OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
BonorabXe George P. Rubma
cuuntyAteoammy
Jonou@aua*y
Anuen,!hmu
war mrt
__..
oarefully oonuidered by
nuuut an iotlmlr
91* 994 Cr c. P. Qua the oaEd8-
foasu Cautttiy
oauesd ta w6rW
plauu4 In ial6aounty jatl oa
nw114 lib to do b to wook tha prluonerr only
in th6 morning6 and it a priuonur retuurrlta
work and there ia 1100x8~~ ior ra~h~refun+l
th6n he will nOf be fOm0d t9 Wrk but rfU
oaly be gl~8n OFodft LOX #LOO iw'8aOh hay 1~
Bonorable oeorgo P. Huaeoll,mgo 3
ja.11that he refusoa to work. If when suoh
ocnvict in aallen to work an& aoea work then
ha shall be given aredit of $S.OO per day on
his fine and oosts. can a prluowr rsfusa to
work and be punished for euoh refusal by the
court? Also APt. 793 c. C. P., Opinion 0.147.
Tlndar Oplnlon O-1061, from your depurt-
mt3ntit ie ami that the 00wy a000 not
have the authority to work rlrowrr on the
aity ntraetu, beoause suoh fs not publls worlcn
of the county. How, oaa the oommlsaionen
aourt ordsr, that the olty parks ,ofthe oounty
axe in need of oare and that there ape oreelcu
in said ptwka that due to the atagnaat water
and growth around such oreakn in said pa,rb,
said parks are a menaoe to~hsalth an4 Or4er
that oounty prlrotiers bo uned to rmriwe auoh
mmaoe to the health of the people of the
oounty of JOlm6. I - ISU&bist0 fia4 a~ bW
on the matter of hm prlsonsn night bo us04
in any numaer other than ,oaoouuty #tojeatm
and I would appreoiata It if you ml&t asofet
mm in this regarU.w
.Irtiole793, V. A. C. C. P., reads as followsr
when a 64fon4m.itla oomloto4 of a a&r-
dimaeanorand his punMuaeut irrauueousa at a
pecuniary fine If he is unable to pay tha fine
a.ndaosts adjudged agalust hiat,he my far suoh
t:Lmeas will eatisfy thi ,ta@mrnt be put to
work in the workhouse,~ a& on the oountp iam,
OP publio lmprovementa0r thei ootmty a6 pro-
vided in the auooeeblngartiole, or Ir there
be no suah workhouse fam or irmpxorement6, he
eht33-lbs imprisoned in jail f0S.a rufrielont
length of time to disoharge the f?ILJ.amOUnt
of fin.aand oosts aUjudg@Q a&WIu8t him Wting
suah labor or imprisonmentat Th.xW Doilars
($3.00) for each day thereof."
Article 794, V. A. C. C. Plc r6abU aU~fOll~~l
vmre the pnlshmeat aaosssad in a oon-
viation POP miedemeanor I.8confinement in Jail
BonorvlblsGeorge P. Rudson, Pago 3
for more than one by or wluma in auph eon-
vlotlon the punlshmen~la aasemad only at a
pecuniary fine and the party oo aonvlated is
unable to pay the fine and oosta adjudged
agd.nst him, thoae BO aonvioted &all be ra-
wire4 to do manual labor in aaoordanoewlth
the provirionlrof this article under the fol-
lowing rules and rsgulatlonr:
"1. Eaoh oommlsmlonerrcourt may provlda
for the me&ion of a workhonse and ths wtab-
l.lehmsntof a county farm in oonaootion there-
with for the purpose of utillalng the labor of
said parties 80 oonvlatr4.
-3. Such farma and worlchouaelahall be
under the oontrol and managemsnt of the oom-
mlerionsrs oourt, and said oaurt map ado t anoh
ruleu an4 regulationsnot inooneirrtsnt tlsththm
lawa a8 they deea wcsarary for. the suooasmf&l
mauagsment and opsmtlon of said lmtitutlonr
e.ndfor erf@8tlvelyutillalng aaid labor.
*a. Such overseer8 and guardn my be iun-
ployed under the authority of the emmlamlonera
court a&may bo neeeasarj to prevent saoapos
a4 to enforas ruoh labor, au4 they shnll bo
pai& out of thrbaounty treauuS?y lruohcsompanaa-
tlcn,as said oourt awaypro8orfbe.
"4. Those so oonvloted ahall be 80 guarded
while at work a8 to prevent emape.
"'5.,They &all be put to labor upon the
pub110 roads, brideas or ather publla woks of
th@ county when their labor oannot be utilfaed
in the aounty workhoutimor oounty farm.
=f3* Thsy shall be requii?eQto labor not
lase than sight nor more than tan hours aaoh
d.ay,Sundays smeptsd. MO pexaon shall ever be
required to work Par more than OW year.
"7. One who refuses to labor o,ria other-
wise refraatoryor 1aaubtAfnate My be punished
.sum
35
Bonorablv George P. Huavon, Pa&* 4
by solitary vonfinementon bread ana water or
In such other manner aa the vcmmiasloners
00urt may ahot.
w. When not at labor they may bo oon-
fineU in jail or the workhouse,am may be most
convenient,or as the regulations of the com-
znissionersoourt may presoribe.
"9. A iemals ahall in no cdlm be required
to do manual labor exoept In the workhouse.
-10. One who from a v disease, or othsr'
physical or mental dlsabPlity is unable to 60,
manual labor shall noa be required to,work, but
shall remain in Jail until his term oi imprl*on-
ment is ended, or until the line and costs ad-
jud.seQagainst him are blsebarg;ed aooording to
law. His Inability to do manual labor ma be
determinedby a physlolan appointsa fvr tL t
purpose by the oounty u&go or the aomm!lssionere
court, who shall be Bai d for such servfa~.moh
ooqenaation es said oourt rpa~~ allow.
"11. One oonvfctsd or a mledaiaeanor whvsv
punlshuent either in whole or in part Is ~I?F
primguasnt in $10 map avoid manual labor by
pay&bat into the aounty treasury oi one dollar
for 'aaahE,ayof the term of his imprisonment
and the reeelpt of the aounty treusurar to that
effect,shall be suifioientauthority for the
uheriff to detain him in jail without labor."
Article~990,8, A. C, C. I%, apppllcable
to justfoe~
court convlotlons,reads aa followst
*A defendant place& in jail on acaount of
failure to pay the rine and costs aan be tlir-
charged on habeas aorpas by shmrlngt
Wl. ~Thathe is too poor to peg the fine
am3 oosts, and
W9. 2&t he has remained In jail a aufl?i-
cfent length of tims to satisfy the fine and
Honorable Oeorge P. Hud8on, Prge 6
aosts, at the rate of three dollars for eaoh
aay.
*But the defendant &all, In no oas6 under
this artlols, be dieohargod until he has been
imprisonedat least tea days; and a justloe or
the peace may dlsoharge the defendant upon hiu
showing the same oause, by applioation to suoh
justice;and when ruoh appliaation Ie granted,
the justice’shallnote the same on hi8 dooket.n
We quote f’romopinion Wo. O-1655 of thla depart-
ment as r0im88
Y!h6 Court of Criminal Appeals has reoog-
nized a distinotlonbetween the aredit to be
allowed ror eervioe In Jail under the two pre-
oodlng statutes. Artiols 793, su$ra, applies
to the satisfaotionof judgwent In misdemeanor
oa,sesin courts other than juatiae acurte. see
Bx Parts Fernandez, 57 8. WRI (&d) 5~78;9% Parte
Mi:highlin,60 8. W. (5d) 786.
“In the PernandeZ ease, the relator, Far-
nandsz, was conrioted In the Dlstrlat Court OS
IbesceuCounty, Tezns, of a,misdemeanoran4 his
Dunlshmentam&awed at a ,tIneof 50.00 and
ao,sts,amounting to #18?00. Presf ding Judge
!dodorrow
in this,ease wroto the following:
*‘The ohaptbtr in whiah drt;lole990,
aupra, appeass, Is one havin rateronoe
to a judgment of .oonvlatIonfILa arim-
inal aotion before a justioe of ths
p0t%ce. From what ha8 been said It Is
apparent that the statutory enaotmemts
make a dlstinotionon the subjeot at
hand with refereras to the oonviotion
of a niademeanor before the &stIoe Or
the pace and the oonviction of a mis-
demeanor in courts of h&her jurisdio-
tion. The reason for the distinotion
may be only a mettar of oonjeature.
Since the statutory direotlon woe definite
in Its terms, the duty of the court Co
c,, -
Eonarable Gaorga P. mason, pa* 6
as written is mundatoxy.
it may be said that the jua-
lice couna
._~ ._ . are limited by the Con-
__.. _
atltutlon [Art. 5, Bee. 191 in OFZm-
l,nal'mtters to Q fine not exceeding
$:ZOO.OO, while under Arttale 5, See-
t.ion16, other courts are &livenjurIf+
i.iot%.on in mlsdsmeanoreOS much hlgher
f;radeand with penalties far more severe.*
“In opinionHo, O-1015 by Assistant Attar-
ney General Benjamin Woodall, dlraotad to Hon-
oroi;leTom Seay, County Attorney Potter County,
Amarillo, !Fesas,appears the to&wing language1
**In arriving at the proper oroait
to bs~~ellowedfor senfoe la jail
undel(taoonvlotlonIn tbo jortice
court/ we must observe tho provisions
of Article 920, code or cr- ..:.
s?roabaure, suprs, that %he aefendunt
rab5l1, in no oaae tttia*rthis artlolle,
be aiO0h,2gOa uidi he fLsr beea im,
p48oned at least ton dayraw
-*It Is, therMore, our oplnPon that
(1priaonar at+vIotad Ia thr juatI6e
court, when hIa total finesand ooata
i.6a a* uqder ThIr$y Dolla~a~(@Q.OO)
should receivcl.omalt r0x atiy one-tanth
of the Cotul ‘aJacunt
$‘p,t
M&h ,%ay,&e
served * * *’ .,
,.
.~
“In the McLau~In ease, 00 8. W.k{;kd) 786,
the relatorwas oonvIot$d in the ~ooxpcratian
court of IEl~aao, Texae, ,snd his fine aaaeeerd
at Thirty Dollars ($SO.OO). ,fn that we, It
was held that Artiale 995~~8 applI(tab2e,and
that Artiole 920, alone wae appl.lcab&e to oon-
victlons before the justiae of the peaO0.
*From the holdings In the Fernandez 6aee
an%.the MoIaughli,n ease, and the raeent opinion
del.ivered by Judge ICreuger in the h lgrte
Fergueon ease, it israpparent that a prisoner
is en.tltledto Three Dallarr ($3.00) per day fox
HWrubl8 George P. Hiadron,Fug* 7
nervlae in jail ukaar 8 aonlrletlon
of a
mieaufmanor in any sourt. ma OUY air-
isrenas In the applicatfoM of Artlalw
793 ana 820 between the u8tler eourt aad
ather aourt 8onrlction~ia4the rhen a
We eoolocle
herewith a sow of said opinion.
Opinion NO. 0431061Of this &JpWtWnt hold8 bIM
county prl8oncrm aannot ba worked on the pubUa rtmtr of
a oitp.
TQU are rarpsatfullyaa*d tht it ie the opfa-
ion or thlm dsparwent;
1. Ihe f%M?d~8iOMlS' %Wt h88 aUthOritj t0 VOrk
aouaty prieonam plaoed in jalk who hare boaa aonriofmdof
a?i8aomomor8.
8. Seatloa 6 of Artlsle 794, aupm, ret8 the work-
ing day at *not hs8 then eight aor more thaa ten hour8 e&ah
day Sundays axceptedd.RSwtiO0 8 o? 8aid artlolo provido8
thai the CtmElliSSlOner8'Court "W adopt MO& rule8 8nd -6u-
latien8 not fnoofu4lstbnt with the law8 a8 they doam aa(lO88w
for tmhseuoae6#iulinana,;auteatand opercrtion Of 8aia fB8tf-
tutiana and for U~faotlTelyutllitplngsaid labor.* It irr
our opinion that tha ConmLir8fonen* Court 8hotid fol.lm
Seotion 0 of Art1010 794, wpw, and in no tltontwork the
primnsre moue thrn ten hOtW8 p8r day; horrcnrr, ii then i8
not myiahnt work to keep th4 pri8OllCir8bU87 ror a full
aaJr or if the oourt beliarer that their labor can'be !wr8
ltfrotlvsly utilized by working thm oao-half day we oan
8ee no mallon why this would not be in subtstantd aampl,liWkeO
tith the statute.
Suoh prl8oners lauatbe &ran oredlt for $S.OO
per day re rdlesia of whether they wtwk on county ~robwta
or luy the r fine and owts out in jail, (SubJratto the
liDlii$atioM 0r Article 980, P, A. c. c. P., erplalned in
opinion 1Fo.0-1655,)
i
Bumrabl,a @m%a P. Xudroa, ?agr 8
KiUdeMRnUr QWtiOt8 whose punirPvlent aitha~
in whols o?in part 18 inprl8oamant IR jell map arc&a Bllltyl
labor b:ppapnent into the aounty traaanry of ona dollar for
084thasp of tho term or hle lmpri8ontaant, a5 provideaby
84CtiOn 11 Of Artlcl8 794, 8Iipm.
5. IS suoh ptiatmaro rafura to work they may bs
puninhd by wsolltaryooafinamsntoa brawl codlmtar or in
8wh other manner au the Canaria8ionantC@Urt lsraydlraot.*
(898 ssotion Q ef hxrsfiofr
794, SUpr*.) Hwavar, it ir alr
oplniua thet *8uoh other manner* must be raaromb~a and not
amouRt so OlUel and unu8ul QSUd8kW0t.
6. If the cOad88iOllax8'couxt18 nwbla to
8O6Ur8 labor fr?B%a pri8OWX after r88OZt10& t@ tka ram&~
~ttvidad by ZIaotionQ of the artiala, an4 thr ri8OOW
rawiau ia jail, it $8 onr opiotoa that the prl8O0ar wonl6
still ba eatltlad to aradit a6 the xata of $8.00 ‘par dy .
(wb#wdt to tha lidtationm of Arkblr 980, 71,h. 0. 0. P,,
au po?intadaut in O&den 100.O-165af; md tlmt the C3crp1
ti8iOR8r8' COUYt WOtid haVa 011aI&Ohoritrt0 'Wok" him
$8.00 par day for aaeh day ha remed to wwk.
7. xt i8 OUT fUXtk8r O@.b0 tk8t tit9CWd.98i008?Ut
Conk% ha8 RO &u%kOXityto wwk mob pri8O062'8 011the Oity park
or say othac ttl%ypxobot. They zt&wt ba worked on eouaty
J,WOfOOt8r
I