Case Information
*1 . * 616 . OFFICE OF THE AlTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS , AUSTIN ho.- -em
Honorable &nmr Oarri8on. Jr.
Direotor Dspartaent of Pub110 Safety
bUStAIl ( Texas
Dear'Slr:'
This Xvlsion ent oi Public Safety would great1
your orfioa on the
ving while intori- assessed penalty % llol?nes was not am- 20, the new DriYer's Lloanse olguatnrr of amending Art- 24. paragraph in ease of enumrated in 24 of this Aot, and senteaoe of oourt harfag been t?uspsndQd as provided In the Statutea, suah suspended seutenoe shall not mitigate mJalnst the suspension of the operator'n, oomerolal operator!Q,: or ohauf- lioensa of the person conoiotod.' few18
Xonorsble Romer &.rrlson, Jr., ?ace 2 Ye are in reoelpt o? a report the fro3
Cregr, County District Clerk ahouing that said defendant oomitted the ofionas o? dririn& whila intoxlaated on data a? April 22, 19&l., and was convioted ?or this of?ense, a charge of drlting while intoxloatod, on date o? Hay. 3, 1941. being assessed penalty o? 2 years suspiaded santenoe.
“1. The oiianse ~:a$ co.mitted hsf?re tba new Law beoamemiivc for said oiiense after
*2. Conviottd new Law became e??eomeT Is ths driver's license BUspend- yuestlon:
ed as provided in Section 24 paragraph (o)?” ‘The 47th Legislature enaotcd .::ouse Bill :,I:,. 20, &c. 24, Auto=tlc suspension o? lloinse: ‘.
“(a) The lfomse of any person shall be automatically SUSpended upon rinal Omviction of any or the ?ollotvlni; orrensos:
“1. . . .
“2. Driving a motor vehiole while under the lniluenae of IatorfoatinC liquor or narootio drugs;
0 . . . .
Yea. 25, (0) For the purpose o? this Act, the terni *ooniriotion’ shall mean a rinal aonvio- .&JO, for the purpose oi this Aot, a fur- tion. of ball or aollaterel deposited to se- feiture oure a dniendant’s appearance In court, whioh ?or?eiture has not been moated, shall be equir- alent to a convlotion.
“Provided, however, that in mat o? aonvlo- tion ?or any of the oticnses emmernted in para- iTrnph (a) of Section 24 of ti:ls tct,
Eonorable Honor Garrison, Jr., Page 3
and the sentmoe of the court heving been suspended as provided in the Ltntutes, such suspended eentenoe 4hall not mItIfxts af&ust suspension 06 the operator's, comercial llcenae or the per- operator's, or ohaurrenr's aon conv1ot4a. * .i is derlned by Nsbster'a ilm Intar- “Mitl‘:>ats’~
netioual Dlotlonsry, 3eoond Edition, as: "1. To render or beooze mild or zIl.ier; 2. To noderate; t0 mak8 or be- to i30niry. co56 less severe, violent., fleroe, cruel, In- tcnae, halgh, rigorous, painz'ul, eta.;
soften; oqmx+e; zlioratt; dl~lnish; lessen; ts?per; as, to xltlgate hoat or cold, grief, I ..a puhIshm8nt or nn r?ffenss.W '.
Your letter edvlscs defendant comitted th3 orrense OG April 22, 1941. ti:i ,iprll 1941, :;ousc i3ill :I?. 20 becam ef;'aatIve.
Art. 13 of the i'enal Code of Texas reads: "yihen the penalty for an Off8n4e Is pre- saribed by one law and altered by a subsaquent law, the penalty of such seuond law ehall not be infllated ror an orienoa oomittod before In every the eeoond ahell have taken effoot.
case the aooueed shall be tried under the law in force when the Orr8n48 was oomltted, and If convlated punished under that law; except that when by the provisions of' the second law the punlelment I4 meliorated he a:iall be pun- Ishad under the eaoond unles4 he elect to re- ceive the penalty presoribed by the low in force when the offense was comalttod.*
It Is clear to us that the legislature intended thst the license be suspended If the d8fendant is OxWiCt8d 'This , '~8 believe, is true and draws a sus?end:cd .sentsuou. *4 Xonorable E0ner Garrison, Jr.,'Pa&e 4
des ite the uce of wxds "final aonviotion" in Sea.
24 a). P
The penalty Is not aaallorated by the smandzent to Art. i%f37a, but on the oontrsry ia iuoroasad. Applyincz :Lrt. supra, your question must be.gnswered that the detendant's lioanss Is not suspended b‘bcause of a oonvlo- tion art8r 8ff8atiV8 date 0r the amendment ror he must Lava been tried und8r the law in foroe at th8 time the oftenee was commItted. Yours v8ry tNlY
APFEOVED &A'