’ .
OFFICE OF THE AlTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
honorable Y-6 V. Moridlth
Crblnal Dl&rlot &ttonuy
K8uram oounty
Kaufnlnn,Tern8 .'
imer Sir?
1
\
663
.;oC. Trod V. !i.orldlth, yacc 2
664
goon. Y'red V. tlerldlth, pa40 3
66
666
for th8 PUTPOSO Of ouo,h &mr8OIiet0 p1OSd
hdUOing
‘; guilty, oreatoe an 8mergonoy and an LPperatlva pub-
110 neoo8aity that ths Oonstitutional IStile npuirw
bill8 t0 b0 I’OOd 00. thrO0 8eVOrcl1 days hi 6aOh iiOU80
be EU8pOIUi66, .anA said 1t1&1 18 hereby 8U8&md8d, end
this Aot shall tars atr8ot and be In Z’oroerrorp and
8ftOr it8 pcl88ag6, *IId it i8 80 W~OtOd.
“B8#8Od the HOu80, ARTi1 7, 1$&3: YOSS, 125,
W&y8 181 pI8Md the 3Wate, Ape11 29, 1943, by o
ViVO TOO8 VO$O.
“Approved my 6, 1943.
%ffeotlvo 90’aryr after my 11, 1943, date 0s
8djO-t,”
&OtiOR 1 of theabove QUO~& Aot (&tie10 60~) ~rr8OtibO8
08Ttain 1iIBlktiOXi8 UpcPr the WthOTity Of jU8tiOa OOiUFt8to try
ti8dOSitMROr O&8*8, Mb it B8Ok8 t0 forbid th0 tripl Of 85$ ld8-
au8e6nor~wnr by jurtl00 wart0 OUt8ib end beyond tha lirnite-
tiOIi8 8Ot :orth. Saotlon 1-A or the Aot @..rtlOla 6&i-1) 8OOk8
t0 1-t the d&t Or 61 OOn8tab&s t0 OOllOOt fOO8 ti OOaDOotiOn
with aiP~wiPoaROr Oa808 ari8bg in a pr#OiROt ot&&w th8n that in
Which he WO8 OieOtOd 0r tIppOiatO&. SO@tibR 1-B (ArtlOb 6oa-2)
prO8OribO8 pmaltie8 it the I%etUl'@Of finss'fronl $lfi30 t0 aso
Wd rOIM3~81 irOM Oft100 WhiOh my b0 tkposlrd UpOA jU8t1008 Or
the peaao findothe;rnow4 oflissr8 who violate tho provlrians
or the not. Vih8n th@ Aat 18 ViOWOdQ@ (L WhOlO,, the mMifO8t
p~rporo of the legisl.atlon 18 tQ prohibit Or ZorblB jU8tiOO
oourts rrom trying miisd8manor o~aea when the ,a898 boo8 not
~~ho~~o~ow into the juotioe OOurt in 8 ~6Ml)r prO8OribOb
.
gaotiar 1, La-tlole V, Conitltutlon of Tsxaa, impeat,
prOVidO8l
*The j&lair1 power of thin State ahal. b0
veoto6 IR ORB Liuprefbe court la Courts Of Cl011
AjQOO18, in a court Of lx iai nal AppOal8, in OoUntg
COUrt8, iZl ~OUd88iOJiOr8’ CoUdS, in Court8 Of
JucrtioeB of the Poaoe, crnu In suoh othor aourg8
88 ms$' be prOVWw3 by law. . ." (underaoorfng
ours)
mr E'red V. Eeerldlth, page 6
fiertlonL8, Article V, Oonatltutlon of Terse, in part,
providea:
%aoh ortgmizad County in thu state now or here-
after exl8tins, ahall be divided lrom time to the,
for the oonvanlanoe ot the people, Into preainata,
AOt h88 th0E fOUT and Rot 5Ore than ,eight. The
prownt GOwtg f30wta ahall tilt8 the flxat dlrlalon.
Subaeqwnt biVidon8 m&U be mada by the ~oa&aaio~+
era’ Court, prorlQe6 for by this Conatltutlon. u
aaah luoh reelriotthem ahall ba ale&e6 at each
biennial e Ylo tio n, one Juatioe of the peace end me
aonatable, eaeh oi rimi ah811 hold hia orflaa for
Go Year8 and Pnt4.l hi8 luooe1aor ahall be elaakd
and qwllfled; . . .a
Srotlon 19, Artlole 8, constitution of Texas, In pdtrt,
provide8 t
*Jwtloea of the peaae a&all have &rladLrtum
in orlabel aattera or all aaaaa whom the penalty
or fine to be ia#wed by law stay not be aore than
for two hundred dolleza, . . .a
We Robe that thr foUowi.ng lm%gmge oonQaina& in Artlo16
60, C. 0. P., la aubatantlally the aam aa that quoted abore
from 8eotltm 19, btlale V of the Oanatltutlon$
*Juatloea of the paaos ahall hare jurladlotlcm
Yl$,n arlaiJAa1 oaaoa w&an the rw to ba iRpowQ by
law nay not crosed two hufidred dolLara.*
Under the above quoted oonatftutlonal provlalaaa the jua-
tlie oourt her beea orada e part ot the Statiotajudlolai ayatuni
the Conatltutlon haa praaoriba4 a ayatea~of juatloe oeutta within
every organized aounty In this state; anU It haa pmaoribed the
subject matter of the arimlnal jUTi&diPtiOE of eaoh auoh court
rlthln tho ayatam of jumrtioa aourta provldad for eaoh orsanlcad
oounty in t&la state. Zowafer, It hea been held that the WA-
atltutloA does fiat invest tha jUsti OOUd with SnJr -0lWiv.
or-al jurladlotlon (BolOn V. Utate, 5 Cr. ii. 301). It hea
further been bald that the criminal juriadiotienOf the OwtY
oourt la aonaurreut with that or the juatla6 oourt over I&is-
demeanor8 oogklzable in jurtioe aOuEt& (Bd.bW VO St8t8, 9 80 w.
!%as. iv. (26) 4938; Ku&e 1’. ““pt%a
. 3. (26) &17; Roae P. State, A.84 S. ‘ii. (26) 6L7). *
bcOUU~e Of the jU.riSdiOtiOA pJWI0Au.J &rIIAted t0 the OOUAty OOUt
(Art. 58, C. C. E), aqY OTimiAal Wee wham the iiAa whioh may be
wpoaed by law doss not exoeed two hundred dollars may bo tried in
,ither the ju8tiae OOUTt Or in 4.h OOwty 00~t. iteogardleaa 0r
the liddtationa pmaorlbed by Artiolea 60a, 60a-1 aAd 6oa-2, with
rdeHAW to the trial Of oases in the juetloe oourt, the jurlg-
dfotlon and pleoe of trial or a m.ladoataanor iaae Oogaiuble In
juetloo oourt la not bin TV ~;~flned
abwluta ta l partloular juatlae
court or pnalnot wit
IE the oaae of lir park Van Koeanorlfz, (Cr. App.) 286 Y. G.
9s7, the Court held that beoawe of the prorlalana of Irtlole 60
c. c. P.. (rhloh aro lubatantla~ the laae as those lo seation 19
Artlolo V of the ConStltUtl= with rerorenee to tha orlmlwl jurla:
diotlon0r juatlw oourta) a juatloe~a trying of a almlewanor aaee
rhem the OfrOnae, if 005tdtt0a,000~~d in~otbrrpn0inot~tl
the county, would not be void. The aourt alw hold that 1.L the
defendaRthad the wd.iapute6 right on l p r o p er rotIon to hare his
oasctrenaierredto fhu justlee preolnot where the orrelur eeo~rred,
ruohCaot uo~l& not render the trial of the oewe ln another pn-
oinct in the aounty rold. M quote iroprthe above mentioned oaee
II followat
*It la lppeUant~* oontuitlan thet the jwtioc, or
the geaw ipl preohot
YO. 6 la without juritiotian to
try aeld can, In view of the raot, as l ppaUnnt eon-
te.n4a,thet the offenao was em&f-d lf at 8J.l b
proolnotH0. 3 la Travis Cowty. ue
40no l
t
grei with
epplloant'a ooptention that the alloyed antlolpated
trial of the epplloant b0rom the juatloe oqnrt or
preoinatNo.6woul4ba l moreaullity. aaaotion
la the oreat of a trial in our ju&mat, woul.6 not
be lOid. Under the pdtt krma of the statute ltaelf,
the jwtloe OS preolnotR0. 6 has jU.rladlotlon of the
aubjootmatter of tha suit.. Artlole 60, 1925 ibrlalon
C. c. P.
~(2) xi it be oonoeded that appllouat would hare
the right upon prOp~rmOtiO&I t0 have the mae tNIiS-
ferred to the jwtioe preolaet in whloh the alleged
orrowe oaourred, uhloh question it la wneeeaaary to
doo$,de in this oan, it wo uldltill follow that luoh
right UQ~M riotrender the trial of the oawe In jue-
floe preolnotNo. 6 Mid. 8uppoae the Tight to IN
I
1
tried fn the yruolnct u;haruthe orlense ytrmoom-
mltted wae unbla uted, yet for some reason epplloant
should not an f 4 t to an&art thla right and should
plea4 guilty ln e juatloe oourt lltua ted ln l pn-
OiAOt difrennt rr0m tht one In which the offense
was ooaaitted oould it be contended that a valid
judgment 0oud not be rendered a&net hln under
the80 oondftlona? we think wt. The aourt or
Qiril Appeeb in this state has, we thins, wrnotly
eta-d the rule as follower
*‘The word *Void9 oan with no propriety k applied
to a thlru uhloh appear0 to be sound, an4 which while
in eX.lSknee out command and enforce roapeqt, and
whwe lnflrmita ewtat bo tae4a8umlfeat.,If a $AQ-
mat POndeNd without in faot bri@.ng thendeietitg
intO OOUTt OaWOt be Sthokud WUateriJJy on thlg
LWeupd unless Um w4tit OS suthorlty over them uppeers
An the reoord, it la IAO501-evoid than ir lt ~011
founded upon a YN nLaoakoeytlotz of uoma matter or
law or cr feet 080urr~ in the exer0i~ 0r (0 W-
queetlonabl@&ri84iotla&. in olther •~& the &4g-
amt 8011be lrofAe4 etid &&de fuzotaa of~lolb by aam8
approprlata pro~odlw institute4 r0r. tht P~VIIQH)
bat, ff aOf molded, mat be roapadted anay
Duw v* T4ylor, 62 T.X. clr. App. 2&l* 9k d.
Thw, underttn hol4ltle 0r th. aDoyeolkd woo t3ju8tloo
court has the authoriQ, under the prorlalona OS &ala 60,
C. c. P. (atrbatuitlally the ama 68 sea. 19, hrt. v 0r.tb
Conatltutlon),to try a ease *trlaQarow In uz.0th.fpreeinot
in th e wwty; lva though th d+ramdi turd tb w4i~paea
right to have hla oaae tried in another p-e&tot. Artlolos
6oa 600-l UU 6@-2, however, would forbid t&e &mtlee 00~1%
to cry a miade~tktwr e&w which wow *in lihaeouuty, but did
not lr f8e fit
that prtlauletr jwtloe proelnot, or ua mnot th e
preolnet of tho tireadant’a rarldanoe or dib Pat- coma ulthln
some or thr othar provlaiotiaor ~rtloIo 6Om wltH trrexwnoa
to tnoaferring ~aea, regrrdleaa or whether the 4efutdant
desired to aon84at to his bein& tried in la id~p NOinOt.
The qw8tlOU lol#oally aTin a8 t0 WhWthW the hOt# b
it* 0 ration,,m&.atea venw or la Juria6lotlotulindre0t.
ii* p0iIt out h+~ that TWW reletea tie the lxerofae or &=I*-
di0ti411 fmyibr V. f3tate.197 8. bt.196); however it h* been
held that b ori,d.wl 0aaea, the terms avemteR an4 -jurladlo-
tlon” am AOt ap#nymoua, and that-* in a oriorlnal Ocee,
“WLIW”, unlike -jurla4iotlOn, aey be loqulred by oorraont
lion.Fred V. IAridith, Feea 9
1 (tilllluuv. Stata Cr. rpp.) 170 5. 8. (26) &82; TaylOr v.
stat., 197 8. u. 1 ). Under the op4ntion of thl8 Aot, 4V4n
though th0 amnaa.id a08ina to 00n84nt t0 b0iog tma la l
pertlaular pmolnot in the aouaty, ii the oaoo uer* not brought
in 4 mannorrl8hln the lirfktiom pn#orlboa, f.&iJuatlooor
th. F-04 r0tia be r0rDiaw t0 try the 04b4. Ir he did try
ruoh aa-, h4 *ould b4 8ubbjootto l rloo rrom 4100 to $500 UUI
~-000~41rr4n 0rrl00, Thu8, lt 18 our o~lnicm that thlr Aat
8008 rwthor than or gr4ntlng prlrllogoO to 4
ddena4ttt~i8h r0 00 or hi0 trial, ror the
Aot go08 the oxkant rohlbitlm jUl?iS-
In thl8 06nnoatlon um 0411 your lttwtio nto tha rouar-
ini3
~~~ in the COUd. O&dItiOtl
in the 0484 Or Brray V. Strt4,
63 s. W.327:
airfi 4&d @d&la& r*tkr8 t0 8Otiin &MtUh, urd
th816#$8titW8 i8 ltOtrUthOtis te OWt th.n Of
8UOh ~td8biOti0AL . .
Vhethor tha logi8laturaImtttloned the
qu88iid ii tUi8aiO8iOtt88 t4 jU88iO0 OOurk IX
ttOt thay 8t ill rotrlttji.ulmalotlonrherrtha
Qu&hMJtt U48 by fliWIt@t lXOOO~$Z% . .*
xxibi80~48i~1gth8 pxor18i048 or Ckatioo 19 0r rrtiola v
or th4 oOXt88itUtiW, in th0 0848 Of w~OOhi8 'I.SUk, 1% 8. IL
82, the court ul4t
. .*. . . It Will be Ob84rV.d . . . th4t th4 Word8
08lRlOy.dOOltVOJitt&jUd~iOtiOtt 8r4 dMr, 8bTU'U5,
and etttlraly uttamt~&uOw. . .
-. . . The p0oullar
quality or 8 OOn8titUtiOMl
aourt OP.& Uly other WU8titUtbL8~ .8kb~i8hA+t,
18 thf#t that it 18 LtOtIBWO@Qtib& Or Oh4tW iti
it8 fund4Mn84i QriIi8iQb8, 4X44R8 a 800U pra8Orib@a
m0a0. . .
". . . It i8 Ob4r
that the bgi8htUm h4d not
ths oompatenay to impair the l884Ilti41ll4t.w Or
jurladiatl40. 0r 8ny 0r the aonotitutlon4100urt4."
fion:I'rcdV. irurldlth, paw 10
In view or the above and rom@ln& it la our opinion that
& i3.ho. 342,Aota Gsth Leg. (Arti 404, 604-1,60a-2)48 to
its purpo8. 4na in it8 Oprr8tiOLI, OOntr8TMO8 the jUXi8diOtiOn Of
the juatioo oourt grantal to 8416 aourt by saotion 19 or ~tloln
V of the f.h48titUtioll 4Ild 18 theroiom WJid. Sin00 WO hOu that
til4 AOt 18 U4OoIl8titUtiO44l l 8 t0 it8 @li42?41 PUX? 84, W4 d0 Dot
&em it nOOe88ary to OM8iaar 84ptImtdy ttia OOM #?ltUtiOn4llty
of ssoh PmT181On Of th. Aot.
In our oplnlon PO. 0-%ll, wrltton priorto th elfiootlro
data or the 8bora mntlond hot, raromm8 u88 m8ao to the rutu-0
a@iO~ti- Of tkU AOt with N8pclOt t0 OOrkill hat 8itWtiOJl8.
In daw Or Our holding horoln, w h4roby or4rr~l4 uld Oj+llioll
OIAU iMOr4r 48 it OoniliOt8 hermwlth.
2. pU4.u8Y Or riliI4t ~8dOWMMr 4480 by lU8tiW
OOurt in DF4O$lIOt other than tbatlnw&d.oh tha
0rrw0 000uma.
In your lotter, YOU lnqulrrd a8 to tha &or0 r RbOO ror a
aox+kblo to take an orrudor md rib hi8 WM l 8itUtiOSi
whem%ho oan8t8blortu3 0h8waa rio&torrrorhla prooinot
laromthm pmoinot llno into umtharpreolmot, ororenlnto
.rt-iothar oOUlltJ*, Wh8XOtha lm8t lN8 IdO With OUt l UrNttt.
With NreNILO~ to the 8itucltiCUl eboro rd4md to, ii the
Wre8t wan mado &a mothor OoUnty without e uarrult, wo point
OUtth& thi8dOmrtruAt hd.d inORini4crNO.0-~,t&t~ OQO-
8t4bh h48 IUJ poW8r t0 Mk4 ~EI Un8t OUt8ldO Oi hi8 40&y
ilthoutl urNnt, Md that 8Uah l~8t rd. wit&W& a rarrukt
40 Told. w0 ip~0t4 n%3t4 Uid Opi~&iOn~ a8 iOuOW8t
*It ia e&u. . . that l eOn8tiblO b.w 4
-18 dOritt@d itt A?tiO&
WtUrMt Or a-88 itt
It W88 hOia a th4 04W Or
-8oZi V. stit.0, 49 8. w. (24)663 tht *rtiO&
523, (0. C. PO l
upn,do0~notoxt0ndtk#.Mght
0r l pr~r~ orr ear to dm On lm8t out&le or
hi8 oouttty IO tha abnnO0 Or 8 WWNti8 8d thd
8Q lTO8t -44 lfithOUt 6 VMmItt 18 *Ok*
with rdomnoo to the authority of 4 aoL8tiblo to ~4k4 lA
lmA8t UlthOUt l WarT4nt, ln l prmolnot wlthln ai OoUntY other
than that b *hioh he Wa8 ttid0or
a lRPOiIXtOk rr wok f=
our Opi.d.On IiO. O-3969, 48 rolwat
672
Hon. Frd Q. Yulalth, pwp 11
LOU 8r4 rr~paOtfUl.lg ldli8ed thnt it 18 tha
oplnlon of thi8
drp8rtault that l aosuteblranJ
&rittily rrlt8 8IIlrro8t in l prrOinOt othrr thhrn
his own la hi8 oounty without a warran nkon he
rauld bc mthoriwd by law to makb the axrut WI
aa8 warrant in hl8 OuIipraoinat oqd thiO.:.\iplit4 v '.
i
1s him prlmory duty tmau rrtloie 37, V. A. T. C. C. P.,
ta pro8orro th0 hla own pxaOino8, 881&l
paaaq within
hi8 j?~i8diO$i44 I@ OO-•18Wt8ilO 4th the lid88 Of.
tho eoottty. Italmo tolIewaChat Ww loaa8ablo would /
ltav4ao8tmxl8y ta axoautc warrmtr lf mro08 onywhoro
ix hi8 aoutt8y.~
TOW q W8fiO4M
t0‘WhWa 0lft~t~b lr ShOuld tila
hi8 OofspIalatman ha mokw on rrrost wWmut l mxxont la
tha ooaaaty, b&In l preeinot othrr thaa that ln whioh tha
43OU84 WI'8aogri88d i8 ?OlhU br\Od. ~WUl1IX, it 18 WY
o ~lnio attmtth 4 8r lo i
o f a a isd4 eufhoueo olo ur ylorxt la
ro cocaty *ioh ha8 or mr
cub *a* er88rr world
jdsai0th
ba V8u& As point04 out in0 rrriaum port JQt 0r tu8
th0 8Yial oi 8Wh UM ln 8 jU8L 8a U0W8 bt Ch* OOM8yt
laa proolwt othox than thatlnrhiohthe ottam or-,
rodld nat:bo r&1. (Xx jerk Ton Xmnnulta, 8upxe) LUmi8r,
a ju4.gwaa8rwlduod ia tiao trial of suoh aaao in the p~oe'ln08
la WhlOh rbc OrfonOO -8 lodtt0a w0ula bo ro.lla. iaQIao1u.
the trial ot such 008m in thr ewnty euxt voulcl,ba~a114
8laaa #a oamty eouxt ho8 ooaourrout~~orl8dlo8~~ 31th the
jtlotlooawrt ovu ti8ae60maox 40008 oo@aoblo clltilt*$mtio*
aourt.
-The L4glolemxb rhull nokr provi8lorifor lyla8
at mtilworklr& publla rw04, for tL6 bulldiq of brl4dyo.
+ob ror ut;lhln+ rinse, forfalturaa,and oomlot labor
t0 4li tha84 pu?pO8@@.'
6’73
V.0 rl~~ or the fare6014 oonrtituti0pa~protl8io~
It ia ftutha am oplnbri tha: aonaf now in the Road
and Brla@ Fund derlred sroa r1nr* mad forfeltar~8
oanuot be trwufarrd.’ To hold othawim rOuld not bo
In looord rith the abow quo8d @on8tltu$lmml prOvl8inn
whioh mkaa it t4Ul64tOr~ that 8uOb,00!1~y.bti“U84d OILrUd8
and brldgaa.-
Alth o u g
ahh olon4y ooll4owa ror rin88 ma f0rf81Cur.0
18 no8 8 oaa8tltutioaal fun6 in th* 8-80 ,* flu laonay ia
a 8r h a l tu
tr o p l 10~1 f0r 00n8titOtioa81. ma , aaeh l
tlloola iuna8 rar0rra to in Carroll. v. Will
yet tar aOmitOti08 4008 lp*oif~ tbr pwptm * L$zb&A+;~~
-nay a4ri~d rrm fin48 8ad emittDa8.8h
4 r ath u wr a 44drird th 4 * mo 6.floll*ota ilaM .A4
rart4ittir88 aumot bo tra~farrd or -a884hiit.
io r OaM othu
than *for latlqg out am4worklae publla roads* u&i vor the
builblng of brldgw.' (ama. U, ArC. 16, Conmtltatlon of
Texoo) It la thrrofora our oplolarr the8 the trurda inquired
about opnqt k srandwred to 8ho ~m?mr~l fun&
I