Case Information
*1 OFFICE OF THE A-HORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN *2 player reoover eny part or portion or the money arter ceixure?
-3. 'ih3t is the etatus of money eeized id
@mbllng devices? '4. 'Shat dis.gositioa MJ be lawfully made of
maney seized in @mbling 4eviou'p"
After diecwaiou of each of the above questions you anewer the first in the Ciriraatlte, the meoond ip the negativeg to third that the xaomy Is in outattodir le~ia, and to the fonrtk that the court oould om
m0ney &iSylied t0 spy or fiOS UW@ -
(a) Charitable instltutionat
(b) To the state r0r 8pdri0 urea;
(0) Tot;; oounty to be rteed am ordered by the (d) To any uauee that Is beaotolent in itn
nature; (e) To any oauw that would be bemsfiolal to
t&e yublie et large. You indicate ytmr belief that a writ of mndemus muld lie to aompel the various dlstxiot judges entering judgments aa above referred to, to proceed to enter a further ‘brder disposing of the momy NW held by the olerk, for one of the ,x~poses nmaed by you.
Chapter Sir of Title ll of the Pea&l Code, 1926, nitb awadments thereto ewriee the statutory prohibi- tions and provide the rwasdiae against ganring Zn Texan.
Provision is made through Arti0lea 6358 to 658 for the @~ppTpre~tsiori of violationS, end the WiWre, OOndS~atiOn or pr0prrty uwd r0r gaming purposee. and daetruation Pbe peflinent statutrs, and the ouly ones we here been able rind tnaiceting the di8pooitioa of prqmrtf la* fully mlzed, ore Artroles 556, 5S9 and 638 ai the Funs1 coae .,
Article 6% require0 the afrioer serving 6 aeorch warrant file a returu on same, with a liet of pc;-perty seized designating the place of seizure SIXI nfi’3-3 Gf 0wIlOr or >8rS0ll irGXz!whCm pOSiS48.4iOn was tXk4C. Thee notice met be issued and served on either omnding appearaoae the omer or parson in :aess44ion vdthln a designsted time, not less than fire day8 frcm date of ismama, b ahow cauee why the seized a&l- cles shm~lld 3ot ba destropsd.
.kct:c1e 637 is here quoted in fall: "fat. 637. mmOy4a a Grd4r 0r OOut. PC- *If u?an a heerfw of the w.tter rofezrod to in the preoeding artioi4, the juctilce 0r the pmico, aoontp judqe or dletriot judst,, before uhoz the cause is pecding shall deter-~ mine that the prop4rty seizsd is 6 tpt3ifq table or bank or Is used 88 equipment or pare- phernelia for a t;a_mbling house, and wee being ueea r0r ganing 3~~~0440, ha shall cmbsr 84.434 to be destroyed, but any part of aeta mar, by or&r or the court be held as eoldenoe to'ba used in ang ease until oaaa is finality dis- posed of. Froperty not~of that oheraotQr or not no used'shall be ordered returned to the person entitled to pons4eaion of th8 sasm. %?h* within not lasll ~thur fiftecln nor 1~02-8 orrioer than thirty dayn rrw tlia~,wtx-y 0r said or&m shall destroy all prop&& destructlo~ of wbieh haa been ordered:;J&y the court, unless tke omer, lessee or pstiacut entitled to posserr- sian under thie hu; shell, b4rort the deemto- bh Or said gTOp3Z%pl file 6Uit t0 3%3OTSr seas .m
In 1933, by the dets of the Irortp-fourtfi l.e&is- ltlture, begalar Se4sion, Qhapter 803, p. 490, SotIon 8 wes added to &&.ole $39. W quota Seotlon E P.B added3 *See. 8.. If upon 4 h4arH..np; of the nrattsr
refclrmcl to in Artlala 636 Fenel Code of Texns (lQZ3) the juretloe Of tb4 p6aO4, aoWlty jU&r?;rt or district judge before *Ihas &hu cause is *4 Jmndfng &all d8t8min8 that the prqmrty seized, or any part thereat, is not gambling paraph8rAblia pew m, but that the aam OT any pert there& uas used a@ aquipmnt QT para@8rnalie ior e gtmbllng house and was b8iAg uead for ganlng wur 0808 and that said propsrty is eapablb or be ng used tar scam P legal purpoma, he mny, in his dl8oretion, by
ord8r ai the court deolare the sass8 OQdi8Wt- a4 and oauee the muse to be doliversd to ths stata or ~xim, or any Qoliticdl aubaiviaion thereor or to 8ay State institution to bs kept by it fW its iW!.l U88 end banefit.
me oftioer shall e!mw by tits r8tPm t&8 0r *a property Emde by hia whiah biSpOSitiOA .with tks 0zrdsr8 ~h0n ba IA 0aat~111512~6 0r tht3 aQurt."
The mergenay alaaae Ot the enmndetaxy bill, d6AOtiAs; th i8&&8tiV8 iAt8A$, rU8it8# -4sMSiioA by peaae effieera throughout TWYSS of ~*cAaira, tablea, oarpt8anu other kindsor furdtun 0r th40 value of theumnb8 of bolle~a~ nhioh, *us&s the present law ;Illt8t b8 held rm 8vid8AM or Usotroyed by en or&r ar lForhbxw la tha A& 8-e the LS&I&- the Oouti,f eta. ttvs eVid0A48 0Ay il%fHIt tQ di0m8 Of tb% ZKJXUJ0 CtBW.
telnml in ge 88~rios0 0s panaphmnalia,
ArtdQZ6 as3 gxmt6 the right 5r 6ny parsaan in- ter8ste8 in or sntlttsd to prapertg ssiwd, to tixy the table. or iv!@. or whether web pm rty is e apdng bank or deriw, QOP warn 08 3 es equipment or porffphema- liaoi any@ublin(3 home* rnd to rewver the samou~on a ravorable detsrrdmtian th0reoi.
XA .OuT bIY%&tigatfQA Or tb.6 ;JAeStibAs., .~y6:-8ifi8r..i a leOtar t3pi~lon wrivben by k0elskmt Attarney Qpbxal IL L. Willirord lm Roaorable JII~,Izodgi~8, Cour~t~ Aliter- My et i&loMh, T6xes Qa Au&t-b ,& ~19s%, IkdAing that the propr aoastxwcrtion or ~xti& 6SsI, Penn1 Code, 8u@ra, OO~telning thb l&iqw~ %Qp6tty not at fhet, Oharecter or not 80 plsQd e&a21 bs oxWra& mturmd %Q per6~t.t astimid to porimaaiaa at th6 -~ema ,* woulU raadsr it proper to hers cha oaurt entar BP ura0r ia *5 t&a procseding inetru0ting bh8 sheriil to return ths HOll8y to th0 m50fl f%OSl WhcS the pOEZi8lSSiOll Or Qt9&8 was taken “inaamah ~8 the xomy fs not a gming tab16 or bank, *quipsant, or paraphamalla for e ~ambll* hourn." o&?iAiOA8, Attorney Cklaaral, Vol. %a,, (htter p. aeel.
IO the cam 0r Atterney cxmsral v. Justlcse of tb miaipai court 0f the city 0r Boet0n, m3 ftat3d. 456 (&a~. Ct. Ease. 184Q) it a?peara that e search war- rent was isatmd out 0r th4 numic;lpal cawt, an6 upon its sxeaution a quantity of gaabling Carapharnalia wta wlm4 such a8 *one f'aro table, one lay-out, one 8+nf- The 2kfm48humtC;e S6atut6 providsd~ r0r 6ha wizen and U*struatioa at famicig apparatus a* i&e-
meat0 and far aeaU~etioa emI sale of otbnr grrraonal proparty eeieed at *a atsac t&m and fmxutha sesin ~?F+Xs1088, wes far aandeurm8 require tki The prooeebing
rrcaiaipel court to proma to ar6ar th4 ds*tmution of the gsJing agjwmk6u~ a08 iwndsa3netlon of otrzar prsonel
Th8 ju&ps ofthamn1l3ipa1cowttook the ssm, although tha werrant wa$ iamt8d by them. The Supreme Court hsld that fgmbig a;parattU and lap&- the mast8 could be daetroyed end otbdr pewtonal pro&MT- 6y eo~ademnsd snd sol4 &r buti wit& pxaper' not~bw xefwenoe to rmmy in the iem bank, km awrt aaldr
536 wm be- opsratad in the plairrtiti*s ;lace OS busi- new, aad coctsined mormy t&at had baen played ther6in, ~e~d soleed by deputy sheriffs, and msohines uera be-
operated in viol&ion of lea et the tiras they were M zed, it was held that ;leiatifit aould re0.0~~ from the brsputisa the mormp contained in the rnaohine8 at the the of aeienm. TM oourt mid the mney vmd) not bad," that “it8 ordinary and austomary uBo ~i&mMSy is not only lawful, but in met eeeea absolutely neoee- 8axy.w Be quote furtherr
V&I have no statute that provides tar its ooadmnxati~ or oonfisaation. Where the plr- pose and ordiaaxy iuse ot pxspexty is lswful, the plaintiff In aueh a oaae MJ the 0110 at bar is entitled to here hia proparty reetorsd m returned to him * + * It is well established that, rhila law will not lend its aid to one or the parties to an illegal transaction or oontract, the rule baa appliaation a6 be- tween the iwmdiate partfee only, and cue in poeeesaion ot th6 fruit8 o? exa illegal tseim- aotion or oontraot to az?ioh he UESSI not a.pw%y aamot invoke the rule. I, * * l
In the caee ot lbrrell Y. Clark 90 Kant. 566, 4P. (26) 7l.2, 7W Ar~L.B.lCfiC, &yyi% in yomX oitd brief, the ehsriri of Wheatland County mleod tro~#lat meahines n::ioh bed been installed in t.he plelntifS*a place oi bQaim6e under an agroesmntthat he would ay to the amsr e pamontage or the saomy taken in, slli arrested the plain~tiff, who pleaded &uilty to the chargs of operd.ng them. The acurt oxdexed the saahinea ds- etroyed and any monef ioand la thaw to be depooited with the clerk OS the omzrt. After the dsrrtxuotlon of machiner, 8a41.85 we ao deposited end on refu8el of the clerk to tamit the mazley over him, plaintiff to recover the isoasy 80 deposited, WWA broup?;ht suit one judge disseutLne;, the Eupxwm Couxt or Kcmtaaa~ held that, while thx+ etatut% eathori?$n& the seimre end de,- struotlon of slot nsoblnee did k~#t authorize the eeiaure Of ao~ly 88 8UOh, t&J Shetiff t%$¬i WXdIdf t~i ~F~~ltS in oarryin~ away the aonsy fmnd Lu ths ~rpaehiuee, and that the plaiatifii coald net reoover it l.n (LB- aotion fox that puzrgOSQ* wita refemuas ta the Beham rul4 u
xo~. 3. a. t:om1asy, PS@ 7
later mm:z~oed by the Claorg#a Oourt in CGzcppell v. Stapl6ton, suyxa, the opinion points Q& that the foota of the Fllegal enterprise af c+perriting the elut rpcpohinae wura neereeerll 618010twd tc th4 court by the plPin- tiff In attempt ng to m&e a prims faah ~$0. Wm f quotrt
wnls the ppJlntE$f, edmitting a8 Yiolation of t?..e law, asked thekid OS the very aowt ohmgod with duty of g9alahln$ that viola- tion, and okioh bad pertorsnd that auty Zn 840~xln(i the rat8 0f hia tdia~, *pih hs mlmittod &e *ioUd not be l ntltled to rota& under #a la+, had he reduced the aam to pan- ae5Siozk. l I + m Plai&iff aeaerts that tba geartal ml* is
that illsgality crmnot M set up by ti third peram, tit is otiy available to a p&y to II. acmtmot (IS c. J. 5008) g but ha .i.d2o t0 mtb3 thet the kxt msdrr Vhic rn]Jsim ofaottree to au sx0epticm, where it in attempted euhjeot to assert rights base4 oa tlm ocratraot.~ striat- ly qetklng, there la 00 00mtxeet haxa inTQlTeu; rabrely seek8 the aid of aou%?t to, plaintitf mduoo to ~sssaion tb agofl.8 of th 18.~'~ violrtioa." __ ¶%e KaHsaaa Cosat by a%gmes latqpxage, did not pass uJ?uQ the UltLiPurba disgooiti6ri of the mo.wy, rxa wita4bastha rK&bwfn@lus(iae~~
53t EQB. E. Q. &Toaeley, Fags 8
tramaation and seoure to the violatar the
zxuitll of CiS outlnwry."
While we haoe been unsbla to find anj'Tazas br- oision equaraly in point, we bslleva~cartain lanmag@ used in the 08~ of Cam~ball Y. Eood 55 S. Vf. (23%) 93, (Cum. App.) applicable to tha pxdplas hare under amslderation, In that oaee the eouxt denied raaovery for aomniasions on the aale of real estate, *hare a oor- poration ritbcmt power to do so mada a oooltraot of pur- Gh-0. Tha OpiBiOn revlere s?Uly daoiaions, dieous8ing the prlnoiplase involved, of whiah the tollowing la a typical axampler
Ttt is a aelntary prinoipla, unlvaraelly a~~llad, that a court will dacliw to land ltr aid to a parson seeking oompensatioa fox the doing of an aat rhiah riolntee the publio
polioy of tha state as oxgreasly deolared by
tha law muldng power. A obar etatamnt of
thla principle in tlmt &iron by tE8 Supreme Court of the United States IQ Bank of United stetas v. OwenIL, 8 Fat. 656, 7 L. Ed. 508,
wharela it is saldr
-%a oouxt 41 jostfca cu5 in it8 naturn
be made thea E&ndE8id or Iniquity. ceurfr we in~itutad to saw into atiaot tbs
lava of a country;how aeatha than be-
come auxiliary tQ the ContmlnmR ion of x
yiolatiorm of law7 * l * There can be
513 oiril right, whore them CWJ ba no
lapel remdy; and tbera can be no lags1
remmdp, for that whioh la itself Illegal.'
*A&a,tha 881118 oourtin Cappall r,HdLl, YUall.~,SS59,19 L.=d. 24& reaftinmd
this ,ilootr2na in the baa of this langmqa:
rake prinaiple to be axtraated from
all eases 16, that tb6 law will not
lend its support to a alaim faundsd
npcwa its tiolstion*'=
lion. ?L. 0. !,?Oou8lb)r, Fa@3 3
g&U.ng duticea and depoeltsd with the alerk ai tIm court, by order of th8 QOUPt, CCCUp166 tba Stat~U Ot aoauy *in oustodia lb&a.- .
It has been generally eati that property is in *custoMa legis” when it has been lawfully telbm by euthority of legal pmoens, and n3a2ai~ in poa4wmion of a publfa offloer or a ao*urt officer ezupomered by law hold It. Allmn'v, Hargadlne-8f6KittTlok Dxy Goods Co., 925 lib. 400, 2% S. W. (SC%) 670, 6X3. See also Union Indsanity QO. v. Florida Bank & Truot Co., 48 ?a (Zd) 395, 697; BQUVIO~'U Lm DiotiOnw, 3rd R0V.i and proparty seized by rirtuo of a abareh warrant haa been 80 Qsnominated;~Dorrell '1. Clnrk, supra m&lo@ v.
Lawson, 146 Ore. BZl, 31 S. (Zd)-171, ZW; t 6 ate t.
Gambling 43 Aria. 1l.e. 40 P. (Z-id) 746; 9471 .., de 5. c. 369, 99 9.8. 703, Griete v.
YTO!,ti radio f&b oats8 urb aUthCWitib8 Qitbd, the anawur8 givea bp gou’ to and Othora, va agree 4th thrss ~aeetiona propounded in your brie~f. the first To axxmm~iae: Pour fotwteh @$m~%ion prbssnt8 turthur dittiaulty to whioh me ahalS no* advert.
Eon. Yz. 0. !~'.osele+, I-‘abp~ 10
unable to follow your reo6ozxiae; that ainos. -
=the ntnte is not batitled to tbs rmowy, that aousty is not entitled to th6 momy,.~that _ _ _ aertalnlJr ZIO ~artlaclar publla oTfiole1 is en- to it a8 a natter ot right, end nslther
titled is any partiauler person, 60 the only dlspoai- tian thet aan be mde of eaoh so-my is by order Of the COtU?‘t in WhQS8 CU8todjr it 1~86 phObd end held. .?&F aourt therefore, in &t-n di8on- tion, may ISEW any bonsfiaial. disporition linitad odly to thsreof it my ~6 iit, bbfq the ate& t&t such Uinpositiw should net bu or a diSpO8d. that
tmrea6oaeblb or ~1vOhU8, th6 OOflFSCieXl~b Of 8 0-t Of would BhoQk
qnuity.*
We are lncllned to the beli8i that the prlnoipl8 enunolated in the following: lata@aage fro& the Suprraas Court in the aaee of Withers tb Patteraaol, 27 Ter. 401, 86 Am. D80. 643, would control:
?Phe &rl6diatlon of a6urt m6an8 the power or authority which f8 ooahrrad upon a aan%, by the oonstitutton end laan8, to hear and dmt6hLina Ba?mua b6tVI66n partis8, and to it8 ,jU@iU3nt6 iQt0 eff#Ot. It i8 8 s8rr;r aru all aoaferrud to the sstates or Qsoe&ntcl,
by statute. Wbetsvsr the atatuts authariza8 the oourt to bo, it ump rfghtfallp do. But it dues not folltm, because the etatnte eu- thorizes the oourt to order the salb of land under certain oir6wtenee8, that all 6albs are euthorizo&.* ai land by oxder of the ewrt a** (Bfipha6iS Ours).
It is our apinion, wdst t&e radar a8 pra88ntiM by ym, tbert the writ of windannte aWd not bs euaaos8f'u1- l~la4llnt6iu3a. f?% ‘f6X. JUT. %6&t, 9t Seq., aAd tiUthCQ?t- ties oitad,
turn, by apprapriots actlon doslgaates by etetute the uee or function to wblah lt shot&% be a~plled‘. I+8 en- tertain no doubt, ?.%t that, apprfersd or Its existence, iansmut and present srtefns, a prompt aandate will ilau zabst horrorable body, direcrtiug ita spla,edy dlopsn-
.
Upon mature reflsation and aarei\ll aonslderatlon, oath fo our rsaonmandation, rather then an attempted awlaallsls .