OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
Hon. Toe Kumohik, Co~mnieaioner
Bureau of Labor Statirtior
Austin, Texas ,.I\,
/ \
Dear Sir: Oplntnian pro. o-B& “,;
Rer Exhibitionoi p++a fight
mtio~,.~pist* rtlrs.
ode ha I beon, b lf-
or ubafhor it 10
:W t0 paon pri~i r-t
xa8 theatore.”
.dernon*~ Annotated Penal Coda
rleturo In 169SI,pruhlbitedp&l-
mom ~naotluent deiined a "pugilisti
term ~pug$li8tiol noountor,* aa
n, 113meant any voluntary right or
noounter by blow8 by mean8 of the
or otherwire,whefhar with or wfthout
glO~e5, betWO8n
tW0 Or mOr0 IDtIn fO%- IOMIP, Or
ror a prize of any oharaotor,or for any other
thing Or V&lUO, or ror any ohan@iOnship,or
upon the result of whioh any mney or snythtna,
Hon. Joe Kunsahik, Comuissioser,Page 2
or value is bet or wagered, or to ESS which any
edmission fee Is cherged."
From 1895 until the year 1935 vprfaa fighting*,
aa that tare is ~omonly uudaratoodia athlQtia ofrolaa,
wss held unlawful.
Sea SULLIVAN v. STATE, 32 Tax. C. R. SO, 22 S. W.
ti%LARD V. KNO5LAUCH (T. C. A.), 206 S. W. 934.
In 1910 ths Legialeturewant ,a~':atap
rurther se8
prohibited the exhibitionor motion glotuwa or pries
right.. Article 612, Vernon'8 AnuotataQ'PenalCoda.
This eneotlnsntraaaa 68 roilowaz
qo person, aseooitation, oorporetion Qp
any agent or aaploya of any paraon, aaaooietlon,
corporationor raoalvar, partnershipor firm
shall glra or present to the publio au axhlbi-
tion or prlsa right6 or glen oont~ata,or or
any obaoens. indaoen~ or immoral piatora of any
characterwhatsoever, by meana of moving plotura
rilm6, bloaoOpca, vitaaoopea,magi0 laatarna or
ot4r devioe or davloea in moving plotore ahowa,
thrtera, or auy other plaoe *Ihataoarer~
>.,.:.:
"Any poreon, or any agent or ampl0ye of
any pwson, a66oolatlon,oorporatlouor raeaiv*r
vlolatlng any yrovlaion at thia art1010 ahall be
finad not leas than one hundred aor mere than
one thousand dollas, or be 1rrpri.md in jell
;F;;; leas than ten nor more than sixty bya,
Each day*6 violstion or any provision
or thls'artiolesbs3.1be a separate offenaarn
In rosa, however, the public polioy 0r the State
as manifested by its legislativeenactments.ohangsd. H.
B. 832, kots 1933, 43rd Leg., p. 843, ch. 241, legalized
with c+tialn limitationafistic combat, wraetling mtohpri,
sparring oontests or exhibitionsfor money. Su-
Labor Statletioe. This enactment wee aubaaquantlyamended
,-,
Hon. Joa Kunschik, Connaisslonar,
Page 3
in 1954, to allaw tha Coamlaaionarto preaoriba rules
and regulationsfor boding and wrestling. Bee A&a 1934,
2nd C.S., p. 68, oh. 2l.
SeOtiOn 16 or the Aot of 1935 axpreasly repealed
all laws and parts or lawa in aonrllot therewith snd m
laay safely 88swna that Artlola@ 610 and 6l.lof the Pa-1
Coda have been auparoadad. Thl6~wa mar not aaauma r0r
Artiolo 612.
We have oarafully axamlnad thai:Aotof 19& ia
amanded by the Aat of 19S4 (Vernon*6Annotatab Penal Coda,
Artiolar 614-1-614-170 inolualva)and have raflad to
find an~rprovision amking it lawful to praaatit au axhl-
bition of pries fight&g to tha pub110 by motion piotura
ribus, Cartafnly there has bean no axprase.repaalof
Artiola 612 0r the Penal Coda. Whila the law rrawna upon,
but somatimaa aanotlona,rapaala by implloation, harr ua
hare nothing upon whish to attaah an irpllomtion. The
Aota or 1033 and 19M fram vmd to -6 66 dlatdi u on
the aubjaot or axhibltingm&Ion piotura fllma orla:f: a*
right8. WE muit oonoludt3 that iktfala 212 or the Penal
Coda stands untouohsd.
ft la, t4rafwe, the oplnien of ~+hl.ir
bpartment
and you are ~rpaetrull~ adrlaad t4t Artiala dla or Var-
non’s Amotatod Penal Cobs has not baon auparoadedbJ Ar-
tic168 614-l-614-170,indualve, or Varmnla Annotate6
Penal Code, and it is a violation of th~:lan t0 praaant
rep publio atiibitinnp~lza right movingpiotura fllaa in
Taxaa theatare~
Yours vary truly
ATTORNEY GBNKRAL OF !fB?SS
/a/
BY
~. Jasea D. Smullan
;.: A8alatant
JDS:ob
APPRCVED AUG 15, 1940 APPROVED OPIRIOX?COMbilXTBE
/a/ Grover 8611ara BY R.R.F. CHAIRbfAN
FIRST ASSIBTAXi' ::
.+-- ATTORNEYGENRRA1,