Case Information

*1 OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY CENERAL OF TEXAS

AUSTIN

l ntly reeoir od a 44mplalnt urabae4d on4 44rd 4f w4M r a quanMty ol or d4lirorillg ,wwttl whioh hr ^[00] tPh4 ml- t qwted. boon the grioo whloh had bolng on. oord and eoll~6~ f4r

"In the 15&S of the S~OVO rxplanatlon, rhould a ooznplaint be filmd umlar Artiole 1087 for rol.lii+g rosontsd 0r a oommodlty, 1~3s~ than the quantity r4 11 you please propare Xor j Snd ii 80, wi totit: ~3od *2 Beprt3nQnt or Agrioulture, Page %

this Dqwtment the pro~or form complaint ta

be f&l&?

*Ii the oomplalnt should be file4 uuiler ~0 other statute, pleme adriu ana alro turn- irh w with the proper f~xm oomplalnt under that 8tatute.*

Artiolo 102!7, Vernon*8 Annotated Pen61 do&e, reaQs u f4&wO:

Tal8e weight8 anb rnea~ure~~ - llny perron rho, by hlmseif or by his urvaat or a ent ai

anothot pe~on, shall offer or oxpoee # or mle,

eefl,we, or rotain in hia poarw8ion ury rel*e wet tr or rmwurea, or w4ighing or meuuri~

de7 ous. $31 the buying es arUin@ of any eamma- f"

lty’or thing or in oalouLat2ng or mrasuri~ 8er- vi44 or in the 64t4rainati4iI or weight or meuure when a oharge la m84e fsr ruoh detenaiaati~a, or rho rhau ul8pom Of any oondmaned mmlea, *i(Fhtr, m4wurem or w4ighiag or mmmring awi0r 44atrm-y to lawl or MIO #hail rel,ll 6r offer tw exgoae for skl4 leas then the quantity he rrprwento af say omai~~ity, thing or 8oflLoe. or s&&12 take or at-

tempt to take more thrn the quaatity hs reprountr 4i any aommo41tys thing or r)ervie*, when, a*, th* buyer or weigher of MY oomamdity, he furnl#he8 the weight. nmaa~ura, or weigliiag or mwauring &a- vioe by meana of w&Rlfoh the awunt o? any o@mmad- trhlng, or eervier is determinotlj or who rhall SP:,: ity, ~11 4r b)ff#m ror aale, or tm or kwe in hir pos- aeulon for the purpose of relling wsing, any dolor or Iniatruwnt to be orrsd to or ealoulat6d t4 talnifp and weight or wesuTej @hall be ul2fy ot a ralsdeineanm, and shall be puniahsd by a "i ine OS not lem than $%O or ame than $100, upon the iiclrt oaa- riotlon in any oourt of oomp*tent juriOai0ti44: 444 trpoa & seoond or Bubsequet oowlotion in ssy oourt of owpetent juristllotien he mha3.1 be ponle,hwl by a fine of not lorm than #I50 OT more than #%08,*

Artiols 103'?(e), VormzI'4 Ann&~tOd Penal Godr, pro- rides thatr

'Dsiinitiona. -. The anrtl *person* as we4 in this Aot shall be aonstrued to import the plural *3 Department of Agrloulture, Page %

and singular, a8 the ease demands, and ehalL ln- oompaniss, societies, an& aa- elude oorgoratione, aooietlons. The uorde 'weighta, measures or (and) weighing and nearrurlng devises' as us& in this

Act, shall be oonstru$d to include all weights,

8cdlea, beams, measures of every kinU, instruments 6na meohemlu~ dsvi01~ for weighing and meeourin and any applia~&~ and aooessorlem eonneat& wit it any OF all euoh~tnatrumants. The word *self* or

*sale' as used in this Act, shall be construed to lnoluds barter and exohange. The term *false

wel.ght or measure, or weighing arid measuring de- rioeel 1' shall be oonatrued to mean any walght or mamaure whloh doea not oonfow to the UnfteQ States Btandaxds of weight of measure or any wslghiag or meaanrlng devlee whloh close not gira uorreot re-

eulte or immanipu3.ated to give lnoornot remits in tsnnrs of'Qnltad St&w Standards of weight or meatsure.*

Artiole lO4%, Vernon’s Annotated Penal Code, reads as rollow~:

TBailure te regard unit ot mmfmmo - w&4- ever in buying any oaneodity or artiols of ptaperty, merohandlso or prWluee, the standard w&&t taf v&hfeh per ,bushel or bamfel, or divisible merohantable or by the of a busthel or barrel, 44rU qr t\utpaat~i~ by ths lam of ton or ou la pgxd, has been rid this State, ehall take any greater number of poondr thereof to the bushel, barrel or cubic yard, or 6ivis- iblo merohanteble quantity Oi buehel, barrel, eubi0 yard or linsal yard, or in selling rtny or the same, shall give any less number of pounds thsreor to the bushel, barrel, oubic lineal yard, or dlvioible merohantablc quantity of bushel, barrel, oubio or lineal yard than la allowed by the laws ot thia

Stats, with intent to gain an advantage thereby, rhall be fined not less than twenty nor more than two hun- drlsd dollars.*

Artiole 1037, aupra, mike6 it an orrense for any peraon, who, by himself or hte em@oysa or agent, or as the employer or agent of snother , shall use in the buying or sel- ling of any commodity or rstain in his possession a false

I ’ Wqartment of d&culture, Foga 4

weight or meaauxe, or weighing or measuring instrument. This statute further makes It an ol'fsnso for any person to

use OF he70 in hla p~sswa,ion r0r the purpose of selling or using,any ilevioa or inrtrument to ba used. or oalaulatad to, fnlsify any weight or measurea Olaarly under ths faots sat out, there Is no rlolatlon ol Artlale 1057. There ara no hota under the above mantfoned situation mhewlng that talae weight8 or nmamtrw wer6 weu in the buying or adlfng of any oalPrradity, neither were false weight.8 or measures wed or had In the pos8#alon ot tha party l.n question far the puxgose of selling or wing any devloe ur in8trumsnt to be used to, or oaloulateQ to, Salalfy any wal.ght or meas-

Artiole 5954, T8rnon*a Annstated Uitil Statutes, pro- %s in part thatr

Vhenevar any oonmoditp la #old by the oord, it shall maan 128 oubio tee&. the aontento of a rpaoe 8 feet lmg, 4 feet wltb, and 4 teat hi& $+jg *aI

We quote irum Tear furiaprubenoe, Volume 44, pagr 516, 88 to11uws:

mOe~~ the 8tatote. it hw b4an he&a that a oord 1~ a~%simmre oi *ood bontalnlng 1868 aabio feet e ora etherwI8o expr~~8e&, %t is a pile ot woo4 B is& long, 4 feet tide, and 4 feet high, However, tha law &a8 not rfnquire thrt, In order h0 a8eurtain that a quantity Of wood 8@1d 18 a OBrd, OX any multiple there- of, it Shall be pleoed in a piI8 Or 8uoh dia6nsfian8) anp other meemnwnent or pile that oontalns a full' oord. 8atfsfies the~8tatut6.R Saoks Y. State, 204 9. W.

450.

Under the above rtated facts, ws ar8 OS the opinion that the complaint oould not be filed under Artlole 1057, supra, but should ba flleU under Artlale 1042, Vernon'8 Annot- ated Penal Code.

With rsr8renoe to a form oomplalnt, wa wuuld re- speotfully refer you to kow No. 462, page 280, of Wilson's Texas Orimlnal Forms Annatat&, whloh form wa believe the propsr form for a sonplaint undsr the abuts Ptatibd faate, and Artlole 1042, aupra.

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