Case Information
*1 ,
OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN
Honorable A. L. Xilbr /\ Countr Attornuy \ \ /----A\ neliton Couaty UeutOn, Texu
received and aare- ote from your re- fully oona Qubt u sollOl?rc
Justioe at th6 preolnot 2, aw3 , thue fines into the trearuru id. Pow th6 tioe or the a qualified up In preo. lo. 1, t. thu gualltled voter8 of eaah &e&e preolnat la thla *tote ohall eleot one ju8- tloe r0r the preolnot. &t El6 hW6 YOU O~iniOU aE t0 UhO0 ‘?hUe
th%8.$3.00, fO%! 6aOh OU6 Will belong to, OP t0 8n.y oat.=
Bonoreble A. L. Ullsr, page 2
Artiole 1052, Vernonts Annotated Taxes Cod6 Crlm- inal hoa4dw4, r4ed4 08 r0ii0v8r
%W66 Dollars ah&l be paid by thr oounty t0 the COUSLtJ &idJJU, Ol’ JUd46 Of the COUl't St Uw, and Two Dollsrs and fifty cents shall be paid bj th4 county to Justloe of the Ee4c4, for aah orUslns1 eotlon tried bnd ripally dls- posed of befor hUti. Provided, hovever, in that all counties hbving a population of 20,000 or less, the Justice of the Psaoe shah reoeivo a trial fm Three Dollars. Suah Judge or Justice -11 present to the Commlsslonsrs’ Court of his COwty at a rUgU.hP t4rrP thePUOf# a IWitt4I.I aO- oOunt r peolfyag l eoh 0rlc8ba.l aOtion in whlah hu e&lam suah ibe, certified by such Judge or Justloe to be oorreot, and filed with the County Clerk. The Commlssioners~ Court shall approve such rooount for suoh amount 88 they find to te torreat, and order a draft to be issued upon the County Trdesurer in Savor of swh Judge Or Jus- tio6 for th6 amoU!it SO approvud. Provided the Conmlssloner4~ Court rihall not pay any account or trial fees in any a886 trlsd and in vhlah an sc- quit$rl 1s had unless ths State of !bxss ves re- pmsntcd
IR thu trial OS sale awau by the County
Attorn4p, or his assistant, Criminal District At- torney or his esslstant, end the aertifioate of said Attorney is ettmhad to said amount certlfy- ing to the Sect that said eausa vas tr-54d, and State of Texas raa repreuntud, and that in i.li said hi8 $Ud@i6nt t&626 VSS SUffiOfUllt 4VidUllO6 a8use to demnd a trial of 8~~8~ (As amended ygt; 1 29, Illst Lsg., pa 239, oh. 104, i 11 Acts
# s 1st Lsg., 1st c. b., pa 155, ch. 55, t 1.)" Artlo 1011, Vernon's Annotated Tcxes Cod6 of Cr2.m lnal F!roc6dur6, reads a4 foll~vsr
“lo item of costs ahall br taxsd Sor a pur- ported 84rvlo6 vhich vas not prformed, or r0r a ssrvlce for vhioh no f64 is bxgrsssly provided by leu.”
Honorable A. L. Uller, pago 3
We quote Prom 4 Texba Jurlsprudena4, pegor 23 an6 24, as follasr
“1 a. -: P4yraCnt c$ Fine. - On6 who has psld a Pine esseassd agelnst him end oosts 5a th6 trial OOUPt 18 not 6IItiti6d t0 8pp681. %iU4 in &Xi Cmly ease it yes l eld that the defendant ‘hav5ag truat- ed the aatter as at an end, to peralt him, 8Pter having reoognfred judgment l (II valid end binding, tb to apply Par a now trial., end th5s being refused, to appeal, vould b4 entirely lnoonslatont.~ But no person other thar the dsftndmt a4n defeat his right to l ppsel by payLag th4 f5n6 urd oosts &a- sessed~ the l e~tlsiaotlon 0r th6 ppsal prevent em ooms from ths dsfondant must judgmnt [40] es to or Prom SOIW orw eot5ng by his euthority.” fro8 the opinion of th4 TaXas Court of Crlm-
Ye quote in.81 Appeals o&au of I5x Parte Van Koennerlts, P& 9. U. 987, es follovat
‘Thts 5s a dual action, in vhfch the applicant seeks ths vrlt habeas aorpus, releasing him Prom erreat, and also sseks 8 welt of proh5bltinn egatnst J. C. Burah, juxtloe of the peaoe of preclnot No.
6 of Trevfx oounty, Tex.~ 3%~ asks that YU issue e vrlt or prohlbrtlon pzwUblt5$q th6 meld J.C. BuMh, juatioe oP the peace as aforaeald, Prom trfiq h5# on a oertafn oaspla5nt rh56h has besa Piled againrt him 5n th6 justioe oourt over vhlch 66ld Burch ae att&aes a copy of th6 aasplaint un- prealdea. Qr vhloh he la held, and th5s oomplaint alleges that ou the 15th day of January, 1926, th e l ppli- bent, in Tr~ls aouty, did unl8Wfully and Tex., ullliully drive and operate a curtain motor vehiole along and upon 8 aertaln publ5a highway, to rlt, &long and upon South Congress evuwe. 8 str6et rlth- in the aoPparat4 15m5ts 0r Austin, Ttx., an lnoor- poreted eity,.at a greatsr rete sp44d than allea psr how, rtc.
“It 5s ap*llant*s aontentlon that the jus- tlse of the peeoe In prealnot 00; 6 1s vlthoui jur- lsdiptlon to try meld C&au, in vl4v of thu faot, es *4 Bonoreb& A. L. Roller, page [4]
l ppellmt oontends, that th6 offense uas oommltted, in Trevls oounty. We 5P at all, 5n preoimt Ro. . . ..~.&. da not egr6e vlth applloent@a oonzu~~mn umt ma6 elleged sntloipatsd trial of the 8 llasnt befor the juatiae court of precinct Ho. Fvould b6 8 am-6 Kim aatlou 5n the rvent of a trial, 5n nullity. uould not be void. Under the pleln our jumnt,
t4ras the statuts itself, ths jwtlau of pre- oinot go. 6 has jurlsdlct5on or the subjuat-Platter of th butt. hrticle 60, 1925 Revision C. C. P.
'If it be oonoedud that epplloont would have the right upon proper motion to h4v6 the car6 tram- Perred to the justice preoinot in which the alleged offuzue wourred, which question it 1s uun644ssarp to deolde.~ in thin cam, It oould still Pollov that such right rould not rem&r the trial of ths a&us4 just566 preolnct go. 6 void. Suppose the right t0 b6 tr led ill ~eOinGt Yh6r6 th6 OffUiU4 VW lfas undisputed, yut for SOS&S r4e.m~ l ppll- ooanitted cant should not sue fit to assurt this r5ght and should pleed gu5ltp in a justice oourt sltusted In a precinat diiferent from th6 on6 5n vhiah of- few6 we8 oommltted; oould it be cc&ended th&t 8 v4ll.d judgplent G.Otid not be l'Urder4d 4&4kut hiI4 u~1- der theso oondltlons? We think not. Thu Court of Civil Appeals in-this 8tet4 hss, u6 thiPk, correctly stated th6 rule es Pollovsr
“The word 'void* oau with no propriety be applied to s thing vh5ch l ppesrs to be souad, snd uh5oh uhlle in cx5stunac asa owmand and 4nPoroe rrspeot, and vhose infirmity Oaanot b6 smdo men5- f6St. U a judgnwnt rendered without in faot brlng- 5ng the defendants into court oannot bc l ttaaked co~terally on this ground un&ss th6 vsnt eu- thorlty over them app6ars on the ruoord, it 1s no mare void thaa if it uere founded upon a mere mla- oonccrption of am6 8sstt4r of lev or of Peat oaourring in the ex6roise of an unQu6st5oMb~ jur5sd5otion. In eltber 0886 th6 judgmat oezh bo l voldud and smd6 Punatus officio by ems4 ppropr~ete praaeedlag in- stituted far that purposej if not so &voided, but, muat be respected and enfor~ed.~ Dunn v. ‘Peylor, 42 Pex. Clv. App. 241, 94 S. li. 347.
lionorabls A. L. Miller, page 5
'!I316 antlolpated eotion of th8 ju8tiae of ths jnteau of preolnot Ilo. 6 being ln no event &ore than voidable, eppllosnt is not entitled to the rsllef sought. is well settled, in th5s stete
“*Tkw d&trine at 16ast, that if the pmG6ed543 'Under uhlah a per- son 18 held Gurtody 4ad restrahed 4S hi4 lib- arty 58 wraly voidable, hs aamot b4 releeaed 0G hsbees corpus, but must seek his remedy in SQPO Other msnuer. !fh6 OFdiJ.kbry mod4 Of 866kiq FSdr688 ega5rutevoldabls judgment 5~eorin5mlpro~eed- 5ng sould be by appeal. Th4 urlt of hab448 corpus uas wv4r dssigned to operate 88 a vrit of emor, a oertiorari, or es en appsel. ( Ex parts Bolend, Tax. App. 159; Xx part8 IhK6y, 82 T4x. Cr. 8. 221, 199 8. Y. 637; Ex part6 J&pan, 36 46x. Cr. R. 462, :tlti U. 43, and many 08888 oltsd in thes4 author-
. “The tmttur in oontrovsrsy being oa4 ln which the justicru of the p6aGe has jurladlotion of the subject-m6tter Involved, Ye 0ll.l not deoidu Quaa- tlons of praotloe 5n aa aatlon this charact4r that mag erise on thr trial of th6 0444 As stated by Judge Eendeimm 5n Xx parte Yindsor il)ex. Or.
Appp.) [78] 9. Ii.-310:
'We vi11 not essum that th4 oourt below Vi13 not properly admfnfster the lau, and will not de- t4rm5ne questiims presunted to it, proper 8anner.Q in 8 legal aad
- ‘For reasons l bove stated, the vrlt of md ths vrlt of prohibltlon ar6 both ii~~ido~rpus .
hd6r the Paots stated the dla4 shoot6rs pleaded guilty to th4 justice of th6 peeas of preeiaot go. 1 and paid their flms, th6 08868 b6ing dOCkUt46 and Plled fs juSti pre- cinct x0. 1. Under Ex psrte Van Xoenaeritc bove 65t6d such juagmnts vert. not void far t&s justlae preolnat ma. 1 had jurisdiutlon. Also dice &motors hat- paid their f5nes oouki not appeal the aaaes. It 5s our op5n5oa that the justlo *6 Honorable A. L. Willor, page
of the pea06 of preoinot No. 1 vho aooepted the plea8 of gum ie entitled to the foes provided by Artlole lO!j2, V.A.C.C.P., 8 upra .
It 18 our further opinion that the the juetioe peace of preoinot No. 2, not having tried the oaeee, le not entitled to any feee vhatever la the matter.
In this oomeotlon ve vl.eh to oall to your attention the provieione of House Bill 342 OS the 48th Iagialature of Texas, efiectlve Auguet 10, 1943. Ye quote from Volume 5j Ver- non’s 1943 Texan Seeeion Lev Servloe, 48th Legislature, Eegular Seerion, pagee 424-425, ae follave~
?3e it enacted by the Legislature of the State of
Texae t
“Section 3. Blo person shall bo tried in any misdemeanor oaet tn any Justioe Prsolnat Court ex- oept in the preolnot in vhloh the offenee vae mm- mitted, OF in vhioh the defendant reeides; provided that In any miedemoenor case in vhioh the offenee wae aomultted in a preolnot vhere there ie no quali- fied Juetloe Preclnot Court, then trial shall be had in the next adjacent prcoinot in the came county vhloh may have-a duly queiliiied Juet&oe Preolnct i Court, or in ths precinct may reelde; provided that in eng euoh mfedetrmanor ln vhloh the defendant cane, upon disqualiiioation Juetlcee OS the Peaob in the preoinot vhere the of- for any reae0n at all fense vae oommltted, l wh eaec may be tried ln the next adjoining preoinot in the came oounty, having a duly qualified Juatioe of the Peaoe; pxovided that, upon aweement between the attaFney repre- eentlng the State and aoh defendant or hle attor- ney, vhioh said agreement ehall be reduced to vrit- lng, eigned by said attomey repres3ntbg State and each defendant OF hle attorney, and filed ln the Justice Court in which euoh misdemeanor aaee ie pendkng, the Justice of the ?eaoe before vhom euoh oae8 ie pending ebey, in hi8 dieoretion, tranefer euoh cauec to the Juetioe Court of my other pre- clnat in the same county, naacd in euoh agreement; *7 Bonorable A. L, JUller, page 7
provided that in any mledemeanor Case in the Jue- tloe Court in vhioh tvo (2) or more defendente are to be tried jotntly, such aaee may be tried In a Juatloe Court of the precinct vhere tha offense vae coaanitted, or where eny of the defendants reelde.
3eo. 1-A. No ooneteble shall be allowed a fee in any mledeeceenor cae8 arising In any precinct other than the one for which he has been elected or appointed, exoept through an order duly entered the County Comaleeionere Court. upon the Minuteqpf “Sec. 1-B. Any Justice of the Peaoe, Constable, Deputy Conetable, Shariff, or Deputy Sheriff either elected or appointed, Violating any provision of this Aot shell be punished by fine of not leer then One Hundred Dollare ($100) nor more than Five Bund- red Dollars ($90) and shall be eubjeot to be re- moved from offloe by action brought ln Dletrlot Court for that purpose.
‘sec. 2. All lava end parts of laws In aon- fliot herevlth are hereby repealed to the extent of such conflict.
%ac. 3. The fact that many persane are daIlg being proeecuted for mIsdemeanora In Juetloe Courts distances from their hoezee and from at oomiderable the preoinets for the purpose of inducing such peruone to plead which the offcneee Vera committed, guilty, creates an-emergency and an Mperative pub- 110 neoeeslty that the Conetltutional Hule requir- lng bills to be read on three several days in ea& Hsuee be euepended, and said Rule is hereby euepend- ed, end this Aot shall take effeot and be in foroe fr om and after Its passag e, and it 18 so l naote&
“Paaeed the House, April 7, 19431 Yeas 125, Rays 181 passed the Senate, April 29, 1943, by a viva vote vote.
“Approved May 6, 1943.
‘Effective 90 days after May 12, 1943, date of adjoixl7eent.”
Honorable A. L. Wller, page 8
Uhen House Bill NO. 342, eupra, beminer effective CZI August 10, 1943, it vi11 control insofar se the filing of ale- demeanor complalnte in justice oourte are ooncerned.
Trusting that this eatlefeetorily am&r& your in- quiries, ve are
Very truly yours WE. J. Penn- Aeeietant