Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN Xonorabk W. K. Baldridge Countr an4 Dlrtrlot Attorney Dmatoa, raw8 Dar birr opialoa lo. O-7151 Do o rleah wt 0r rr&r of lorr tha threr iacher q-0, h are 1088 8r th8 a,aro, on8 p8rroa Ia8 la Donton end oirtinct UnlmfullJ mt8 GOfi8tltUtO unAer Artlolo 927, Vernon’8 , Srom rhloh we quota: creek, lake, bayou, pool, lagoon or tank, in thlr State, aa7 wt, trap ur Dther device fw catching fish, or take 3r catch any flab fram aald vaterr vlth any aet, seine, dt- rice, or hook and line or trot line, other than as pernltted herein. Uhoever vlol4ter 8ny provlelon of thl8 8rticle 8hll be fined not 108s than tvsnty-five nor more than one hundred dolbrr. ” . . ..-..- ._...~_.. . . ..-.. .--.--- .--.--...- Bonorabl8 Y. II. Baldrldm - Pam 2 The prevlourly quoted article maker Illegal both (1) the act- of 4~~~11~ In fr 88hvatrr l net vhoee mcl8hs# 7 80 h e 88quAr0, M O l (2) the aOt O? taklag or aetahlaq of ?18h from fresh vator vlth en7 net other thaa a8 permItted thweln. Ue think It 18 olrar th a l taoh act of placing a net In fre8h uaterr of thlr State contrary to Article 927, 8upra, 18 a wparate act and a 8eparatO OffOaW, beoauw each plaClEL(I II 8 wparate tranuatlon ocaurrlng at a dlffereat lace and et a different tlrw. 22 Corpus Jurlr !Jeoundum, w@ 6 8 8tat88, “Separate and dlrtlnct act8 of the 8am8 nature perroL8d at differrot tirr gsnerelly aonrtltute repmate oifenrer.” Xovever, the catahlrq or taking of flab from an un- laufti set 18 One tranraatlnn rerultlng from a rlngle act or rolltloa, rOwdlO88 a? the number of fish taken. If 18 vell 8ettled In locordmce with thlr theory that ‘the rteallng o? dlfferent artlale8 at the 88~18 time aad place, 80 that the trmmeatlon 18 the unm,l8 but one otfenn, and the acetarred may not be convicted on reparate Indictment8 aharglng dlffer- eat part8 a? the tranractlon a8 dL8tlnct offewe8.” Ullron 08. State 45 Tex. 76, and Yllllr VI. litate, 6 3. Y. 857. Were 8everal lot8 are In feet put 0r one tranractlon, there 18 only one crime although each or 8uCh lct8 tight have con- rtltuted a orlm In ltrl? I? not part of ruch tramaction." 22 Corpur Jar18 &aundum, pp* 60-61. Th4 failure of the Isglrhturo to exprorrly meke tha unlawful taking O? reah fl8h a 84paratO o?fenIe, jurt a8 they have uule a remrate oftrnr4 of the unlavful taking o? each gysr bird 8nd laah g&me llm81 under Artlale 873, Vernon*8 Annotated penal Code, lndloate8 the Leglrlature did not contemplate nor derlre that each unlavful taking Of 8 ?18h be a reparate oftenee under Article 527, 8upr8. Therefore, JOU are advised that each net, the meehee of vhlch are leee then three inches aquare, placed in the vatsre of Lake Dallas In Centon County, Texas, constitutes a separate offcare 83 each placing of l net is B separate trans- action. YDU are further advised that the unlautul taking =r catchlog of flab 81 prohibited b7 Article 927, 8upra, re- 8ultlng from one tran8aation, So rluaplo, from one oet, oonrtltutrr only one vlo&tion a8 It 18 but one tranaactlon, regardle88 0s the number 0s rirh cwght or taken. Your8 vary truly I Stevclrt if. D8Vor4 A88i8t&nt