Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN Ron. ISa xoDanie1 Oounty Attornq Kmllt4 0ouRty Kiiohita Irlla, Texas II the above stated puostlon 0r the Penal Code reads 68 imaon of any money h intent to defraud any ahsak, draft or erson, iirm or oorpora- h whoa ruoh person &ring draft or order ha8 not the &ng or dratig said oheok, or at the time when in the ordi- ‘business auoh obeok, draft or be prsrented to thr &awe6 for py- im nyrar t0 p3~ S(UII~, aa 110 g00a 11~0 that ruoh 0h4ak, artbit or order 211 br paid; pro+tded, 'that ii aaid oheak, drafi, O;r order ir oot paid on preaeatation the retum st same r&all. ba airsa iaair evldenor Oi the tr~pmkk+ intent OS raid person drawing 01 giving said oheokl and providsd tither, that if suoh shsok, draft or order is not paid within fifteen day8 after the 8ame 18 rarnea unp6ia. it shall be prima faoir evlaenoe that no good reason existed for belirvlng that raid ohsofy draft or order would be paid, and it shall al80 be prima Saola lvidenoe o? intent to dMrtkud and knowledgs of insufflolsnt fund8 with the dram.. a SeOtiOnS 7 6IIa a Of i&WW Bill x0. 190, Ad8 Oi ths rortpslrth Lsglrlatur~, maa8 as folloust saot1on I,- "'aeotlon 4 of Artio1e lQ44 of tha Psnal Coda of ths State of Tera8 U reriaed l,n 1925 be, and the same ia Cereby rcpsalrd." s0otion a*- *Xi an7 seotion, suberotion, alauso, phrase ot thie Aot ia for an7 reamon hsld to bs unconstitutional and inralid, suoh deolsloa shall not aifoet the ralldity of the remaining portion8 of thir Aot. The Legirlaturr herebr deolares that it wuld have psssd thi8 hot in raoh seotion, subseotioa, olauss, phrase or ssatenos thereof lrrsspsotlrs OS the iaot that on8 or more of thr ssotion.8, subssotioa8, slauera, p&rams or sentenos8 be drolared moon- Stltutioonl.~ Artlale 14 of Vernon's Penal Codr reads as Sol- lows; *Phr repeal o? a law whers the rspsallag statute substitute8 no othsr penalty till exempt from punishmat all persons ~30 may havr violat- ld such ropealod law unless it be otherwisr do- olarrd in the rrpoaling StatdO." As a rule, no OQOoan be punished for an offense by rlrtuo of a law 3.n ioroo as to the OfhUSSO in lx o sp t question at the tins oi the trial of the oifender. mgER7& STATI, aa TexM 8881 . ,, ~01. ia, pa 84s. Artlolo 14, Penal Codo, supra, provider that 711 Hon. Had YoBaniel, page 2 upon rrpeal of a law, if the repealing statute substic tutes no other penalty this exempt8 from Bunlsluaen~ all persons who may have violated such rapeale law, yless it be otherwise 4oOlare4 in the repealing ltatutvb An examination of Rouse Bill 2a. 190, lots of the I&r*- sixth Legislature, reveala that rub4lv1slon 4 of Artlele 1544 of tha Per.al Codo ~6s expressly raBeale4‘aad that said repealing aot subatitutar no penalties an4 makes no provlsioa for the further proaeeution or puniahmant ot those Rerson8 whose oasen had not bssn finally di8possd of at tha time of the passage of Eou39 Bill Ho, 190, Aatr or the BortT-sixth Legirlature, either upon the dookatr OS the Oourt OS Criminal Appeal.8 or those ot any trla oourts of this Stat0 wherein the aoawed stands oharae4 with the violation of sutwll,?l8ion 4, Actlole 1544 or the Penal Coda. ,The aase# of WALLt. STATE, 1.8 Texas 889; CHULIIT v. STATE, 7 Crininsl Report8 871 lWXA3 v. STATE, S Criminal Re;orts 119i MOONTUOSfZ2T1. STATI!,8 Criminal Report8 618, and numerous other aase8, whloh we do not dean neoeasary to olta hare, holda In efisot that pending proseoutlon8 based upon a repealed statute abate md xi11 be dismisr- ad where the repealing statute oontains a0 saving olausa This 1s true, for example, whore the repealing Statat takes rfreot after the oonviotion of tha offender, but be- fore the judgment against hin beoonies final, and where it takes effeot Bending an appeal from a judgmnt oi oonvio- tion, or pending a motion for rehearing la the appellate oourt, But a person oonvioted under a raReale statute is not disoharged where the repealing sthtuta door not take effeot until after a ilnal judgment oi OonrIotIon. Violations a? a law w?Ioh is thrrealtar repealed may be punished oaly where ruoh Is thr deolared lsgisla- tive intention. Ser the oases of ;R&PLg. STATi%,7 Criminal Report8 871 . ,, ~01. ia; 0. 84s. IS above stated E:ouse Bill 20. 190, Aota oi the 712 Bon. Pod MoD6nlr1, page 4 tortprirth LOgirlaturr; rpesifioally repeal86 rubdirl; aloa 4 of ArLrblale 1846 of the Penal CodO, and mker a0 proririon for the further pro8reu~lon or puai8hmsa~'of t&OS@ p@WiOn8 who86 O&De8had no6 beea iiMll7 dilspo88d ot at the time of the rfieative data of Hous. Bill Ho. 190, IUp& See the O&0*8 Of MUDOWSY’. STATL, 8S 5.1. 8d 4Slt CRXTTIliY. STATE, 98 8-W. I 26 1 llubl; xll Yieu or the r o r e g o 5q lthoritlcr YOU -a re- 8peetf~l4 adYi8ed $hat it 18 the OpinfOn Of thi8 d8prt- nent that any perSon Who ha8 Odtte6 any of the 4Ot8 or OitUW38 8et OUt in subdirtrfon 4 Oi Arti x5146 Of th. Pen41 Cod. @Or to the O?i*OtiYO &It9 Of BOU88 Bill #O. 190, Ao?ir of the Fartr-8ixth Lagiolatur., oannot now ba Qroreoute6. hY8tiag that the abbot. full7 UpllVfOPSyour in- quiry, we remain Yourr very truQ ATTCRMIY OEI131uLOT,TEUS -. Ar8*llwllliam8 AW:ob Ae8f8taIIt