Case Information
;.. :;; PRICE ,,k.lIEL. ‘: : ~: :’ “:‘.‘:I :’ _ ATfORWEYGENBRAJ. “, ‘. ,:' " Febrma,ry li,'.lg47, ,;,I, 1.~1. ":$';:.,;"'! .:. # :~ ! I~ .j ,.:,. .~ :, : , i ,:: Hon. Thom& E. Hayden;‘J& 1 Opinion No. k-08 ,Dlatrlct Attorney
42nd'DlstrSct ,-~ .~,. ,.. ,.,~;.,,;~,~:ry.,Re g ,.Authorlty for ls- Abllene, .Texas ,~;;~ ',:-'~,,;:,'~:,',:.~l.; ,,.z , yj BuwlC9 and form of!.; 'L, ,,&~;'),, :?-.~.:.. writ by Court to
::,i:c .i ') ,: .-':,'., procure attendance or collv1ct as wit- ‘Le. “Aa .D&lct: A&oi.ney of’ the 42nd Ju- ~[i’;;,~z~;!., ‘-
Texas, Ihaveaoaseto .~ ~,edlclal Dl~trlc~f'~~.of be tried ln"'&%h a,materlal wltneas ls'noji- !.!:.'j.:.~ .:i conflned.to~the State Penitentiary at Hunts-.~::- ~,..
,.,~vlIle; and I.have wrltten,the'Texas Prison . .._ l;+ .,System at Huntsville asking what papers they.:,, .::-.
require in order to release him to 'the Sher--'. :,' - lff of Taylor County so that he might appear .,as a~wltness. ..The authorities at:Huntsvllle .wrote‘ our department on or about..$eptember,..,,,: .I ,23, 19 6, In whlch.they recelved.8' reply ln..iiz~ ;...: . . . I:., :‘:-..,..I Opinion Number O-7426, as follow%: I :#I: ,:;. ~.~. ;I.:: 'The Texas Prison System.authorl-,:' +,.,;....,.: ties may release a prlsoner.for trial i: ,' or'as a material wltnesti on the fur-
qlahlng of a,bench warrant.' :,- : : "It 'la my understanding of ,the law that:,:!~'-:.~:T '.a.bench warrant can only be Issued for the. ;~ :i
defendant, and I know of no rule of law that ,' ,,; ". would permit a bench warrant. for a witness.
I would like for you to advise me concerning this matter. It Is my opinion that If a sub- poena with attachment was Issued that the witness could'be released to the Sheriff of, .J Taylor County, who, In return; would take ,-- the prleoner back to Huntsville after the trial. Please advise me concerning this
Hon. Thomas E. Hayden, Jr., Page 2~' ' T
"matter.' If I cannot obtain this witness;
then I will have to diaml33 pend1ng.y~ the case now It Is wlthln.the power of a court to compel. -. -. the attendance as 8 witness of 8 person conslnea In State prison when It appear3 to the 38tlsfactlon of the court that such.attelidsnce 13 necessary. 70 C.'.J; 41, 'Wltnessea",~ Sec. 14; 18 C. J. S. 110,. "Convicts", Sec. gb.
The'power was'lmplledly recognized ln'.Lee v. Statb;~70 3. W:(2d) 190, by the Court of C&mlnal Ap-. peals, wherein the process was termed a "bench war- rant". 3~
That the court msy issue writs and process not speclficallg described or In situations not ape- clflcally contemplated.by statute ls~expressly recog-'~ nized in Ex Part& Low&, 251 S'. W. 596,. bg.the Court of Criminal Appeals, wherein a warrant Issued by the . . . Court dlredted tc the Sheriff of McLennan County corn-' mandlngdellvery of a defendant charged In Hill Coun- ty to. the Sheriff of'Hll1 County to,the end that de- fendant might b&present and attend his trisl .in the District Court'of Hill County was held to be within the powers-of the District Court of Hlll.Cqtity.
There the defendant was In custody"under a~'charg~.Of lunacy-in McLenna~ County. &d the wrl,t,was~,t~rmed a "Bench Warrant .
We doubt that it matters'whether the writ be termed a "bench warrant' or ati "attachment." We are also ofthe opinion that's subpoena Is not nec- esssry snd that the writ may Issue upon determlna- tlon by the court that the witness Is required In / order to attain the ends of justice.
This Department by Oplnldn oW26 held, In, the 38me authority, that the Texas Prison System might release a~prlaoner 88 a material witness upon the furnishing of'.a "bench warrant' in form attached to that opinion. We 'are :enclosing,a :copy ,oi :O-7~426 ,:, I ..-a _'~... with the form attached. ".i .,.. ,\ >.. SUMMARY.. ; .; I -'
_, ..; Court'may Issue wrlt'~dea'lgtied to pro,-. '. cure attendance br an inmate,,! a .?+ate :~ .. 0
/ : '. *3 Hon. Thomas E. iiayden; Jr., Page L
Penitentiary as:8 witness.. In a pending ', criminal sction,*and~no~ subpoena Is net- .
esssry. .' ,I!. Very truly yours
r i ..I . . : ATTORMEfGEIWi OF TEXAS ! ,.' .* .':. g&j-J ~.
I BY _. : a Hed~McDaiiiel . 't ""‘ ; Assistant '. I I ..: .': MM:jt ,: . Enc. 1
ATlkiEYGEN&&'OF TEXAS <.
'APPm~.'OPIEIIOH;COMM~~,,BY &f.Ei., czAIRMAM ! . .r ; ‘_ i. . I r_ . .~ .
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