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Hon. Thom& E. Hayden;‘J& 1 Opinion No. k-08
,DlatrlctAttorney
42nd'DlstrSct ,-~.~,.,..,.,~;.,,;~,~:ry.,Re
g ,.Authorltyfor ls-
Abllene, .Texas,~;;~
',:-'~,,;:,'~:,',:.~l.;
,,.z,yj BuwlC9 and form of!.;
::,i:c 'L,,,&~;'),,
.i '),:.-':,'., :?-.~.:..
writ by Court to
procure attendance
or collv1ctas wit-
‘Le. “Aa .D&lct: A&oi.ney of’ the 42nd Ju- ~[i’;;,~z~;!., ‘-
~,edlclal Texas, Ihaveaoaseto
Dl~trlc~f'~~.of .~
be tried ln"'&%h a,materlal wltneas ls'noji- !.!:.'j.:.~
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conflned.to~theState Penitentiaryat Hunts-.~::- ~,..
,.,~vlIle; and I.have wrltten,the'TexasPrison ..._
l;+
.,Systemat Huntsville asking what papers they.:,, .::-.
require in order to release him to 'theSher--'. :,' -
lff of Taylor County so that he might appear
.,asa~wltness. ..Theauthorities at:Huntsvllle
.wrote‘ our department on or about..$eptember,..,,,: .I
,23, 19f6, In whlch.they recelved.8'reply ln..iiz~;...:
Opinion Number O-7426, as follow%: I ... I:.,
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,' 'The Texas Prison System.authorl-,:'+,.,;....,.:
ties may release a prlsoner.for trial
i: ,' or'as a material wltnestion the fur-
qlahlng of a,bench warrant.' :,-::
9. "It 'lamy understandingof ,thelaw that:,:!~'-:.~:T
'.a.benchwarrant can only be Issued for the. ;~ :i
defendant, and I know of no rule of law that ,' ,,;
".
would permit a bench warrant.for a witness.
I would like for you to advise me concerning
this matter. It Is my opinion that If a sub-
poena with attachment was Issued that the
witness could'be released to the Sheriff of, .J
Taylor County, who, In return; would take ,--
the prleoner back to Huntsville after the
trial. Please advise me concerning this
Hon. Thomas E. Hayden, Jr., Page 2~'' T
"matter.' If I cannot obtain this witness;
then I will have to diaml33 the case now
pend1ng.y~
It Is wlthln.the power of a court-.
to compel.
-.In
the attendance as 8 witness of 8 person conslnea
State prison when It appear3 to the 38tlsfactlonof
the court that such.attelidsnce13 necessary. 70 C.'.J;
41, 'Wltnessea",~Sec. 14; 18 C. J. S. 110,."Convicts",
Sec. gb.
The'power was'lmplledlyrecognized ln'.Leev.
Statb;~70 3. W:(2d) 190, by the Court of C&mlnal Ap-.
peals, wherein the process was termed a "bench war-
rant".
3~
That the court msy issue writs and process
not speclficallgdescribed or In situationsnot ape-
clflcally contemplated.bystatute ls~expresslyrecog-'~
nized in Ex Part& Low&, 251 S'.W. 596,. bg.the Court
of Criminal Appeals, wherein a warrant Issued by the ...
Court dlredted tc the Sheriff of McLennan County corn-'
mandlngdellvery of a defendant charged In Hill Coun-
ty to.the Sheriff of'Hll1 County to,the end that de-
fendant might b&present and attend his trisl .inthe
District Court'of Hill County was held to be within
the powers-of the District Court of Hlll.Cqtity.
There the defendant was In custody"undera~'charg~.Of
lunacy-inMcLenna~ County. &d the wrl,t,was~,t~rmed
a "Bench Warrant.
We doubt that it matters'whetherthe writ
be termed a "bench warrant' or ati "attachment." We
are also ofthe opinion that's subpoena Is not nec-
esssry snd that the writ may Issue upon determlna-
tlon by the court that the witness Is required In
/ order to attain the ends of justice.
This Department by Oplnldn oW26 held, In,
the 38me authority, that the Texas Prison System
might release a~prlaoner 88 a material witness upon
the furnishing of'.a"bench warrant' in form attached
to that opinion. We 'are:enclosing,a:copy,oi :O-7~426
,:,
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with the form attached. ".i .,..
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SUMMARY.. ; .; I-'
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to pro,-. '.
Court'may Issue wrlt'~dea'lgtied
cure attendancebr an inmate,,! a .?+ate :~
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Hon. Thomas E. iiayden; Jr., Page 3’ L
Penitentiaryas:8 witness..
In a pending ',
criminal sction,*and~no~
subpoena Is net- .
esssry.
: .' ,I!. Very truly yours
r i ..I .. : ATTORMEfGEIWi OF TEXAS
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_. : BY
a Hed~McDaiiiel
. 't
I ""‘ ; Assistant '. I
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Enc. 1
ATlkiEYGEN&&'OF TEXAS
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'APPm~.'OPIEIIOH;COMM~~,,BY &f.Ei., czAIRMAM ‘_
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