OFFICE OF THE A’l-l-ORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
Uonoreble Eert Ford, bbdnirtrator
Texsr biquor Qootrol Poar6
1 Auauetin,TeXa8
Dear BSr$
We hare four let Qatr request%ng
the opinion 0r thlr elltlonr state6
therein wNah road
that ir 4 wbgea,
r weft, or 4
trcm6portation or
8qul~f CIerigned
lboturag or 11ucrit
r4m6abhi~
8 manuhoturing or ilucit bmr-
le together ritb all suoh berer-
or materio1 ohall be reined
by say representative et tha
me orriarr rho dmll arred ~sq
Such of'fiosr 6hel’1
onto proceed iagainet the person arre,sted aml
all prineipal6, aaaomplices, an6 aaoorsorlee to
such unlavful aat, under the prorfrlons or law,
in sny court having competent jurledietlm; but
raid vehicle OS tomepnn8e ohs11 be returneb to
the owner upon exeaution by him 0r a good uul
374
!’‘1 8ooorable Pert Ford, A&alnletr~tor, mga 8
., ,
valid bond, rith eutilalent mrotlee in 8 Euro
double the lppr8iSad t81UO Or the property,
TN& ldd bard eh811 be apprord by aaid et-
f&oar and #hall be aonditionad to return erid
property to the CUStodJ Or said OrflO@ OB the
w or tmi t0 ad0 ‘j-t 0r the OOU~,
me oourt upon aonviotion 0r the poreon 44
wrested dull order the alooholia bavaragaa
di8p04ed or M pr0ds3d in thi8 bt, 0~ mm
less good cause to the oontraty is ehm w
the omer, ehall order the 8814 by publia wo-
tion of the property lal~ad, and the 0rri0w
rinkin& the sale, after deduatUg the expenses
of kaepkng the prOpeh7, the eelmra, and the
cost 0: the sale, ah811 ~7 all llane, aceord-
ing to prlmitios, ~blob are aet8bW3had by
intonantlon or otherwise at eeld beering or in
other ~ooeedinge brought ior edd purpose, 4e
being bona tlda and as heving bean araataU
without the lien or hering 8ny notlca that the
oarrying rabiola was being used or SOS to be
used ror lllagal traneport8tlon or liquor 8au
ehall pay the belama of the prow& ta the
i)otmi to bo allocated as par8dt re48. AU liane
egalnet property sold under thie sadion ehall
be truztiterrsd from the proparty ta the pro-
oeade of its e8le. If, however no one ehall
be foun6 olaiaing the team, ra d ale, water or
4.r weft, or eutomobile, the taking of the aeeia,
with description thereof, shall be ulvertiaad
in 801~4~ naeepepar publiehad in the oltr or aounty
ehera taken, ar ii there be no nrrepapar la euoh
city or county, 4 newspaper havl olr cula tion
in the county, 'one a week ror t-0"4 f8 reek8 ud
br handbills poet 02 in three (3 pub11 0 plaeae
n08u the place 0r seizure, and 1 r a4 014i8nnt
shall appaar within ten (10) day8 after the m-
lication of tha &lv4rtleoment~ the property
shall be sold ar~I the proceeds 8tter daduotlng
the expenses and costs shall ba pdd ta the
hoard to be ailocotad 8s pemdt tees. - - - (3)
Wader authority of the above &&ion 8~
inspector of tha Texas Liquor Control Board ap-
praheude 8 person illog8lly transporting liquor
in a dry 8raa and eeieee the w&lo14 used la
the traneportatlon.
8anonbla Pert Ford, Admlmiatr8tar, Faga 8
who provlaiona or mtion 44 8bw0 -ofad
ara not oleer eith raf8PazW8 to the mathad a?
rataU¶lry peeaaal0n or uv tehiola or property
so ealrad, pamUng trl*l oi Orid& oompltinte~
and the prooadure, naoaeeary to parfeet eala
8nd disposition of meh property 8tfar eon++
tlonr
'Tour taluad oplalon is requested on tha
r0iiorring gaaatione~
'1. Utar laieura 8nd pending thatri8l
or erimlnal ooinplriata agalnat the daiaadant
in oounty court, what proaadura, if any, is
requl.Ped or the qfflaar laielng e8id propart
to ret&n poeaaeeion th8reorS
'8. Altar oonviotion of the daraml8at ia
county oourton the orledn8leh8rgae 8nd,lf
8ppeolad, pending the ria diepoeition at
arimin81 cUrgee, who la entitled to poeaaee-
ion or said property.
*a, After rinai aomiotion, aat proee-
d.ura 18 aaoaae~ to laanre role 8nd diepOet-
tion or the ealsad propartr.
@4. If a OiVil 8ation in the rm or 8
euit in behalf or the state 8g8inef the dafend-
ant la required, in whlah court till juriadio-
tion or such ration 1iaP
To hare 08refully oonaldorad the above atatad
&eetione in comactlon rith Art1014 d.43644, Vernon*8 An-
nOt8t%d canal code, and the oaee or Ftisrisa T. Ueihraugh,
llg 8, T. (26) 601, 8nd 8nsuar your quaetlone as rollwe~
1. It till be noted that the statute raferrad
to (Artiole 8BB4tr eupra,) amOng other things, prwidae
in 4rr0ct that when any peso0 otriaer or rapreaant8tl+a
or tbo Boer6 olmrged with the duties of anforoing t&e
criminal laws of this State shall diecorer any parem In
the sot of transporting in violation Of the 18T any illicit
bewraga or erg 4QUQiu4af deeignad to be USSd for the ii-
legal eenufaoturing ot illlait baar8ga8, or any aPterie
OS any &ml rNch 14 to ba used la the eenufacture or 11.
llolt bavaregae~ ouch rahlola or rah.ialae (84 remad in
ii the statute) together with 811 euoh bavaregae, aqulpeant
or meterie shell be leired rithout 88rreat b7 eueh rap-
reeentetira of the Boerd or ezq pee00 off&oar rho Oh811
arrest bny pereon in ehrge thereof. Such officer or of-
rioera ehall at anca procmd lg8lnet the pareone 8rraeted
and 811 princlpele, aooompliooe emI aaoeae0rloe to euch
unlawful sot under tha pr0vlalona 0r law in 8uy court
hating tompatent &wladiotlon but up rahlole or aonvey-
moe a% eaiead shall be raturnad to the owner upon axa-
aution bI him 0r a good and valid bond, or sufficient eura-
ty in 8 sum double the talus of the property, which bond
ehall be approved by said OfflO8r and ehall b4 conditlonad
to return said prOpart to the custody of said ofiioer on
#a d.81 OS trial to abide &dgeaat of the COurfe Other
portions of the statute provide for the intervention or
those interested es lien holder8 or otharriaa in the prop-
erty aaxlfor setting up thalr reepaotira olelsce tharato.
After the oonviotlon amI after the cl8lem ot priority or
lien holders or others are eefabUeh4d in the property a
court or competent jurisdiotion is authoriced to ordar
/ the ealead prOpert. sold 8ftCr p8ying the prior clelm or
lien holders, if euch there be, then the ltetuta provldea
/ ror the diepoeltlon 0r tho rolainlng tunde, ii us. Attar
the rapreee~tatl?oe of the Board or any paaoa offlcar has
eelead eny rahicle uaad in the illegal transportation 4f
1: illlclt Bevoragas end erraetod the person in charge thereof
and proooedod qpiast the person arrested in R court of
ooqetant jurLed.iotlon, tbero 18 no other prowdure re-
qulred,axl the officer eaieing the sea@ is entitled to
I the poesaeeion of euob property pending the trial of crier-
! inal empleints against the daPenl8nt in the county court,
/ unlces said dcfenient executes 8 bond 9s authorlee& by
said statute.
! In answer to your second question, it is our
opinion that after COmiCtiOn Of the d4f4ndant iI% th4 coun-
, ty court on the orkin charge or chargas, an4 the case
is sppoalad, the regrceentati+a of the Eoard or peace or-
ficor scieing said property in tha first Inet~OiJ shall
I
373
Bonorable BSrt Cord, *dadniStrStOr, Page 8
retain poeaerOion Oc the same until final disposition oi
the 0Sae by the SppollStS ootrrt.
In 8UppOM Of Our %WWiW t0 your O0Oaab qtiertloa
me tpaote from the orme of Flarlee t . Xldmmgh, aupra, ae
rollOSar
a , It appellant 8er8 aoquittad o? the
charge *ai unlmmmp transpomng Liquor, the
autowMl0 muld be immecLiate1~ redelirerod to
him, beoauae the state has ao right of appor]l
in auah ease. In the OvSBt he ia aomiated,
and ff be Tam eatltled to retain poaeeaeion of
poalr, rhiOb MOSSafWily OoBaumea a great deal
or tlmel, the autmlobile would be greatly dlan-
iahed in ~Slue or worthleaa at the aonclaalm
or Pinal detemdnation 0r tho oaae on appeal.
Z'he mare fact that the property was required
to be delimmd to the sheriif on t&e date af
the trial does Bof deprlre hip oi tha value of
the OpertT nor it8 use, aXOept pending the
hear aBd datsrdBatiOB Of his guilt in aoa-
na~tion with the offense. me rtatute ru1ly
proteote h%m in authoriaing hii reply of the
property pending a trial of his aaaeI and If he
is ooaT$otad, thea the aberiif or person into
vboae oust* the automobile la returned is
required to proaeed in a court of aotnpetent
~UJ'%&OtiOB Sad secure a torteitura Of the
automobile and a sale thereOf as direoted by
th&~;;tug In such a proaeeddg the
et4 &&'abor that Phariss has been
finally aotiated ot the offense ot lllegtilf
transporting liquor, baeauae unbar the statute
imolted and the authorltiea, the guilt of the
automobile, or the state’s right ot forfUture,
is ;nipatqd upon the oomiotioa Of the owner or
person using the automobile in the oomudaaion
of the offenee~ and relates bask to the date ot
the ~omu&a~iOn of' the offense. The proaeecung
is therefore not to forfeit but to onforae the
farfelture that-has reaultei under the statute
fi* the domlotion of unlawful transportation
flomrablo Bert Ford, Adnidatrator, Page 6
a? intodaating liquor, in the eonmdeaion of
Mch offense the automobile was wad. . . .s
In answer to four third question it la 0lLT
opinion, that the oounty court upon oomio i ion of the
person arrested ahall order the sale by blio auotion
of the &wopert;l selsed. It all1 be not er that Artiole
666-44, expreaal~ povidaa in part, @The Court upon a-on-
tiotion of the person so arrested ahall order the alco-
holic beroragea disposed of as provided In this Aat,
and unless good aauae to the contrary la shown br the
omer, ahall order the aalo by publle ruatlon of the prop-
erty aelaad, and the ottleer makfng the sale, otter deduot-
it& the expenses o? keeping the prOpe?ty, the aeiaure, and
the aoat o? the sale, shall pay all lieaa, aacording te
priori,tlea, ahlah are eatabllahed by intemantion or othor-
rise rt said hearing or in other proaeadinga brought for
aald purpose, 8s being bona ?Lde and as baring been created
without tho lien or hating any aotloe that the carrying
rehiole was being used or vaa to be used for illegal trms-
portatlon of liquor and shall ~a)'~the balsnoe of the PO-
oeads to the Board to be alloOat&l as permit fees. All
Uana against property aeld under this Beation shall be
tranaiarred from the property to the prooeeda of Its aa1e.l
We n0u oonaider par fOu.rtb question. Te assume
that JOU hare in mind some alril aotion rogfwding the sale
of the property aelaed under &tiole 666-44. As heretotom
stated, aaid statute requires the Court in whiah the COB-
riotion was had to order the sale by publio auction of the
property aeiaed.
Wuating that the foregoing ?ully ansvera your
inqulriea, we are
Xoura very truly
ATTOR#iZX
C;uIERAL OF\TSU3
&dell Villiams
Assistant
C.,I .,.‘:J
-
, CF;‘!13x \
I ~OM!4lTTE~
B.&g/
L
Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion
Combined Opinion