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