OF TEXAS
OF THE AITORNEY GENERAL
AUSTIN
XomrabIe C, LJIM Z?iller
county Attorney, Bee county
Beeriliea Texar
‘Dear iSir:
Your lett
opinion of thlr dopa
reabe, la part, 6~
3 AHiOlW 8884p a0
oapiar ‘protina to 06~06
ent ana a#iolo 698 rtde),
o~emento? ao~.jadgeuntin-
ma ,-6am 0t the
ProofAur~ arr applloabli*80 rar
am neooooary io oarry ,qut tha pro~is~+zy of thie
azfial*.’
*Purtbar, It either with04 ir opea; and it
le pwelt 8 matter ot obo%or,~who should EDakrthe
doofrlon, of whioh method to we, the County Judge,
the County xttornoy or the County Clark?
Bonorabla 0. Lyno YlUer, page 8
"It la ng oontention aa County Attorney,
that the defendant Ia, after all, primarily
llablo for the fine and ooste, and that the
surety la, after all, only eeoondarlly lIabla.W
Artlole 698, Vern~n~a Annotated Code of Criminal
Proooalwe,proYlaear
“On oaoh verdict ot aopulttal or aonvlo-
tloa, the popor judgmnt almll bo entered lmmdla-
t.11. It aoqulttd the aer8nam shall be at onoe
dIaO&rgod from all turther liability upon the oharge
for whloh ho war tried; provided that, lo mlrdemaanor
oaaim where there la returned a rerdlot, or a plea
oi guilty la entered and the punlahment aeaeased la
by iin0 only, the Court May, on wrItton raquest 0r
the defendant and ror good oauae ehown, defer judg-
ment until aom other day fired by order o? the Court;
but in ,110 erd ahall the judpnt be deferred for a
lbnger then eIx (6) mnth~o. On explra-
tlon o? the t fixed by the order OS the Court, tha
Court of Judge t+rtof, sba3.l sntes judgmmt on the
verblot or plea aad the. #ail* ahall be ereauted’aa
pro?i4ed bf Ohapter 4, Title 9, ,oi thq 0ode.d Criminal
w000aan of tha States of !J!*xaa.-provided turther, that
the Coart oT. J’adp thereof ‘In the. kxerble6 af aoound
disbretloa -‘.ky pe.rm&t the defendant wheri j~itlgment la
deforrrd, t.6trmaln at large da his cm reoogalsan8o,
or mry require him to enter Into band in a lutaat
leaat doubla the emount of the aareaard fine and ooeta,
oondltloned that, the defendant and auretira, jointly
and aerrrally, wIU pay auoh fine and ooata unleaa tha
dafeadau~ porronally appwa oa the day, rit in the or-
der and dlaohargea thr jud&$uentin the aanner prcirldrd
by Ohaptar 4, Title 9 of the Code of Criminal Pro oedure ;
or the State of Texari and ior the enforoement o? any
judgment entered all writa, pr0008(LO@and remdiea ot
the Oodo oi Crlm!.nal Pmoedure WO made applloablo ao
zl;;et:oea8ary A~ oarry out the provlalonr or thI8
Honorable C. Lyne PLiller,page J
Prior to the amendment of Artiale 698, aupre, in
1931 #aid artlole re ulrad that the proper judgment “be en-
tered imwdiately.” iIt3 rotorore, In Oplakon Ho. O-3488 thla
dsparti&nt randsrad an opinion relating to the forfeitare of
bonds Iaaued and eraouted under Artiole 698 and rarlow other
quoatlone. We are onolosfng a oopy or this oplnlod for your
oonvenlenoo.
In tfew 0r t& raets *tat& la your Iaqulry and
in virtue ot Artlolo 690, aupza, Chapter 4, PitAa 9 of the
Oodo of OrImInal Prooeaure ot the State ot Texas and our
Oplnlon O-SdS8, it la our oplnloa that the boml lhould bo
torfolted and that a saplas pro fine should laaua al80 and,
ia the event the oapiae pro riw 1~ lx e o a tea 8tk8atiafiod
a
by the detendaat paying the tine and owta, or remaining in
jail a autiioient length of tima to aatldy the aam, or If
the defeadant aatidlea the jodgmant by working la the work
houae, aouaty farm or pub110 tiprorenwntr of the eeunty as
authorlead by the atutea, the Court oould rat aalde Ita
order forrelting the bond.
You attaah i oopy of the bond to paur InqaIr$ and
aak if the bond ia tall&. Tha Court ot Criminal Appeala, Insofar
aa wo hare been able to detarmlne haa not rendered +ny opinion
regarding the vrliaitt or invalldhy 0r bonds f88u6a 8na exeouted
a@or Artlole 698, aupra. k hare oaretolly aonildared the bond
pxo8ente4 and note that it oonkpliea with the atatute ia 8oma re-
marefore, wa 8x9 not in a po8ltlon to say that thr
Li%% itbtdia.
Trusting that 8ha ioragolng tully answers yo’octa
lawlxy, we ax0
I Tour@ very ‘truly
=mED ax? 14, 1943
ATTO;
- BY
Ardell WIUIama
Aaaiatant