Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion ( 1942 )

OFFICE OF THE AmORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
Honorable Homer Qarriaon, Jr., Mrector
Texas Department of PubUc Safety
C-P mm
Au. t La, Texan
Attention: Fred Hlakman, A8818tant Direc
D8ar Sir:
mittlng the above 8
ialan or other perlon who
, or tmat8, a aae8 of
or chaaarold, and every ruper-
of a horpital, diapemary, or
ln8t~tutlon in wh.tahthere ir
Qloeaae, rhail report rush aare
11Vriting, to the looal health of-
fleer, stating the name and ad&e88 or the offiae
number, age, eex, oolor, and ooaupation of the
di8aa8ed ``IIoQ, and thr dote of the on8et of the
dietie8.8,
and the probable aourae of lnfeatlon,
provided that the name aad adtwera Of the dlueaeed
person need not be atsted, except ae herelmfter
:,.
Eonorabls Eomer OarrleOn, Jr., page 2
apeoirfcally required in W5tlon 5, uv3 provided,
further, that all infOz%8tlOu and report8 ~onaern-
lng per8OW having venereal diseare 8hall be held
8eCret In acaordanac vlth provi8ion8 in Section 8.
The report shall be enolored In a reeled envelope
and eent to the loo81 health offitmr vho rhall
report weekly on the prescribed form to the State
Board of Health, all cane8 reported to him. Th8
ph~‘SiCiSn8 and other8 re8idlng in oitie8 having no
oity health offlow, 8hall make reports required
in this rection direct to the county health of-
ficer, where there 18 e oouutg hralth offloer in
the county in vhlah they celide, and uhere there
i8 no county hsalth OffiCer, al1 8uah report8
rhall be msds direat to th4 State Board of Health.
'sec. 2. It Shall be the duty Of eV8lFy phpai-
clan and of srsr~ other perron vho exanine8 or
treatr a pf~r8Onhaving 8yphlll8, gonorrhea 0~ ahan-
QPOld, $0 ln8truct him in RleUUP88 fOP pP8VMting
the 8prWd of 8Wh d+reue, U&d Of the ZWOO88ity
for treatment until our& and to hand him a oopy
of the olraulm of inforaation obtainable for tki8
purpo88 from the Stats Board Of Health.
‘Jeo. 3. All city, county, or other health
officers rhall ~84 svory lvallabl8 mum to l8-
aertain the exl8tonao of, and to inve8tlgate*ll
ca8e8 of ryph018, gonorrhea, and ahancroid within
thsir 8evsral territorial jwlNlat5om, and to
a8C8rtkin the 8Oum08 of 8uah hfeOtiOn8. LOW1
health officer8 are hereby empowered and dlreoted
to nreke8uah examlMtion8 of por8on8 rea8onably
8UfQeCted Of hUti& 8yphi118, gOIiOPPheaOP ChM-
crold a8 may be neaelsary for Carrying out the
provlrione of this lau. bring to the preval8nae
Of rush dl8eSi88a among rO8titUte8 and peFlm8
aaaoclated vlth them, aP1 8u6h perrone are to be
oonaldered within the above alara.
“Sta. 4. U&on recei t of a report of a oaae
of venereal dlleaIe, the P ooal health officer
rhall in8tltutu mea8ureE for proteaticm of Other
pereonn from lnfeatlon by 8uoh venereally direa8ed
pQP8OKll
Ourlaon,
Eonorabl8 Xoloeoer Jr., page 3
5. Loop1 health Offie4r8 are authoriaed and
directed to quarantine perron who have, or are
reaaonebly rurpeoted of hevlng agphili8, gonorrh88,
or ahancrold, whenever, in the opinion of raid looal
officer, or the state Board of Uealth, OF it8
4xsautivcPofficer, quarantlne 18 nece88ary for th49
protection of the pub110 health. In sstablirhing
quarantine the local health offlaer ahall derlg-
lute and define the limit8 of the are4 in vhioh
the peC8OIlknovn to have, or P888Onably 8WpeOted
gonorrhea, or ehanoroid, and
of having syphlJ.l.8,
hi8 iawdlate attendant, are to be quarantined,
and no perron other than the att8nding PhJslol~r,
ahall enter or leave the area of quarantlke ulthout
the pttPal88iOnof the loaal health offloer,
"Eloone but the locurlhealth offloer rhall
terminats raid quarantine, aad thl8 rhall not be
do= &anti1 the quarantined paIrron hS8 beaom4 no+
lnfestiow, as detertinmd by the local health'
offfcer or hlr authorized deputy through ollnloal
examination ma all neoe88ary laboratory,t.e8tl,
Or Until paPti88iOn hW b68n gilTonhlm to do 80 by
the stats Board of Health or lte executive offlaer.
9. The low1 health oftlaer r-11 intorm
all p8P8OM who me about to be Pele88ed from
quarantine for venereal di8ea88, in OUe they
arc not cured, what furth8r treatment rhould be
t8ken to aontpletatheir auve. Auy p6r8on not aurea,
bcfors releared fro38quarentinc, rhall be required
to rlgn tho folloving at8temant after the blank
8 068 have been filled to th4 lati8faction of
tre health offlcerz
OI recliding at hereby
r&nolfle&e thr faoE that I amatthl fZ188ill-
feated VI& j and agree to plde my4elf wp-
der th8 f88di~e of (rumI@or
phyelclan or olllaic) (ahPe88 ) Vithin
hourcr.and that I will remain under the
mment ok raid phy8lal8n or olinlo until.re-
leared by the health offloer of or until
my &as%@18 troarferred with the ap roval of s&id
health officer, to another regular K iaen88d phy-
ab.ean or an approved allnicr.
I
Honorable Homer Qarrlllon,Jr., page 6
"'1 hereby 8gree to report to the health
offlao* within Sour days after beglnnlng treatment
a8 above agreed, and will bring vlth M a 8tate-
m8nt from the abOV8 phy4lclan or allnlc of the medl-
cal treatment tappliedin my oa88, end thereafter
~111 report a8 often a8 may be demanded OS ma by
the health officer.
"'I agree further, that Iv111 tak+ all pre-
ceutlOn8 reaosmended by the health offlcor to
prevent the epread of the abov8 dl84a84 to other
pWP8OM and that I vi11 not pWrforn any aat uhich
rlll expo8e other per8on8 to the nbove dLeeaa8.
"'I agree, until $lmlly released by the health
offloer, to notify him of 8ny change of 8ddre88
and to obtaln hlr ~OWent before moving my abode
outside of NW furl8dlotlon.
Date
"All Wuoh agrseasnte ~hsll be filed vlth the
health offtoer and kept lxmeoeealble to the pub-
lia.
"The OOWIi88iOner8 OOurt8 of the vWciou8
oountle* ana the governlqt body o,+all z..noorporated
tOVn8 aad cltleo are hereby 0Plpoveredend dlreot-
ed to provide suitable placer for thW dWtentlon
of perDOn who nmy be rubject to quarantine and
who Whould be rsgregated for the ex.eoutlonof the
provlrloxraof thlW laW$ WI&d8wh COmRi88lOMP8
aourte and governing bodler of lnaorporated OltlW8
an8 tonU are hereby authorlred to lnour, on b~h~3.f
OS thwlr laid oountiel, altlel or toYnO, the ex-
pen8eB neceeeary to the enforasmetatof thi8 lav.
'stx. 5. 1. Yhan a person applie8 to a
phyrtclan or other perron for the dlWgnO818 or
treatment of SyphlllW, gonoPrhea or ahUwrold, it
rhall be the duty of the phy8ialan or pereon 80
Honorable Homer Gercieon, Jr., page 5
ooneulted to Inquire of, and aeoerthin from the
pereon reeking euoh dirga0818 or tFe8tmant, vheth-
er euah pereon has heretofore ooneultod with, or
barnbeen treated by, any other phyviolan or per-
eon, and if 80, to aeoertaln the neam end addrome
0r the phfricirn or person last ooneulted, It eb811
be the duty of the phymiolan or other pereon whoei
the applioant con8ult8 to notify the @yslolan or
other pareon 18et ooneulted of the ohange of ad-
virere. Should the physlolan or pereon proviouely
ooneulted f811 to receive euah notice vithln ten
day8 after the last date upon vhioh the patient
use lnetruoted by bia to appear, it ehall bo the
duty of euoh pbyeioian or peregn to report to the
lwal he8lth officer the name and mldrere of 8uoh
renareally diee8eed pereon.
“2. If .&n &tending pb~loian or other per-
son lcnow or ham good re48orie to ruepect that a
peceon h winglpphllle, gonorrhea or uhmopoid
18 80 oonduating hla8elf or hereoil am to expoee
0th~' pereons to lnf'eotlon,or 18 about 80 to
oondwt hlmaelf or herself, he 8hll notify the
low1 health offloer of the name and addreer or
the dleea@ed pereonand the le8~enti.81 faote In
the time.
“sea. 6. All loon1 and atate health otfi-
Oar8 are direoted to oo-operate ulth proper CC-
flclale rhoae duty it 18 to Marco law8 direoted
a$ainet pro8titution, and otherwire to we every
proper mean8 for the repreeafon OS proetitution.
"see. 7. PhyUolu18, health offioere, and
all other permona are prohlblted tpcm ireuing oertf-
fioatee OS freedom Z'ra venereal dileaae, provid-
ed thL8 eectloa ehall not prevent the 18auanoe
of rtatelunt8 of freedoFnfrom inferstiou8 dL8ea8e8
vrltten In much form, or given under rush e&e-
guarde, that their use for eollaitrtlon for luual
interaouree vould be lmpoeeible.
Eonor8bl8 Hamor Oer~laan, Jr., pem 6
be inacceeelble to the publza uoept la 80 fu? a8
poblloitt may attend the perf~nmaoo of the dutler
Uapo*ed by the UV8 0t the State.
bee. 9. hmlth offleer or other phyaf-
aiut u&o ehall u % uuy rail t0 p0rr0rr ths dtttiu
requlped OS him in thl8 8rtlole rhbll, in 8d(ll-
tlettto the i-8 lmpe8ed by Irrr,iwSelt bfe
right ~4 lieutao to ptaotioe Iwdioina vithh
thfr btete~ md the dwtriot oourtr of th0 state
ahtillhave juriedl&lon oi rult.8 ror the fa-
feltore et 8psh lime in 8wrh 0Ue8, &d t&m
suit am7 b0 filed w axq oitisen 0r th0 stat0 in
a 43owt having jwl8diotlon cuwloe th orduaar~
rules ot venue, md it rh8l.i be the duty of th0
oounty kn4 dirtslet 4ttorney8 to repm8ent the
p et1 t;a 35 luer twlt
lult.'
TuoTaxaa ouee hoveavl8uaube~bo0a8tmotl0no?
the &bow rtatote ha8 b#n oon8.ridwe4 br th8
18: Xn the tint Ex pa&e HuBout&, 8 ?!xoroi%-l
ir , 208 s1 v. 531, 2 i. L. 6. 1539, it i* 88idt l l ’
‘This ia l h 4 b eee
o o r p u*
p ~o o o edb a in
g uhfo h
the relator i8 held under 8~ Opder of the c&t7
health offloor of Pan Antonio; by vfhue of QUU-
aattine``e~uletlo``u.eetabu8hedia laoord with
ohaptor 85 of the Aate of the Fourth Oalhd sau-
elon of the Thlrty+Wth Leglelatwe umle~ a
etoteawmt of t3e order of arrest that, 8co0rdlng
to the infwaatlan of the health ofriaer, relator
i8 lfPected with gonorrhea.
.. . . .
%ae kgieletttm, wde~ the polfoe pomp,
ham authority to outhorise the e8tabil8baent of
quweM4.ne mgulrctlen8 fw the coteotlan of the
publ~oogOln8toOntagiOnrrm & oeepereone whO8e
oondltlon 18 #w&a ea to rpre84 dlreaee and, lx-
older& thereto, .to atrthorlcle
the OrreID and detea-
tlonofeuohper8one ondruoh, we kmdeP#taad, 3.8
tha purpoee of the 8t8tute ia QucHtlOn. &a&e* its
terme, the proper health oiilwr may 188faea w-
rant by virtue of uhloh a lawful avert may be
‘ . . , ~,.
Honoreble Rowr Garrieon, Jr., p#ge 7
mede vlthout prellnlnary thePet@ affomllng the
personaffeotod a &crlng~ but if, after wrest,
Such person eEallenge8 the right of the author-
iti** to contime the detention, the fundmmntal
law ,aecordl,hlm the right to have the legality of
him &tintion W&red into by a roper oourt in
a hatme ourpue proo~dh$. The P 8w denleN to no
@aa reetralned of hl8 liber?tjr vithout a h8alng
the right to prove In 8)Qu tplbmd that fha faot8
juetli`` hi. reetrrlnt do not 8XlSt. Ruling
Came Lav, Vol. 6, pa 435, 1 419. The health au-
thorltiae smriocl;the ameet of relator &rive
their paver to do Qo fraa the ells ld UZWtenoo
of the faot that the relator ir affouted with
the diaeaee mentioned, and that her detention
la required La the pubuo intoPeNt to provent
contagion. If those fact8 do not exlet, the of-
floor ham no jraal8dlationto oc%tbw the nr-
tralnt and the oowt in the habeu oorpu8 prooeed-
lng bee euthal~ty to lngulre whether the fwtr ON-
eential to jurit4ct;totlon 8xl.t. l%x pa&a Degenw,
30 Tes. App. 566, 17 3* H. 1111.
0. . . .
(I. . . but the pauer to establleh qwaatizu
am exl8tent under our Con8tltuflon ir tutinaldent
of the @Ice porsr~veet8d In the f&glSlattie un-
der the genera power to pa88 Iewe. Our Wtatute
doe8 not declare that the lnitlal order of t%rreSt
Shall be conclusive; nor CioaW it deetgnate my
tribunal to whom one detained under QI~order of
arrest imued by the health ofSloer my appeal
fcr a hearln&. The fair and resrronable inter-
pretation of the statute under whloh relator se
held, ve think, 18 that which 80wrde the health
officer the povsr to order the ErPeWt and detan-
tion, leavlag to the person &3tal.ned the rQht to
3.nvolce the decieion of the l8tUb ~l8hjudlolal
ed
tribunnle of ths state on question F&ieed, either
of faot or law, lnvolvlng the validity of the de-
tentfan.
“We conclude that under the bat of the LegiS-
leture In qusetlon the relator had the right to a
Honorable EolnrrGB~T~SOII,Jr., pans 8
hearing on wit of habeas oorpus, and thsreln to
prove the nonexistsAoe of the facts AUCS@SU~ to
authorlre her oontlnusd dotsAtlon snd themeby ob-
tain rrleass. Faota er@eAtlal to determine uheth-
or ehe rhould nr should not bs held not being
available in thl8 oourt, it 18 ordered that the
writ of hubeas aorpue prayud for bu graated, and
that It be referrod for haari~g to IIan.R. B. Mlnor,
Jud&a of.the Fifty-8eveAth judlOia1 distrLOt Of
rexa*. Ii
And In Ex parts hrook8, 85 Tux. Cr. R. 397, 212 5. U.
936, the oourt aaid:
Vhir 18 a~ orlgi~ala lioatlon r0r rrlt of
habear corpus Sued out by !!8 relator, GMce Brooks,
who Is detalAed by SUrOj Baker, ohiet of pollee
at Xoueton, by re&son of an order ls8urd by Joba
xc.Bolt, U. C. P. li.A., dlreotor of ornitatioaa,
the ohieZ health otiiocrof ral4 cltp of Sioueton,
whloh urdsr dlreotr that the rrelatorbo ou~finrd
at the city farm until di8ohmged by aa%d health
officier. A copy of raid ordar is lttaOhad to the
applloatlon, and it is SubetaAtially stated thsro-
in Wt relator ha8 been examined and is Weoted
vlth ryphllia, md in ordered into a\uraMlno at
the said rsualoipalfarm, the&e to be detained un-
til released by OF&r of *aid health oHioar.
". . . .
'The fourth oontention 1s that there have been
numrou8 tests given rrlator,sinea hur co.AflAmsAt,
urd that soms of the 8ams thawed poeltlve Md sama
xuwtive resulta. Nothing 18 thus preretated Sor
our duol@lon. II relator i8 free #Yom ryphilin
or gonorrhea *he may pruseut hur appluiation ror
writ of haboar oorpu8 to the lwal court8 under
tha authority of 0% parts Xardoartlr, daofdad by
un at this term, and if f'roetherefrom may be &is-
Ohar6Ud. The court8 ~111 understand that the health
offioere have no right or power to hold Fn qumm-
tine oitlrenr vho 40 not show the grerenae ot ema
OS the dlsearer Aaxed in ahapter 85 of the Aot8 of
;t;a;&Tth Call& Se*rion crithe Thirtpii~th Leg-
.
Bcmwable Holrurffarr:son,Jr .* page 9
1)
. . . .
“We have oarufully emmined all of the oon-
tentiom of the relator. and hold them without
the pO~i@iOti ofmohapter 85, @uprae are direoted
18 oonflnod to the medlOa1 D~O~SU~QIL sad the
0-e and treatmunt thereof 3.8 of neoeialtp lithe
ndr of the leumbera of the 88166noble’~fratepnlt~
be i8 nothing iA th6 aOt uhIoh ~etoat8 OF forI
bid8 mu swpeot, OF raone dstalimd, from p-feat
freedom of treatmuot ry any rcrput8blephysloian
vhf10 IA the ouatody 0r the offiolals Olmrg.6 with
the mforosemnt of thu lav; aad nothlng uhlah de-
privea any rsoaa 80 conflaud for truatemat of a
ep66dy hearE6 at tb hand8 or the court if m
be oppression or detention vlthout 8 oauae. 9%e
objeot of the lav la notepAf@hMAt for the un-
fortunate8 who are affliictedwith the86 MUdies,
SO 6Ully transmlttrrdMd 80 fUrfuf. in r.@titl,
but the uell-being of these ad the remainder of
the people.
“In the Instant oaau relator l# ahorn to be
a m88?led woman, with 4 b&N-ws hurbewl and
four.thflil&‘6n,
tha Om68t "fi
being 1 mo&h@ old,
but the record dl80zWe8 that ahe Qoltru8 to live
Vfthth,WL 8tatiIUtthat Oh6 r.W6frc@the life Of
. Te@tfPlanJwalladdu.wd 8hoving numsr-
oue b6etovsb of aamal favor8 upon 802diers en&
othS8 D6rsan. al80 th6 r6btw ns afflf6tUd
91th gbnorrheii and 8ypkLl3.8. tfa t
81On of Said 6?otthat 8wh IN
lnud for truatmunt until QoolPrsd cured by f
ficial Dronouuo68bezlti@ not unr@&SoELlble,un?uit,
Iionorable Iiomur
BarifSo~, Jr., page 10
or arbitrery. OUr ltt6Atio Ai8 AOt Oellud t0 &XI..
eUthOFlti68 hold- thie or other eirnilaceote
Violative Of aAY Of th6 RrOVi@iOAS Of OLU’ i%l6ti-
tutioa, Or dieorlmlrutorg. arbitrary, or unMa@on-
u.
“T&6 vrlt i@ dl@mls@ed and r6letor rum6nded
t0 the OUStOdY Or th6 0hi6f Or DOlfOe Of the OitY
Of HOu8tOn, a~bjsot to the Olke;@ Of~the OLtz
hulth OfffOUr OS @aid olty."dersoorlng oura)
Other Tux48 case8 et leaot implying the right to
ureet under Article 4445, rupra; Xx pert6 Vogler, 110 Tsx.
Cr. K. 579, 9 S. W. (26) 733, 62 A. L. R. 4561 Ex parte Gll-
b6rt (Tux. Cr.), 135 ". u. (26) 718.
been unable to find any Texa@ ease
While we h&e
pa*** directly upon
pwrr of peaoe offloerr gen6r*lly
th6
to arrest upon prop6r uarrante or written order8 lrsued by
ocgmtmt health authorLti68 under the provlSlom of Article
4145, ZUprB, ve think #O powur 18 neousrarlly t0 b6 inferr6d
from the language umployed in the above cM68. Thu next arum-
tloaaIS ifbothera Ten8 B-UP, by Vi&U6 Of hi8 OfflOe, ha8
8U6h %uthOrfty.
We hWe OWUfU11J r66d the ~l’OVi@iOA@ Of &tlOle
6570, R. C. S., 19251
“The orfioero, non-commlS@ioned officer8 and
privates 0s tkil force
th6 ~OYUI'IOf psaC0
regular oivil authorltle8 in
law@. They&C& here
aAd to 6X66Ute prooe@S
SU6h 06868 @hall be governed by th6 laVS~PegLU.8t-
ing W definl~ the pouer@ and duties Of 8herlffS
w36n in diecharge 0s eiinllardutler~ exo6pt that
they ah11 have the povur and @hall be authorlsad
to make arrests and to execute all prooena in
arinfaal Oa668 ii2 aAy OOLUIty f!I the dtatu. They
*hall, befOr 6At6rlAg 0A th6 dl*Oharge 0r th6S6
dutiee, take an oath Ghat each of th6m will Saith-
fully pe~fora hfs dutier in eoOord6~06 with law.
Honorable Homer Qarci8on, Jr., p6@e 11
20 arrert and bring to ju8tIae men vho h8ve band-
ed together to prevent the lxeautton of the lmm
or to aomalt robbery OP other telonler, the oi-
tlc$em, mm-coamIreioned offloer8 and prIv8te8 of
mid ioroe m8y soaept the servIoe8 of rush clti-
1enS q8 8hrl1 volunteer to aid them; but while
80 lm&d 8Wh ditiMA8 8iM11 ILOtF OeiVO &My
from the state for such 8OWiW*." fUAder8oorIAg
OloI8 )
The abova 8tatUte Vq8 a patt Of the t&de prfor to
th e
l8tablI8bunt of the S'eJU8De&='tmeZatai P~bliO %fety.
&tIale 44u(ll) of Vernon~8 Annotated Civil statute8 acUb
tab8 the followingr
"(1) %!bO'POXa -Or FOra 6ttdit8 perrOn-
nel, property, e9uQment and reaordl, AOV a p&rt
of the Adjutant hAeral'8 hmtIII#At of the
State of Teu8, are hweby trUk8fewed to and
plaaed undeT the jUrI8diation Of the &prrtmmit
OS Publie Safety, and are hereby d@ignated M
the Tour Rangerr, md a8 8Uah, aoPrtitut0 the
above JSAtIOIieddIVi#iOn Of th. Ik~rtmOnt.
I. . . .
"(I) The offloerr 8bAl]lbe a~thed with all
the ~0VqP8 Of ma0. OiflOW8. snd a
Ea e ezeau on 0 0
"They *ball bmre euthorltr to make 8W88t8,
end to exeauk In 8Ad
in air11 a8808 ~t~aia~ "tx: tie
U l Of a OOUrt Or p(1OOrdj snd in au 068e8
9
rku 1 be governed by the lwr regul&tlng 8nd de-
fIn.IUgthe poverr 8Ud dutlea of 8hWIti8 vhen In
the dI8Ohar&e Of 8i.El1U dutie8: OX00pt Wt
they 8hd1 hpV0 the POW&r and 8htIn b. CrUthW-
i8ed to mOk@ u?Pe8t8 all and to +XeOute
plW3e88
IA orixl~l Oa888 in any aounty in the State.
All oifiaer8 Osxeretiagby virtue of th3.8 Aat
8ti11 hovq the authority to We 8PPllt8. a8 dl-
rooted by varmint8, wd vlthout a warrant wider
the condition8 noU authOrISed by law, and 4100
in all Gale8 when the al&&ad offender 18 trmel-
hq OA * mllroad, IA 5 motor vehiale, aeroplme
Xonomblo Homvr &~wI80n, Jr., pep 12
or boat. -A Uiy Of 882.6 fOi'@e 8h8U. ms8t
any pes-80~&8reod vtth l OF ir i-1 Ofr u1 8e,
they r&all forthvlth oonvey raid pOr8OA to the
oount~ vhere he 80 rtud8 ehmged, and ahall
deliver hIa to the proper orfiovr, taking Ns
reaeipt therefor. AU neae8Urry ~1Xpsllcle8 thus
incurred 8h411 bv paid by the State.
" . . . ." (Underrooring OWS)
YOtW qUMti8Ii 8a 8tbted i8 Wh8WeWd ia th0 affirm+
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