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Janwb~ 15, 1959 :,
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:Mr &or&~P.~Killim,Jr, .~ .,:...
Couuf@-Attorney
scufiy coutlty ~_
Snyder,Texas Re: Whetheror hbt,.uuder '. :'
Article802e,V,P.C.;minors“.' " ~_.
can be incarcerhea panabig : .’
.' ~trlaluponfa.wre or:t!le i
:. minor~$omakebox& .. ..::"
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Artirl6~
8028 of,vernonls
PenalCo(lc'of
TexasprovSdee'in
put BE follcjws: :.
"Anymaleminorvho has passedhis 14thbirthday'but
hai not reached.~is 17thbirthday,‘andany femaleminor.
who b&s passedher 14thb&hairs;but has not reachedher.
18thbirthday, and who drivesor operates.anautcnsobile
or
cin;v
othermotor.irehi&on any public.roaa.or highwayInn:..
this stateor uponany itreetqr alleyvfthlnthelllm+~ :' ...
.~
i.
bf any.cityi toun orivillage,Or:Fponaiy.beaehas,deftid
In chapter 430, Acts of the.5lst.Leglslattie,1949;while- :
__. under'the'lnfluence 0f.intoxicatingliq)ldr,.&who drives
or operate?an automobile or any othermotorvehiclein
mch‘vay as to riolate'any trafficlav of this state,
; :-
.I’ hall be guiltyof a misdemeanor and~still'bi.~~shed by
a flne,ofnot more than One ~HundreclDol.+3 ($109.00). . '.*
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. . . ..’ Wection 2. No suchminor,after convic$&nor.plea
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of guiltyand imposition
of fine,shallbe committed
to any :
jail in defaultof paymentof the fine Imposed,but,the
courtimposingsuchfine shallhavepover.tostispind and
$tike'poasession
of euchminor'sdrivinglicenseand retain
-.
,++a6ameuntilsuchfinehas been paid:"
"Section4. The offensea.created
underthisAct,
&all be underthe jurisdictionof the.cqurtsreguly4 .,
~caqpoVaredtotrynUsdemeauore
car.&ug the pena?ty
heawn affixed,aud shallnot be underthe jurladi&+o& :
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Mr. OeorgeP. Klll.am,~.Jr.,
Page 2~(W@+i’)
of the JuvenileCourts;but nothingcontad ia ihis.. ,~ ,.
: :. Act &all.be construedto otherviserepealor affectthe .; ._ .
itatutqs&ulating.the povsrs,and dutieeof J’uvenlle
CQU&S; lw.pmvlei~ne~~r thls.Act shall be.cumuJatiti.
. * .. of allother lawson thissribject.”. .. :
~ .
. The questionyou presented concern6the &ar&‘at& of
a minorpeudlngtrial. The,clvll etatute authoritygovernliw j\ivenilcs
. . ‘is.fouud
in Vernon’sCivilStatutesof T-8, Article23’338-1. ‘Article
2338-l:~~a comprehenai~‘+atuti vhlchsubstitutes ,Iuvenile‘~urts
‘. for tddnai court8to4ealwith any chXl.d 0f.adealgnate~aga who vi04 ::.
: ,lates8nYlmrorq rdlnanceoi is otherwise vlthinthe proVialo2l8 07 the ..
: statute..~W; it is'pertlnent to observeat thie+oi.pt that' (. j
&ij~-&a, pAC;; createaan antIrelynev offense.Priorto iti ":' .’
,-par@ga;ml~ juvenl.len.undar aevmiteen~sofage fmdiclpahJwenUes
w +gkteen -0% age yare qot.mibjectto.punishWnt far cr3sea.
.. but n~~‘.mb$ecfwly to the:protieiq,or Article2338~l,..V.C.S., which
oourt8 snd provides the omcsdurs for tri8le ,for ._.. .,
. .: ,:.,. atabllshea~$fw8nlU .
.: -~.j~~dqUiique$~~..~ pxtidn Ii?of~thatt:titute speclflo+y -6’ . . .
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:’ that: :
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3. (WU-547)
Mr. GeorgeP. KIlla& Jr.,,Page
‘. ,.,
a&ii&&l pr&dtie.ln the.&tureoi a'dr&&&adl~n i@~tistsucli"
.minor. .:: : ..;
: Therefore,.it'li
thi oplnios~Ofthis o&ce~%A&t &nce
.~tiicle
8020,Vernon's&~~lCode,,cr&at& an.eut$re&n&i offehseand
'f-her provldcsthatthe juvenilecourt.shal& not have jurisdiction .~. "
over.theminor,then suchminor who fallsto.makebond pendingtrial.
tillbe traatedas adultsand may be couflnedln jail.
SuNudRY
Juvenilesbeingchargedunder
Article*2e, Verrmn'aPenalCode,are
anbonds as
subjectto the ssme3.a~~
adultsaud qy be .lncarcMtad~
upon '.
‘.
faibreto~mahebond. .,..
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: g+&yolire*‘. ‘(
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._ ~APPRgaDz
. .oPINmi’cQNuIlTB;E:
., ,~
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GeocP~.Bla&m~,Chairmau ' ;
HarlettrK&rigor-Payne
Netmy&Bpmrell
Jack Goodman
ByronFullerton
L..P.,Low
l7~tiPoRTHEmoRNEY~
BY:.
UC V. *@pert