OFFICE OF THE ATrORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
~~sorable Zert Ford, Adrhistrator
faror tlquor Control Eoard
~x~cin, T6xsa
tha above stated
gsstion has besn r consldemd by t&is
~s?Grtzaent.
1 ?rooadure or Terns,
orroh lmorporated city,
2xiY.lhave jur1oaiotAon
11 sll.oA.zii~l oases arising
city, town or villa,-3, and
iction with any juatlce of
n which said city, town or
'in eLl.crlatrsal c%adS arising under
r this state, in which p*nniswct is
vfh3ro ths ~23142211or 3uck rice may not
sd dollars, and arising xLtFi&isuoh CO+
-particleao2, 5~~1 Coda 0: Texas, raqas as r0110~9:
nay p3rsoo wh3 drlvos or oi2aiatoa an autozoblle~or
e3y other motor vehicle upon ony strebt or aller, or nny
oth:3r place wlthia the lizi$te of any lncorgorated ~itp,
town, or villo~o, or upon arty public rosd or hi&my in
this mite i4hil3 suah parboa ie int0xim3a, or in acy
-..
3;
,’
Eiu* 33rt Tord, Page 2
'desrea under the influence of lntoxioatlng liquor,
shall upon comlation ba confined in the peaiteutiorp
for Jot xore than two (2) pare, or be confined In the
county jail far cot 19as than five (5) days nor core
thm EhSty (90) days end fined not less t&m Fifty
pollers (&SC) nor mars than Five Eundrsd Dollars (;SOC)."
Article 11, Zeotion 4, Toas Constitution, provides,
LI.ILO~;
cthsr thlni;s, that cities and towns havfzg a population
or rive thoiieand or less my be chartered aloaa by Senerel law,
Article 1145, f;eviaed Civil Statuttsa 02 Texas, appli-
cable to cities Incorporated under the Ceneml Lass oi Tens,
reads ns followa:
*The aaayor shell be the president of the board of
alderzen and shall, xlth thrse of the elderwn, coostltute
a quonu for the transaotion of business; a%d the quorum
still have power to enaot such by-laws and or&Inances
not imonslatsat rith th9 laws end colstitution of tus
Ststa soshall be desasd proper for tha government of
tix o0rpor8tion.~
Section 5, Article 1146, Pavised Civil Statutes of
iUa2, applicable to cities Inca-rporntod ucdar the Caneral
iaw of Tans, prosoribing the pmsrs of aldermen, raads as
z0110lrs
;
%ma power to preaarlbe the fina to be imposed by
ths =oyor ror the violstion or any by-law or ordimaoe,
ahich shell'&+ no case exoeed one hundred dollars; but
no fim shall be knpoasd except upon the veralot of a
jury, should the defeadent delsad a trial by jury.-
..%rtIoke11; Section S, Taxas Constitution, provides
aaoongother thiws that cities Pavl~ aore than rive thousand
inbabitaats my, by a srajority vote of t?33 qualiriea votem
Of 8210 aity, at an elootlon held for that pcpo26, adopt or
Wead their charters, eubjaat to such liaitatians aa mey be
Wsscribed by the Le~nlntare, end provides that no charter
02 any ordlzance pmsed mdar snid ohartar shall contain any
?ro7ision iaoonsistert with the constitutionithe Stata,
Or of the general laws emctod by t';e Legislature Of the Stats.
203. 3srt Irord. kgs 3
Artdole 1165, R3Vi33dCivil Ztetutos of Ta.xas, apgli-
cable to EEM ible Cities, provides OZO~ other things, that
so charter or say ordinaroes psassd under said charter shall
ee;tain any prorikioa tncoasistant with tha Comtitutlon or
rnneral Laws of this State.
Texas Juris?rudsnos, 701,i 3O, X~ti~lgsl Cor3oratfons,
0167,s3agss301-2, roada, In gert, as tollowe:
wOrdiosnoer whloh ars in aoniUot rith tba Constitu-
tion or the stats law am void. This is tram of OrdiXUiO8S
onacted by nunlci~slftie3 which operate undsr tha &ensral
law or which have speoial chsrtsrs, - aad ~2130of ordi-
~aacos enaoted by hone vu10 cities, tke expssr provlelon
of the Constitution and ths stetute belrg that 00 ordinance
passed under a hose r*ulo charter shell contain snp proYlsion
lncmsistsat with the Constitution or general lam or the
'Jtnto. . l .”
Texas Jurisprudanoa, Qol. 30, 2znioipal Co,~orations,
.xtiox l&a, Pagea 304-5, roads, in pnrt, as iollors:
'*An 0rdirranoa ~a7 rr;s4san aot an oflenas agakst the
runici7ality thou:# it lo also a0 olfenso against ths state,
law, add an ordinozo danouaci0g the ~-3s~ orfsnse sap be
ak$xsiblo in a momcation for oiola;ina a stata law.
"As a z-ule, au ordinarroe is void nhdlch mkss that an
of,oenoe whloh Ls pemlsslble under the state law, or which
psraite that which is -Ads aa otioxse by the Pmal Coda;
erd the sana ia trua of aa ordirazas rhich rebgul.ates the
33ai3thins aad define8 substantially the sssIe 0fren3.9 as
a state s);atute, but p~saoribsr a eater- or lsss or
ditlerent pmalty than t!mt prascrlbsd by the statnte. . .v
fn tha cam 0r city. or, xink VS. cdmta km3cclent
co?apaoy,100 3. 9. (2d) 095 (.xprezm Court Of ToXaS), a City
orCinen0b 0r 9250cii7 0r *sin%yvovfding, a iin9 0r Sloe. for
Wrztioz of prize drav&q by lot of nonsy or other thing of
hlus at plaos of azwmnent and r?aklng each day*0 VlolntlOn a
eejjaratadfonse was hold void ior conflict with statutory.
?enalty or tine oi $100. to $1000. for coAduot of "1OtterY."
the city ;=effiot deolars an offonse and fix a pszmltp
~~sre the State has already denouaobd the Sam thing as m
Offense and fired a h&her psnalty tharefor than tha oitp Can
aon. 3ort Ford, algo 4
Ahdenent Conpoy Y. city of Exlaton (Clv.
415, error refused. Also 800 thz ~~3.3 of
An ordhaaoo regalaclng operation of vehlolas at
intermotione, a3d providfsq dirfersnt penalty from that
gresorlbed in ntatute ma held lzvalld. See El Paso Zleotric
Xi, (Zd) 295 (Goa. App.) 25 S. 21. -
You are raepeotfully edvioed ttot Lt. ia tko opinion
or this I)opartzmt that your qutmtion should be answered in
the negative aad it lo 30 answered.
Vary truly yourd,
APPROVEDFE;B 19, 1940