, that Is, Its nake-up, does sot authorize lta eonflsaatloa.arrddeatruetioa. The boarda were stored aridloeked la a warehouse, cmd were, IQ no manmop, uaed or exh$blte& for khe purpose of gaming or obtalnlmg betters. "ID.the enactment of the statutes under which this aetlon ~88 brought, the Legislature did uot see fit te aondema 811 pmpertg that might be used for gaming, a&d authorize Its destruetlom, unless It be shown that such pro- pamty was delsignedfor gam3.w rnd va8, 8t the time of ~1elmme, being used fop the pu~pataeef Ewwb T'hu~,courts caaaot extend the ah&t- ute 80 that gaml&g devises my be eonflscated and destroyed In the abeeace of evldeaoe that same were being used OP exhibited for gaming. Th& aueh was rmt defendaatle purpet~e,Is evl- The property was 80 stored th8t It eeuld aot``easoarblg~be mid that It was exhibited, rad, ee~trlnlg, it waa not being used for gulag. Benor&bl. Joe P. Hatehhitt,Att'nr ArthUr A. Klein, Page 3 (O-4611) "'Ph.jndgumt of the OOUP~ below 18 re-~ VOr8Od, the ll'd.rrondommb& ~O~fiS~8till~8Rd do8krOyi~ dOiORd8Ut’S PrOpel'tyi8 mot &side 8rd the 8AyLIe18 reukded with iastl'uetlonsbt tho property SeiSed be ordered retUrned to de- r6wmt in In the HighCOWer B&SO, 8Up~8, the eOlWt 881d 8 8lOt 188rhimO18 Pot 8 "@dng devioe,per SID"8nd court8 68EEOt tnks jndlairl aotl@e that everj slot mMhilrs 18 8 gambling dovioo 8iElOe*he U8@ t0 whloh it lS.pUt rrt8tdatemlie it8 0haPriC.r. It Wr8 8180 888OPt.d th8t the iret th&t gambling 188 thr .*1J r.&reublO 8Rd pr,af%t&blePUrpOSO fOr Whiti' 810t rehlmer mi@t be a8ed did mot rntherlae CheFr distruo- kiOR h,&b80~00 Or 8 shO+ing th8k the UrhiEOS Tierima to pay Off, th8t 8B Ulderst&ndiUg W&S had lliththe pF@l'ietOr to the 6~. effret or th8t th8 proprietor kmw of 8ti 8quloreed In the brtt1Rg. Ho hare o.80 to the OOW1U81@R, 16 vla?rai the holdlrg ia tshrabovo e&808, ttit the MOhiRe8 8OibOd~iR the ll~Oh~U8. l8 d.rOPibOd bj YOU, &Fe not 8Ubjoet to dor- truetion undrrthe 8t8tUt.8. YOUF8 wry truly w Bemjulr Wwd.11 An8iat8mt APPROVED 03133031 COlaITTm BY /b/ BlfB CHAIRPIM