Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

The Attorney General of Texas November14. 1985 JIM MATTOX Attorney General Suprem Court Suildlng Mr. W. S. McBeath OpinionNo. ~~-380 P. 0. Box 12548 Abirdstrator Austln. TX. 7071%2546 Texas AlcoholicBererage Ret Iðer a justiceof the peace 512l47525Ql T&x gl(yB7C1367 commissioa or nnmiclpalcourt has jurisdiction T&cq&r 512/475&?3S P. 0. Box 13127 to try a misdemeanoroffenseunder Austin,Texas 787ll chapter 106 of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code file against a 15- 714Jackson.Suite 700 or 16-year-olddefendantwho has no oeIlee,Tx. 7!52024ce 214x2%844 prior record Dear Mr. McBxath: 4324Alberta Avs.. Suite 160 ElPseo.lx. 7woM793 You bave reqmeted our opinionregardingthe followingquestion: WW3344W Does a justiceof the peace or"&lcipal court 1Wl Texas,Sutt~7W l-me jurj.sdictionto try a misdemeanor offense Noueton.TX. 77002-3111 under any provisionof chapter 106 of the Texas 713n23eSm Alcoholic:. Bev&age Code filed againsta fifteenor sirteewp~r-old defendantwho has no prior record 606 8msdway. Suite 312 of any ol.oletioas of law? Lubbock.Tx m1-3479 303iT476238 As a pr&.mI&y matter,the criminaljurisdictionof a municipal tiourtcad a juet:kr of the peace court is limited to misdemeanor offeasespunisbebleby fine only; See Tex. Coast. art..V. IBl. 19; 4308N. Tenth,Sutta S McAtlenn. TX 76501-1665 see also V.T.C.S. srt. 1195; Code CrKProc. arts. 4.11, 4.14. These 612mS2e47 two courts ,%avecmncurrentjurisdictionover Class C misdemeanors. See Penal Code CU.23 (individualsadjudged guilty of a Class C ~dsmsauor shall be punished by a fine not to exceed $200). 2mMslnflsa%sulte4w Consequently, a justiceof the peace court and a municipalcourtwould fan Antonlo,TX. 762052797 612/2264181 have jurisdictionover misdem&nor offenses found -in chapter 106 of the AlcoholicBeverageCode which are punishableby fine only. Thus, the two courts woultd not have jurisdictionof section 106.08 of the An Eauel OPportUnitY~ code because the maximum punishment upon conviction may include confinementin the ~county jail. -See Alto. Bev. Code 01.05. This officeha:6concludedon severaloccasionsthat minors may be prosecuted in cr!minal court for possible violations of offenses prohibitingthe possessionand consumption'of alcoholic beverages. AttorneyGeneralCpinionsE-320 (1974);M-327 (1968);WW-1171 (1961). AttorneyGeneralOp,inion WW-1171 concludedthat certainlaws involving p. 1737 Mr. W. S. HcBeath- Page 2 (3'14-380) alcoholicbeveragesprwidml an exceptionto the statutoryprovision againstprosecutingminors in criminalcourt. Since the issuance of these opinions, the legislature has recodifiedthose penal lms involving alcoholicbeverages into the Alcoholic Beverage Code. See Alto. Bev. Code 50106.01 et seq. Chapter 106 of the AlcchoE Beverage Code contains provisions relating to age, including: several misdemeanorprovisionsinvolving conduct by a minor. ALo. Bev. Code $$106.02-106.07. The code presently defines "minor" as a person under 19 years of age. Id. 5106.01;but see Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 285, 011, at 2390; AZ 1985. 69th Leg., ch. 462, $9. at 3129, 3141. The Penal Code prwidcs that "[ulnlessthe juvenilecourt waives jurisdictionand certifiesthe individualfor criminalprosec+ioa. a person may not be prosecutedfor or convictedof any offense.. ..." See Penal Code 58.07(b). The three express statutoryexceptionsto Es waiver provision are perjury, aggravated perjury and state trafficoffenaesexcludingdrivingwhile intoxicatedand drivingunder the influenceof drugs. --. See:Penal Code 58.07(b). Jurisdictionof the jmenile court $s definedby Title III of the Family Co&. Family Code OSl.Ori(a).~ Section 51.04(a)of the Family Cc&provides: This title mmrs the ~proceedings in all cases iuvolving the delimpient conduct or conduct indicatinga neelrfor eupem%eion engagedin by a person who was a~child~withinthe meanUg of this title at.the time'hegaged in the conduct,and the juvenile court has exclusiveoriginaljuris- diction Over IG:oceedin8 under this title. o?mpbasisadded),: The Family Code defines"child"as a petson "ten years of age or older and under 17 years of age.'" See Family Code 551.02(1)(A). "Delin- quent conduct" is not rtpplicableto misdemeanor offenses. See Attorney General Opinion.' E-487 (1975); see also Family Code C54.02(a)(l). However. "(louductIndicating.A Need for Supervision" has been defined by the legislature to include "three or more" offenses that are a violation of a penal ordinanceof a "political eubdlvisionof this state." See Family Code 051.03(b)(l)(B)(this. provisionexcludestraffic offenses). Consequently,AttorneyGeneral OpinionJM-316 (1985) concludedthat a municipalcourt does not have jurisdictionOver a Class C misdemeanoroffenseinvolvinga fifteenor sixteen-year-olddefendantwho has fever than three prior Class C misdemeanorconvictions. p. 1738 Mr. W. S. McBeatb- Page 3 (JM-380) ‘I The Attorney Gener,LL, in 3!4-316. reasoned that .section51.08 of the Family Code re.quirmh that the mmicipal court transferthese cases to the juvenile court :Eor disposition. We believe that Attorney General Opinion .lM-316(1985) is consistentwith one of the general purposes of Title III ,3:Ethe Family Code "to remove from children committingunlawfulacts .the taint of criminalityand the consequences of criwinal behavior and to substitute a program of treatment. trainingand rehabilitati~on." See Family Code S51.01(3);see also 31 Tsx. hr. 3d Delinquent;ChildK 56. The proceeding in juvenile court is civil in naturtVrand fewer than three Class C misdemeanors are not consideredcrimlual prosecutions. See Steed v. State, 183 S.W.2d 458 (Tex. 1944); see also Family Code 051.13(a);Attorney GeneralOpinion.I+316 (1985). Attorney General Oplr~iou JM-316 did not discuss the ap$licatioa of the AlcoholicBeverageCode when violatedby minors. Althoughthe legislatureintendedthat a minor child'sunlawfulacts be prosecuted within the juvenile courts as a general rule, it has provided a specificstatutoryprocedureexclusivelyfor minors to be followedin criminal prosecutionof minors under chapter 106 of the Alcoholic BeverageCode. The 1egiaLaturehas provided that when a child under the age of 19 is prosecutedin c-1 court, mnicipal or jusfice court, for violationof an offensein the AlcoholicBeverageCode, the court having jurisdictionOver the offense is required to adopt a. apecialiaedprocedure. Mco. Bev. Code $§106.10-.12;see also R. Da-. Texas Juveuile Law 37 (1984) (general discussion on specializedprocedure for-zors in the Alcoholic Beverage Code). A&ordingly. -Attorney GeneralOpinionJM-316 (1985)is not applicable to the prosecutionof minors, fifteenor sixteen-year-olds, who have violatedeny provisionpf chapter106 of the AlcoholicBeverageCode. See Attorney General OpkLons H-320 (1974); K-327 (1968); WW-1171 m61). The specializedprocedurerequiresthat the minor may not plead guilty except in ape* cm.rt, Alcoholic Beverage Code L106.10, the minor may not be convictedgenerallyunless his parent or guardianis present in court.,Alcoholic: Beverage Code 5106.11(a).and the minor convictedof nof more than one violationmay apply to the conrt, on attaining the.age of 19, to have the'convictionexpunged from his record. Alcoholic Beverage!Code 0106.12(a). The legislature has provided a similar procedt.reto be followed by a criminal court, municipalcourt or justice :ourt,when a minor has violated a traffic offense. See V.T.C.S. art:,67011-4, Ola, 12. Moreover, traffic offensesareexempted from ‘the exclusivejurisdictionof the juvenile court. Thereforeto conclucle that a municipalcourt has jurisdiction to try an offense under the Alcoholic Beverage Code, which is punishableby a fine only, does not create a conflictwith Attorney GeneralOpinionJM-316 (1985.). 1 p. 1739 Mr. W. S. McBeath - Page 4 (JM-380) SUMMARY A justice of the peace court or a municipal court has jurisdiction to try a misdemeanor offenseof the Texas AlcoholicBeverageCode which is punishableby fine only filed against a 15- or 16-year-olddefendantwho has no prior record of any violationof law. JIM MATTOX ., AttorneyGeneralof Tetis MUTKEILgR l?.recutive AssistantAttorneyGeneral BOBBBTGUT SpecialAssistantAttorneyGeneral RICK GILPIN Chairman,OpinionCommittee Preparedby Tony Guilloryend SuaanL. Gsrrison AssistantAttorneysGeneral APPROVED: opmICNcGMMITlxE Rich Gilpin,Chairman. Colin Carl SuaanGarrison Tony Guillory Jim Moellinger JenniferRiggs Nancy Sutton SarahWoelk 0 p.2740