Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

OFFICEOFTHEAHORNEY GENERALOFTEXAS AUSTIN Eonorcnbla J. z. Iooney Cou3t.ymdltor Eowie County IMeton,Texas OpinionNo. G- %: Your requscrt for II receivea 52x4 oarefully ooasidered by tbl 9Q quote from your requsatas follewsn la whioh you h sot-havethe r is ceuaty-'ror Paaos to retain this ay &wmer Juetloee0r ivil llfa, also retained All partie aonmred uaber tho improsslonthat l oe hed:thele& right to retain aasuuh98 the cclleotlon5 are y the J'ustioe or the YbOoo asidhe all the bookkeeping work 6ttaamt upon 5alQ colleoting. *Ty Justio# of the Peace hare had no legal authorityto ntaik theee u6.m~1561orm, it r0ihi8 t&t, hevlng mitttskenlydone SO, theyznust0~6 the ammat or the ooarsieaione retainedto Bapllfoae. To whom do %he~ ewe them? pald to the oountyb!iper cea~t. of tho swneys re- ferred to lo tbe f'lnd:n@OS fact. The faots show that he pafd to the aountyonly BG per cent., end peld to tbc ootmtyettormy 1C per cent. end to t-he ecmetatli) 5 per amt. and ret3lned another3 per oazlt.for btieelf. It le stated in ths iaotion for new trig1 tbet.'tb# attorneyGeneral'sdepert- msnt hss reanntlyheld that,vhan.Q $urticti of tbs pee08 collootr! n fine Srm tbe Party spinet whom. it has been edJudeedby a judgmentor his aourt, he Is entitle6tc 5 per oent. tkercofundar article 1144. Thst rulingmy be entirelycormact, but, ; if 60, It furnishesno reams ~forsett1t.g er?ldet&e Judplentrenderedby this aourt epinst Bogas end the suretiesupon bia otficleltond. Ir be wes en- titled to 5 px oent. oaeaisslonunder artiole1144, then the oonstablewes not entitled to tke 5 per cent. oowl~alun which Hoaqeespaid to hi& IItwfw not lewrul to teke more then one comaiaelonfrom the filnssfor.oolleotihp the sexes, and, addinff to that 10 per :oeut.ior the ooutity attorney, left W per .a;cnt. thereofdue the emnty, *hfie I)og@~~o has only paid to the cousty80 per oent.* : 05 Juno 27, 1911, in en oplnion~writtsn by Eonar- ebl e'Falter C. itoodward,AsaistentAttorneyGemrel of Teza~8, thle depart!sient beld that a Juetloeof _-the peace rould be aiitltlad to retain 5 F OS the fine 0ollecteQby i-d.3under Brtiole1144 of the then exIstinnTexes code Or Cr Ins1 WC+- WeLU8 an& that suoh hold- uaa-notia oonfliot.withthe ar EMLennsnGounty v. bo~eess,suprd. This o-pinion .ataue * recordedlo 701. M,.pagocr40 and 41. GpihionReoordaor the Attomey.G,eneral of Wxes. Se cmcloseherewithe copy of. ~&id 0Fiai~~1 IOr yOIS wOonPpciOJ% However,Artfols951; C. G. P., 1928, ruprrr, wu8 tmendebby the 41st Le~~sletureol'Texss %b 1929. Artlole951, Varao~~sAanotdisd Texas Code 0r Crlm- inel Fro4cidum1, as slarnded by the 41st Le&elature of Texas, 1929,snd a6 ft now t~xists, reeds a5 follows: "The sherirror other orrioer, ae of the Peeoe.or hio alark, laoamyfor the State or coanty,exoept Jury fees, EoaorableJ. D, Looney,yage 4 unbar ay provieioaof this Code, shellbe entitled to retainSire per cant thereofI*henoolleoted. (Aots 1875, p. 287; kots 1889, p. 98, ae amended dote 1929, Ust .* B. 240, oh. 105, 8 1.)" (UnAoreoorlng( alre 7 hsr sine8 the 1.089amendmentto Artiole951, Y. A. C. 0. Y., eupra,thie dopertrmntha8 repeated1 ruled thati+jaetloe~ or the peaoe wee not entitledto retafn 5$ of rm8 and trlalr888 003.hcsts4by him. See Opinion sm. 0-ll02 8~4 O-5105 of this deprtaeat, aoplee of whioh are unoloee4for your intomatlon. O~inibn Iso.O-686 ot thla departant holds that a~ehetilf~leentitledto 5% oommlealonon ilnee ln euoh in- etawas onlr ae,eueh fine8were eolieotedby the eherlrr. Aaeweringyour queetioneit ia our oppinionr I, Mar to'&8 19e9 ereendment to Art14318961 V. A. C. 0. P., a juetioe or the peaae was entitled to 5$ ..,.. ooa&eelon.cmfine8 aot.uellY aolleotedbr b&a. However,~ It thb~00n8ta~~~twih8mr actual1 11 tat he fin6 inetea4 of th. jaetioelueh o?X&oerwouli g .i%:led to the 8$ am- rdeelon;in no went would the juetiaeand the arrwtfiu OS- fioor heve bsa oaoh lnti%lodto l aomaleeioe. See MeLem OouAty‘1 3o .g g *ee, lup r o . 6. Biooe the 1989 emndaat to Artialo 951, V. A. 0. 0. F., a juetiooof the pea08 ie not 8MAtled to a oom- mleeioo anItIme eo lleo ted !io is b yh im. r h ela tlt1 te .d aomlrrlon M trinl fees oolleoted by hla. 8. 3ot baing Legally entltloQ to retah o&a- elan8 oa fine8 oolliatedby him elwa the 1999 amendmat to Artiale981 eupm, it woeld Sollow thet,thojuetloerhd thereeftarille@&r retalnedeuoh oommleetoae would law- fully owe same to whom it lawf'ultybmXoqe4, eubjoot, ot oouree, to the right of t&e juetioeto invokethe lp p r o - prlatolimitationstatuteit the olalmwae barra by lirik- tioa. ror example,IX the~juetlae oolleatad the tlm rro5$ oonieelon ,yee dues came should not lmre been ratalnod but ehoul4have becm turned Into the countyiin euoh oaee the justioewoul4 ewe the ootantyand the oouetyaouldremv8f from the juetioeof the psclce.l,f the olaipr waa not berreB by th eltatut~ of liritetloaeproperlyplea&d ln defenee by the juetioe. Tauetlng t&at this eatietaatorlly amwars your ino*, W@ al-u. Bsry truly yours ATTO?SET OEbellRAI~OY TJ&XAB WJF:qP Enal. umfo aRd pw.