Case Information
*1 OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
Xonorabk W. K. Baldridge
Countr an4 Dlrtrlot Attorney
Dmatoa, raw8 opialoa lo. O-7151
Dar birr Do o r l eah wt rr&r of tha
lorr threr iacher q-0, h are 1088 th8 a,aro, 8r on8 p8rroa Ia8 la Donton end oirtinct UnlmfullJ mt8 GOfi8tltUtO
unAer Artlolo 927, Vernon’8 , Srom rhloh we quota: creek, lake, bayou, pool, lagoon or tank, in thlr State, aa7 wt, trap ur take Dther device fw catching fish, 3r catch any flab fram aald vaterr vlth any aet, seine, dt- or hook and line trot rice, line, other than as pernltted herein. Uhoever vlol4ter 8ny provlelon of thl8 8rticle 8hll be fined not 108s than tvsnty-five nor more than one hundred dolbrr. ”
. . ..-..- ._...~_.. . . ..-.. .--.--- .--.--...- *2 Bonorabl8 Y. II. Baldrldm - Pam 2 The prevlourly quoted article maker Illegal both In fr88h vatrr l net vhoee mcl8hs# act- of 4~~~11~
(1) the h e8 8quAr0, MO l 80 (2) the aOt O? 7 taklag aetahlaq of ?18h fresh vator vlth en7 net from other thaa a8 permItted thweln.
Ue think It 18 olrar that l aoh act of placing a net In fre8h uaterr of thlr State contrary to Article 927, 18 a wparate act and a 8eparatO OffOaW, beoauw each plaClEL(I II 8 wparate tranuatlon ocaurrlng at a dlffereat lace and et a different tlrw. 22 Corpus Jurlr !Jeoundum, w@ 6 8 8tat88, “Separate and dlrtlnct act8 of the 8am8 nature perroL8d at repmate oifenrer.” differrot gsnerelly aonrtltute tirr
Xovever, the catahlrq taking of flab from an un- laufti set 18 One tranraatlnn rerultlng from a rlngle act or rolltloa, rOwdlO88 a? the number of fish taken. If 18 vell In l ocordmce with thlr theory that ‘the rteallng o? 8ettled at the 88~18 time aad place, dlfferent artlale8 80 that the trmmeatlon 18 the unm,l8 and the acetarred but one otfenn, may not be convicted on reparate Indictment8 aharglng dlffer- a8 dL8tlnct offewe8.” eat part8 a? the tranractlon Ullron 08. State 45 Tex. 76, and Yllllr VI. litate, 6 3. Y. 857. 8everal l ot8 are In feet put one tranractlon, there Were 18 only one crime although each or 8uCh l ct8 tight have con- I? not part of ruch tramaction." rtltuted a orlm In ltrl? 22 Corpur Jar18 &aundum, pp* 60-61.
Th4 failure of the Isglrhturo to exprorrly meke tha unlawful taking O? reah fl8h a 84paratO o?fenIe, jurt a8 they have uule a remrate oftrnr4 of the unlavful taking o? each gysr bird 8nd l aah g&me l lm81 under Artlale 873, Vernon*8 Annotated penal Code, lndloate8 the Leglrlature did taking Of ?18h that each unlavful not contemplate nor derlre be a reparate oftenee under 8upr8. Therefore, JOU are advised that each net, the meehee of vhlch are leee then three inches aquare, placed in the vatsre of Lake Dallas In Centon County, Texas, constitutes a 83 each placing of l net is B separate trans- separate offcare action. taking =r YDU are further advised that the unlautul *3 catchlog of flab 81 prohibited b7 re- from one tran8aation, So r l uaplo, from one oet, 8ultlng a8 It but one tranaactlon, only one vlo&tion oonrtltutrr regardle88 0s the number 0s rirh cwght or taken.
Your8 vary truly I Stevclrt if. D8Vor4 A88i8t&nt