Case Information
*1 OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
Hon. John Stapleton
County Attornoy
Flgd County
Floyd&e, Tasw
ty shall not be 1iaBl.e to the msto ia a .ptebspkaner wau pays hi* tfne en%, oWt6. : Th6 be liabh fw onlg on8-bdf re the %efsn%aat has $een trlrb, and , aoqulttetl, or found epilty up& the and to pay 8a4h 4eae appealedf lulf Of SMB legal oost* a# kay have bean a~ tated, aot including ooadaeiona,~ths County Judgr.shill iseue his warrant the County Treasurer in rav0r or prayer party, aa the afune shall be paid ont or the Oenerd 2brkU or *2 Hon. John Stapleton, April 6, 1959, Page 2
other funds not otherwIr4 appropriated. Ho cost5 eholl he oolleoted by auoh orfloor v~k.es the aas~ Is dlsu.Iseed.*
vI5 suah order talld?~
This order of the Commlselonere' Court I4 el8oat Identlaal with the amendment to krtl4le lOJ5, Code or CrIminalP~~o4dure, a5 8kw was emended by Chepter 422 of the General and Speoial Laws of the 45th Legislature, sac16 being Douse Bill Ro. 127 or the Re- gular Seasion of the Texas l&gIelature. Art1414 1065 Or the Cod4 or Criminal Pr8mdum a5 the 8ame ~8s amend- ed as above <stated, reads aa follw8: .-.
CPhe oouuty ahall n4t be liable to the orilaer and rItne88 having oostr Ia a ml* demeanor oaee where defendant pays hle fine and aoete. The oounty shall be liable ror only one-half thereor rhsn defendant has been tried and ootitted, aoquitded, or rclrrnd guilty and the 0454 appealed$ and to pay euah half of euoh le costs as may hare been no taxed, not f2 ludlng 4omnIeeIone, the County Judge shall ieeu4 his warrant upon the Cauuty Treae,tarer In favor or the proper party, and the e&m shall be pqid out or the Road end Bridga Lund 4r otlidr fund4 not otherulea appropriated. Ho ooate’ shall be 4olleoted by euoh ofilcer or wit- 1~488 when the 4688 la dl8culeeed.4
You uIl1 note that the order of the U4mi88Ion- era* Court and the abave amerided artiole are almost ldentl- oal. The dlfferenoes appear to be that In the artlolb the witue5a is given the 8-e prIvIlegee and bene9its ae the oriicer. The emended artiale provld8a ior paymnt out of the Road and BTidg8 FUB& or other fund5 not otherwise appropriated while the order of the Conmis5ioners* Court provide5 ror peyntent out or the General Fund or other funds not otherwise appropriated.
On January 11, 1959 this Depart84nt held, in 5 oonferenoe opinion, that the above quoted tWIeBdalsRt to Artlole 1055 or the Oode of Criminal Procedure was void as uuuonntitutiohal. 1u thie opinion thI5 Departam& *3 Eon. Sohu Stapleton, April 0, lQS9, Page 3 further held that Article 1055, Code or Cr3.mInal Prooe- aura, 1925, nut hevlng been repealed aud the-amendatory act Peinp unconstitutional and entirely void, that sald 1055, Code of Criminal Prooedure, 1925, is et111 Artiole the law and all rae oYYfusr8 are eubjeot to Its prowl- elous.
Article 1055, Code or crfdnsl Prooeauro; 292s, uhIoh is the law at present, reads as follows:
v.dr aosts paid orriuere.
YChe oouuty shall bs lfable to eaah offi- o8r and witness having ooetn In a misdemeanor ease for only one-halt thereof +hsre the defen- dant haa satiariea iin0 and eomt5 aajuag~a sgslnst him In rull by labor in the workhouse, on the county ram, bn the publia roads or upon any public worka of the ootmty;~and to pay euoh hair or euoh lags1 oost as aay have been so taxed, not lnaluding ~ommfsslons, the county judge shall Issue his warrant the Couhty Treasurer In favor ot th4 proper party, and the same shall be paia.ottt 0r the road sna 1 bridge fund or other tan&@ not othsrwleo uppro- priated."
.l+ia enolose heretith a copy of eonferenoe opln- Ion 130. O-83, whiah holds Bowe B-1 Ro.%W, Chapter 4W, Oeneral and Speofal Lews, 45th Leglelature, uuoonetitu- tiona$, urhlah opinion is here rererred to for all purpos48.
The ComaIssIoners* Court I.5 au adailnlstratlre . and quasi-judicial body. The Commleafonersf Court IO not body and does not hare the power to legIslat4. a law-aaklng
You a% respeatfully advised that it is 'the opluion of this Department that the order of the CmmaIssion- era' Court as above quoted in this letter Is lnralld.
Very truly yours
. G- ?B T%XAS
ATT- By @jfkctxg isslstant Wil-F:AW
TED:
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ATTORREY GEWRRAL OF TEXAS