. .
OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUETIN
.
c
Honorable Joe C. Gladnay
Criminal Dirtriot Attorney
Eenclerstin, Texao
nvictea of !dsae-
6 provhted In Artl-
a micls 794, coas
1 Pf'00Oau0, 0n
aaa, brldg26 and
110 work8 of the
na rslstsa quest i0m
wrb of the County, would it be nec-
essary for the County to establish b
County fara or a County mrt’ house?
“2, If the Comtissioners Cmrt, by proper
oraer’, ussa such labor then would it be
.
2S5
Ho,!xorable roe c. c3Laan9y, Pa@ 3
namlatory on the Court to pay to the
Officers the fees am provided in Art
lCl5 C.C.P., since all Orticers in Rusk
County era cozpen~ at ed on a salary,
eDa r&at yrsvioion is mle for the
~apien* by the Court of the fine?
m3. Rusk County !ms a population of 51,008.
Howover) lt is zy uodsrstatiding that
* all the etatutm Providin:! for paying
oixvicte who work in ais0hargO of their
fires have bceu hold unaon:~:titutlonal
whore It has bean atteznpted to allow
thez less than $3.00 a Oay. AZ I
rlcht in this snd is &.oC a day the
least amount ttit oould be allowed
ouch ldor?
-4. Ii the fine an6 coat assessed ie less
than $30.00 an6 the &.G-azaa,:t i:zrks
Sum6 out, kq0da ix hare tt Yci1’~ ten
daga?
‘Ati 794, Cd.P., pXOVia35 th!It 3 c&~SiOn-
er8 Court n;ap provide for a w0rk house ma the
astabllshxent of a Couhty fvrm in connection
therewith. aeetfon s 0r~ said A* provide8 Wiey
shall be put to labor upon pablio roads, bridges
ana other publio worko OS the County &en their
labor oannot be utilized in the County v-or’s house
or County famP. The oonetmotior the writer
places on ,that statute i8 that bQiore OoCVittts
oan be 2bOOa upon Public roads, brtages or
other publie norire uf the Courty there must be
in exlstanoe a County work house and County
ra+ and, ther*fo.;.(:, ,%he first quostioc should
be answered in %he negative.
*In answer to question Number 3 it is the
opinloci c:’ the wltsr that since all 3ilflosr6
in RUSK County are $iala a salary that it would
not be r;eoassary for the County to :ay the fees
alloweC by law tc the various officers as it
v:ould -erely be transferrIng the JZCG~ ircm one
IIocorablQ Joe C; Gladney, Page 3
fund to another. Art 1055 C.0.p :‘rovldes
the TVthe County shall te liable fii o&Q-haIf
of the feea of the Ofricers of the couhty
vihe.-. the defandant falls to pay his fine or
$0~8 it out in @$I Or works it out but makes
no ~rovislor. for the ;oyz+nt of the Sine.
Therefcre, it S8 the oglnlon of this writer
+.!I&$ thr, CCU&~ ??cUll rot be liable for the
f.i?Q :ihcre it hed utilized the labor cf a
p3rso:! cwlnz the oc.r:e.
*Ir. artwar to qmstlon &unbar 3 it ie
zy opinion t&t Art 793 O.C.?,, controlls
and that $3.00 a Uay is t.he cno*unt to be al-
1med.e
Artlclm773 and 7.24, Vernonls .Lmot&sd Code of
Grinlaal ?roQQdu-“Q, read PS fc?llows:
.
“Art. 793. Pher A Uefoudant is aonviot-
ed cd a rds4ereertr F+nsl3s ;usls.hmnt 1s as-
seaeed at e -peccslary fine, if he is uaabls
to pay tke rlne end Costa edjudged a&net hl?n,
hs may for such tlnQ es all.1 satisfy the judg-
zent bQ gut tc work in the workhouse, or on
the county farx, or :iubllc tiproveEeant8 of
the oounty, a3 provided in the sucoeediry
article, or if theve ho no suoh v~orkhouse, fann
or tapm3xs~~ k.3 nh~.:J. be lmprlscncd in jail
for a su?flci& Icagth of time to disaharge
t.he 1~12 erou.?t of fi;.Q arid costs adjudged
q,aSnrt tici; rstlrf fiucb labor or ~f.rv.~rlaonment
ttt thme dzll-.vr for esch day thereof.
“Art. w?a, vhere tbQ punishment aseeesQd
lr, a convlotioa for ~lede:~Qanor 1s confinev~ent
in jail for -core than mQ 3ay, or where in
euob ao~vlct~ioo the ~uhleb~nent is assessed
srly zt a .>9oziaq fine and the serty so con-
victed 16 umble to r\ey the fine and acsts
adjudged a.@nst hla, those so oonvicted shall
ho re~;;_ulrsU tc Ur ;ts;~unl labor in azoordsnoc
..4th the ?rovislsns of this artiale under
the fallowing r”-7
-.- >a rxd rspl? tions;
2sw
Honorable Joe C. Glatiep, Page 4
“1. ;Sach aomis8ioner.s court may provide
for the erection of a workhou’+e znd the astab-
lis;lmedt of a county far3 lc connection thare-
:rlth for the gurqoss of utillzin+s the labor
of said part&e q oonvloted.
UZ. 9uoh ;cmaa and workhouses shall be
under .the control and .-.anagzent of the oom-
alsslonsrs cmrt, :ind said aourt tiy adopt suoh
rules and rogulstloor rot lnaonaistsnt with
the laws as they deem necessary for the auc-
csestul .zzna~enent and operation of said ln-
stitutlcns and for effeotlvely utilizing said
'lobor.
“3. Suah ove~rseers and Zc:rds mep be em-
ployed under the authority cf tke oomaissicnera
court aa my be neceeaary to prevent escapes
and -to enforce smh labor, snd they shall bs
paid cut of the county treesury such co~~enas-
tiG& a8 s&ibidcourt my prescribe.
W. l’kose so aorvlcted shall be SO gxsrd-
sd while at work es to prevent escepa.
G. They shall be gut to labor upon the
public roads, Cridgam or other publio works of
t!m county w3sn their labor cannot be utilized
in the county workhouaa or county farm.
93. They shall be required to labor not
l&e than o%gbt got zero :hnn taz houra each
day, Sundays exo apt ed . No person shall fiver
be rep;ircd to work for zore than one par,
“7. Cne who refuses to lebor or is other-
wise refraotory or ineu3ordlnate Amy be pm-
lshed by solitary oonflra%ert OILbread end
water or In euch other ‘:&nner ~8 the coznis-
sl::~neru c2urt my direct.
“8. ;~~a~ root -.t lti;3or they :zay be confined
in jail or t:le wor?house, no my be most OOC-
venient, or .:‘a tha :-:3&attorua of thn ComilS-
sic-cers court xay preeoribe,.
2S8
Honorable SOS C. Cladmy, Papat;@
3
"9. A fezale shall in nz aase be required
to do -?@nual labor exaept in the workhouee.
“10. Ons ..ha from a:e disease, or other
physical or zmta& dlsabilltg is unable to do
manual labor shnll not bs req~lred to work,
::ut shall rmain In jail until hls tern of iz-
?risoment is ended, or until the fine end costs
adjudged a<;ainst him are disahargod accordlnc to
law. I?!ie inability to do mumal labor lcay be
detamined by a phpoicfan appointed for. that
purpose by ths county udcq or the ccmm~ssicnsrs
court, who shall be pa i d for suoh asrvios suah
coqmsatlon as said oourt nay allow.
“11. Cm oonvlc+ ed of a zlsdemamr whose
:m&mnt either in whole vr in part is ls-
@son;;ent in jail my. avoid roamal lcbor by
gapant into the county treasury of one dol-
lar for esah day of the tern of his imprison-
n--nt, and the rocei;t of the oounty treasurer
to that efreot shall be sufficient autboritg
for the sheriff to detain him in jail without
labor.”
Sktion 3 of Article 39120 reads as followst
“IO all oa.888 where the Comlseionays*
court shall have detamined that county ofii-
hers or preolnot orricers in suoh oouaty
shall be oom~nnsoted for their servlom by
the payment of an annual sslmy, neither the
State at Texas nor any county shall be oherg-
ed with or pay to any of the offloera so
compensated, any fee or oo.mnlsslon Comic-
siui6rs' Ccurt 532v or07100 for t!i.s creation of 3 ror!s-
house and tha emiishzht of E oouaty far% in conneo-
tion thcrcwlth for the Quc~osc of utilizing tha labor of
said -x&ice so oonvloted.” 3eotlon !i of said &%icle
prorillss; Thsy chall bs 9?tt to Lo.bor upoil zhe :utlla
roads, brld~cc or other p&lie workc of %h:i, SsUty -&an
their labor oanzot; be utilized in the oo,mZy workiiouoe
or county fsrm.* Baotlcn 1, above quoted, La mt aaada-
tory, e.Ld it is rltL;r~ the disomtior. of the Comlcsioners*
Court whether or Got they ~!rCwid@ for th6 6r4CtiCU of a
workhouse ccd the csti~blich.~.ont of c oaunty fcrm. Seo-
zLoa 5 ;;rorldcc t&t when the labor of the county convicts
ozniist be UtiLiZed 1,~ ::hc county workhouse or aounty farm,
the:7 still be >ut to labor u>m the public XWIS, bridges
02 ether public aoris ir, :ne co-ar.ty. It. is also to be
ilotyd tbt A~I-ti~l4 753, Cr?de of Crlt.Lmi ;.roc:cdurc, S~SC~-
fichily ;]~ovideg t:t*t v.licz Y- dniendant is convicted of a
~mis'd.asaazos acd 21.8 pWis~ie;:t~ is assevaed Lt 8 ::eounicry
Honorable Joe C. Gladney, Fags 7
fina if he .le unable to say the fine and costs adjudged
c;tiJnet hi? he %ay for suoh tIma as will satiefy the judfss
cant be put to work In the workbouae, or the county farq
or (1. publlo imprcvozent of ths aounty 58 provided in the
auoooadlng zrtiolbs; tThersforo, your firat quuestion ie
respeotfullp anewsrod in ths nagativs.
-krtIcla 1055, Code of Ctriml~al Prooedure, reads
as lolloweq
*The oounty shall r;ct be llahlr to the
officsr and witness having oostr in a misde-
moanor oaao ti14re defandant gay8 hi8 fine and
costs. The county ehall be liable for one-
half of the ieee of the officers 0f the
Court, when the defendant fails to pay hle
fine and b3ya hi.9 fine out in the county Jo11
or discharges the tmfi4 by means of working
suth fiza Gut on t.& county roads or on any
county ;roJeotr ha to :;ap such kalf of oosts,
the county Clark shall issus hi.8 warrant ori
the county Treasurer In favor or such offfcer
tc bs pcld out zf tha Road and Zrldga Fund or
othaz funds not othorwias approprfatod.”
Con4idOring Artiols 1055, supra and i%otIon 3 of
Article 391&b, eupra, the CommLssIoncrs~ 6ourt is ilot author-
ized to pay the oiflosra who are cozpensetad on an annual
salcry baeie the cozpensstlon provided bJr Article lb55.
There Is nc provision whatever authorizlr@ the county to
pay *ho fine of a fi.e,tandan$ who aatioiiss the fine azd costs
asasased against him ‘zy working in the .workbouae or OS the
county farm or pub110 ingrovaments or thu aounty or where
the defendant ie imprisoned In jail for a sufficient langth
of tI-,o to disoharga the full amount of the fine and costs
sdjudcfed agaInat htm.
In an8we.r to your third question, it is Our opin-
ion that Utfols 793, Cod4 of Criminal Prooedure, controls
and that $3.00 per day is the amount to be allowed.
With reterencs to g2ur fourth question, ~4 Call
ycur attention to the aase 9.x carts Young, 135 9. V. ted)
863. R4f4rring to ArtIole 795, Code or CrIfiIcal Procedure,
the court saldr
Honorable Joe C. Gladnoy, Pago 8
TV4 are Impressed with ths Ids& that
such article is a general 0114, and applies
‘to cny ahd all miiisderreanora gensrally, un-
lass there should oppaer in such Code E mro
OFuCifiC on4 dealing with some subjsot there-
In. In our ssa'rch tharsfor we cam In con-
tact vrith Art. 920, C. C. P., under tha head-
ing of ‘Judzent & Juetlo t Ccurt, * hiah
is263 aa tallows;
*vi derenlont plaoed In jail on aooount
of iallure to pay ths tine and ooats coil be
diachirgsd, on habeae aOrFU0 by ehowIngr
“‘1. Thiit ho Is too poor to pay the
fise and oosta, and
“‘2, Th?t ha has r4maIned In Jail G
4urricmt 14nGth or -Sin4 to 44tft3ry t39 fin4
sAd c5sts, at. the rz te cf thres dollero fcr
sach Cay.
“‘Put th4 defendant shall, In no cass
undor thlz erticle, be diachargsd until he
ha8 boon imprisoned at loa6t ten days1 4nd
a Justioe of the pooce l~ilg dIsohar5e th4 du-
fandent upon his showing ths same cause, by
aPplIoetian to such jU4t84O; and when such
application Is Grr_nted, the Justice shall
noto th4 nam on l-do docket..*
“It la our holding that Artlele QEO,
oupre, prevents tha dlsaharge of any person
by maans or a writ of habeas oorpus who Is
compelled to lay out his fine end oosts In
jnil, which was li-vied in. a justice ar,uxt,
until he haa rrerveC at least tnn days in jail.
At such tlms he is entitled to the writ of
habaan oorpus, rnh shall be allowed the sum
of three dollars per Uny for each day he co-
zaimd in Jail, and If suoh amount would
have dloohsrgtd th4 fics and costs, he vsuld
54 ontitled to hie dIechar&e 05 a habaae
oor?us ~;esring~ sx part4 Yol;lughlIn, 124
vex. Cr. 3. 40, 50 5. :;‘. 2d 705; XX carte
Honorable Joe C. Dladney, Page 9
Fsrnandez 122 Tex. Cr. R. 641, 37 3. 3’. 26
578.' Fhi i e this holding may operate as a
see~mlhg injustice to the reletor herein, oom-
pelllng h&to serve ten days in jail for a
;'14 fine, its c$vreotion la a matter for the
legielature rather than this court. The
datuts is plain and we must follow it.
'578 thsrefore hold Iierein that relator
woul!e have to either ;sy his fine snd oosts
in the justloe court, or serve at least ten
days in jail before being entitled to his
disoharge herein by means of a writ of habeas
cor;ua.*
In view ~of.what has been snid in the above mention-
ed case, we respectfully ansc’er your fourth qusstion in the
afflmative, when the oonvlotion Is obtained in a justios
acurt.. However, when the conviction; is obtalmid in a county
oourt, the question is answared in the negative.
Trusting thet the foregoing fully mowers your
inquiry, we are
Tours very truly
Ar&ell lilliams
ATT;)c:PIZYGENERAL Assistant