. *
. 616
,
OFFICE OF THE AlTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
, AUSTIN
ho.-
-em
Honorable &nmr Oarri8on. Jr.
Direotor Dspartaent of Pub110 Safety
bUStAIl( Texas
Dear'Slr:'
This Xvlsion ent oi Public
Safety would great1
your orfioa on the to
ving while intori-
the assessed penalty
% llol?nes was not am-
20, the new DriYer's Lloanse
olguatnrr of
amending Art-
24. paragraph
that in ease of
enumrated in
24 of this Aot, and the
senteaoe of the oourt harfag been t?uspsndQd as
provided In the Statutea, suah suspended seutenoe
shall not mitigate mJalnst the suspension of the
operator'n, oomerolal operator!Q,: or ohauf-
few18 lioensa of the person conoiotod.'
Xonorsble Romer &.rrlson, Jr., ?ace 2
Ye are in reoelpt o? a report fro3 the
Cregr, County District Clerk ahouing that said
defendant oomitted the ofionas o? dririn& whila
intoxlaated on data a? April 22, 19&l., and was
convioted ?or this of?ense, a charge of drlting
while intoxloatod, on date o? Hay. 3, 1941. being
assessed penalty o? 2 years suspiaded santenoe.
“1. The oiianse ~:a$ co.mitted hsf?re tba
new Law beoamemiivc
*2. Conviottd for said oiiense after the
new Law became e??eomeT
yuestlon: Is ths driver's license BUspend- ,
ed as provided in Section 24 paragraph (o)?”
‘The 47th Legislature enaotcd .::ouse Bill :,I:,. 20,
&c. 24, Auto=tlc suspension o? lloinse:
‘.
“(a) The lfomse of any person shall be
automatically SUSpended upon rinal Omviction
of any or the ?ollotvlni; orrensos:
“1. . . .
“2. Driving a motor vehiole while under
the lniluenae of IatorfoatinC liquor or narootio
drugs;
0. . . .
Yea. 25, (0) For the purpose o? this Act,
the terni *ooniriotion’ shall mean a rinal aonvio-
tion. .&JO, for the purpose oi this Aot, a fur-
feiture of ball or aollaterel deposited to se-
oure a dniendant’s appearance In court, whioh
?or?eiture has not been moated, shall be equir-
alent to a convlotion.
“Provided, however, that in mat o? aonvlo-
tion ?or any of the oticnses emmernted in para-
iTrnph (a) of Section 24 of ti:ls tct,
Eonorable Honor Garrison, Jr., Page 3
and the sentmoe of the court heving been
suspended as provided in the Ltntutes, such
suspended eentenoe 4hall not mItIfxts af&ust
the suspension 06 the operator's, comercial
operator's, or ohaurrenr's llcenae or the per-
aon conv1ot4a. * .i
“Mitl‘:>ats’~ is derlned by Nsbster'a ilm Intar-
netioual Dlotlonsry, 3eoond Edition, as:
"1. To render or beooze mild or zIl.ier;
to i30niry. 2. To noderate; t0 mak8 or be-
co56 less severe, violent., fleroe, cruel, In-
tcnae, halgh, rigorous, painz'ul, eta.; to
soften; oqmx+e; zlioratt; dl~lnish; lessen;
ts?per; as, to xltlgate hoat or cold, grief,
I ..a puhIshm8nt or nn r?ffenss.W
'.
Your letter edvlscs that the defendant comitted
th3 orrense OG April 22, 1941. ti:i ,iprll 23, 1941, :;ousc
i3ill :I?. 20 becam ef;'aatIve.
Art. 13 of the i'enal Code of Texas reads:
"yihen the penalty for an Off8n4e Is pre-
saribed by one law and altered by a subsaquent
law, the penalty of such seuond law ehall not
be infllated ror an orienoa oomittod before
the eeoond ahell have taken effoot. In every
case the aooueed shall be tried under the law
in force when the Orr8n48 was oomltted, and
If convlated punished under that law; except
that when by the provisions of' the second law
the punlelment I4 meliorated he a:iall be pun-
Ishad under the eaoond unles4 he elect to re-
ceive the penalty presoribed by the low in
force when the offense was comalttod.*
It Is clear to us that the legislature intended
thst the license be suspended If the d8fendant is OxWiCt8d
and draws a sus?end:cd .sentsuou. 'This , '~8 believe, is true
Xonorable E0ner Garrison, Jr.,'Pa&e 4
des ite the uce of the wxds "final aonviotion" in Sea.
24 Pa).
The penalty Is not aaallorated by the smandzent
to Art. i%f37a, but on the oontrsry ia iuoroasad. Applyincz
:Lrt. 13, supra, your question must be.gnswered that the
detendant's lioanss Is not suspended b‘bcause of a oonvlo-
tion art8r the 8ff8atiV8 date 0r the amendment ror he must
Lava been tried und8r the law in foroe at th8 time the
oftenee was commItted.
Yours v8ry tNlY
APFEOVED&A'