OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
Naroh 81, 1939
HOE. W. AL Tuoker
a0wy Attorney
%.llin@m, Texas
Lear Sir:
unty, Psxwihar. a pepulatlcm
a last prsga5lag te48ml
d.a5osounor sad h!luQtmluhmonb 16 asueeaod
at a poouaiary fine, ii he is usable to pay
the tins an5 oestu adju5~5 againat hi+
ho may for mob-the es till 8eaElciithe
$aQpnont k put to uo* to the wo2! khouao or
on Ishe aotMty far&, or pubHo ii~~~rown&
Hon. W. U. Tnoker, aarch 21, 1939, Page 2
of the ocunty, as provided in the suooeed-
1x1~Artiole, or if there be no suoh work-
house, farplor Improvements, he shall be
impriscned in Jail for a sufficient length
of time to disaharge the in11 amount of
flw and oosta adjudged against him; rating
sooh labor or lmprlsonmnt at Three Dollars
($3) for each day thereof; provided, how-
war, that la all aoant%es In this Stat0
aQntainiry,
a pQpul+iQa OiaQt l.M thu
tmaty-foe thQw$aa *, aa5m6 '*i&hty
W4~16OJ aor8o~~thaatpeat~iour tbeaudd
two aIQ#5rd ol4;ao)~"or la aiy aotit1.i
fifty (7,150);ul5 lliOoontiM 0oateiI.L~
l papalden o f no t 1 088thn ta ir t~ t-a
ung han5a-d an& MTO~ {30,707).nor~+3ra
thamthirtyth- mwen&tmalrd~ aSm
(30ro,70S)&
aad ln wantiu aontnlalaga pepuln-
tlon oi not lam thaa twatpe+ena thoman4
rin huu5.rearorty4d.80 (27,849) nor -
than twmy-08nn th0tm3a rit0 -4 rirtp
cma (Z7 SSll; 8ad in oountiea qoitaln* a
p0pd0n or not 1~8 thrn aw00a thoound
ate h-5 tmmty~l&ht (lS,lS8)nor mere
than nlnekeathowan5 QM l1wlre5ththir3j-
(19 lS0); am5 ln oountle8 ooatelnloga pqm-
l&on of not leu thaa eIghtem tWun&
el&ht hundred iI.ftpnbm (16;SSP) aor mare
than ai6htOOn thoumad 8iX hw&l'& 8%Xty+IM
Eon. 2.. 2. T-uoker,Marah 21, 1939, Fage 3
(18,661);end in oountiee oontalninp,
a
population of not less than ten thousand
and thirteen (10,013) nor scorethan ten
thousand snd fifteen (10,015), according
to the last preceding Federal Census, when
a defecdant is aonvioted of a misdemeanor
antihls punishment is assassed at a peoun-
iary fine, if he is unable to pay the fine,
If he 18 unable to pay the tine and oosts
adjndga5 against him, ho may ~OZ suoh tlms
as will satisfy the jrddpunt be put to work
In the workhouss or on the county faa, or
publio i.aprcmmonts at the asunty, as pro-
vided In the suooss5IsgArtlole, or If taers
bs no suoh Workhouss,ran or Smprsvamsnts,
he.shall bs laprlsoue5la jail tor.s~mcffl-
oient lssgth of tlm ts 5lsshargs the Sull
aaouut or flse asd~oosts a5 ~%$~*s;st
him, rating suoh labsr as5
at not lsss than One Dollar+i 1) per day
nor aora than Three Dollars(1S) psr day.
"Tha.OmalssionorwOourt of aaah sush
oounty as.deflnsd by papolstionbraoksts abws
In this State, at ssy rqular or spssial
km, shall, by emler ra50 and sntsrad Is
the minutes or said COurt, dstsnlns the rats
or WA&S to ba pal5 ssnviots Is their re-
epaotln oousties for lsbor or Saprisonment
per day In aaoordanoa hemIth.W
ArtIols 793 or the Oods of Orinisal Prsssdurs
In 1923 provided that uhss a defeqlant is ooafIots5
of a misdemeanor and his punishment Is aases8e5 et a
peouniary rim and that If ha is unable to pay t.b fins
and ooats adju5gad agafnst him that ha aoul.5satisfy
the fine and oosts b]rImprfssnmantIn Jail or by bsIng
put to work in the workhouse sr on the county farr sr
publio Improvamsntsof the oosnty, rating suoh labor
or ImprIsonmeatat $3.00 isr eaoh day tharsof. !PhIs
art1010 was amended by tha Asts sf 19t7, (0th bg18tia-
turn First Called Sssalos, page 194, ohaptar 68,
Ebotjon 1, by rsdnolng the rate irOn $sioO:par day
to.Q.00 per day. This art1010 was again%msmds5 by
Hon. 'Z.r:.Tucker, i:arch21, 1939, Page 4
tti .9&a of 1934, 43rE Le6$slature, Second Called S~SS~OII,
page 85, ohnpt.cr ?z, sect3on& by chnnglnr the rate from
c1.m per day t,oY3.0~3per day. This article was agaln
amended by the 4ats OP 1937, 45th LesZslnturc, 1st Called
Session, House Ml1 45, Seotion 1, which is the present
law above set out. It will be noted thet the present
Article 793, Px?e oi Criminal Procedure provides generally
that the rate ehall he $3.00 throughout the State, but
there are IIUWNWUS sxoeptlonauhhiohapply to oonntiea
oi oertaln papolatlonbtaokets. DollIn&awmth Comty,
!Pemm does not oome withia sny or the populationbnokets
set out In nttlole 793 and. thereiora,the &wirra+wl
rata
of $3.00 Is applloable to OollIn6swwth Cotmty.
ArtIole 79%. 794a, 794b, 7940 an5 7945 oi tha
Uods of CrImInal Pmoedmo am not applIoabl0to Oolllry~-
rorth County, Texes beoauso C)ollin@Wrth County 50as n0t
.zg;0E;hIa any ot the pqmlatlon breoksts nam5 la ui5
.
ArtlOla OeO Of tha CO50 OS Criminal PN0a5IUa
ot Texas reads as r0rm8:
*& defendant plaoed In jail 011soooant
or railurs to pay tbo-tine and oosts aan be
dlsohargad on heb0as OorpUS by shhorlm@
"1.. That he is tdo poor to pay the rim
snd ooats, and
That he has remained in jail a surfi-
0tOe*&th of tiab to 80ti8ry the rin0 and
oosts, at-the rate of three dollars for eaoh
day*
*But the defendant shall* In no oese mdor
this .artiole,be dlsohsrgeduntil he hae bean
hprlmne5 at least ten daya; and a justioe of
the pea58 nay discharge the de+ndant upon hI8
#horiB the same oause, by applloatioat0 SUOh
Justl00; and when mob appliaatlonIs grantadd
the justlae shall note the same oiihis dookoteu
~~%Iols oeo or tba Oo50 or Orklnal Prooodur0
-Or T~XLUB
is toun4 In ohapter 2 or title ll W the Code
Hon. kV.2. Tucker, Karch 21, 1939, Page 5
of Texas w?ifah relates to JUs-
of CrIminel Froaedu*.e
tioe aourts. t&lo18 920 of the :Toie of ~rimlnsl
l'rooedure,therercre, relates particularly ati applies
particulerly tcijustice courts.
Xe have corefiillyconsidoreEthe fo:loring
cases cited by you In your able brief, towit:
Ex Farte Fernandes, 57 SK (2nd)578
2x Parta I'olly,12 sn'(2nd) 16
16xParte Rowler, 15 SW (2nd) 1115
Ex Parte Baptlnatall,39 6sl(2nd) 95
au&me have reaahed the aoaaluslon that there is no ooa-
rllot between these oases.
¶%a Rowley oasa raa daolded Yaroh ZQ, 1989,
whonthe 1989
awn&e6 atdate wmi in ru roroe and er-
root whloh provided the rate of $l.Oa per day for jail
wrrlos or work upon the ooimty farm or othar Impmna-
writs. The Ex Part8 Polly aasa was deolded February
W.1929, atwhleh time the 1989 amended artlola wa8
ia rtm for08 and arr~etwhloh provldad for the 41.00
per day rate aboreiwntloned. The ISrParta Xepfindall
oass wee dsoldsd on the 10th day of June, 1931, at
whfoh-time the 1939 amendedatiole vaa In roll rm80
and erreot whIoh prmlded for the $1.00 per day rats
ahovwentlonsd~ In eaoh oi *e nbom oases, Ex Parta
Polly, 6x Psrte Rowley and Ex Parts Reptl~stall,the
data of the orfanses of whioh the defendantswere eon-
rioted was after the date ot the passage or the amended
aot of 1929 and prior to the awage of the amended aot
of 1954, and. therefore,the i:1.00 per day rats legally
applied. In neither of these thme oneetawas the oon-
vtotion In the justiae eowt.
The oase of Er Parte Fernaadez, 59 5U (2nd)
598 ma d&aided February 15, 1955, by the Court of
Crhlnal Appeals.of Texas; the rslator, Fernandes, was
oonrieted In the JoMoe eoort of a misdemeanor and his
pwltihment aaaeesed at e iine of $50.00 and co&S,
amounting to $16.00. The quwtlon in this ease was
whether or not the relator should be allowed $5.00 per
day or $1.00 per day fsr hI8 serv100 in Jail.
Bon. K. ?A:.
Tucker, Karch 21, 1939, Pace 6 '
The court held In this ease that Article
920 of the C&e of CriminalProaedure was mandatory
and the relator was allowed $3.00 per day for his aer-
ricea In jail. Thia opinion dIstinguIshed this aasa
from the Zx Parte Folly case by saying that t3e oon-
vlction in tt!ePolly case was In the El Peso County
Ccurt at Law. It dlstIngu*shed the Er Parte RI11
ease by saying thtt t>c conviction wes in the 3istrIot
Ccurt of Falls Ccunty, Texas. It dIstinGuished the
Er Parte Howler Case by saying that the oonrlofion
wee In the County Court at Law of Wlohlta County.
The court farther stated as followsr
Y'hs chapter In which artlole OZO,
rrupra,appears Is oos bavIng reference to
a Judgeaat or aonvIotIonin a arImIna1
action behre a justtao afthc peaae.
-am what has bean @aid It 1s apparent
t?mt the ektntory waatawts make a die-
tlnotion on,the wbjaot In hand rith ro-.
farwoo to the oonvlotionai a nlsd~or
baiora the Juatlae of tha paaoe and the
oonrIotIonof a mlsdamaanorln oonrt*
or higher jurIsdIotIon. The raaBon for
the dIstInotlonpay bs only a matter oi
oonjcotura . Slnoa the statutorydirection
wao deiInIts In Its terara,the duty or the
oourt to apply It as writton Is mandatory.
Kowerer, it ray ba raid that the juatlea
oourts are limited by the Oonstltutlon (art&
ale 5 Para. 19 In oririndl~a to a fin8
not exceeding i ZOO, while un4cr atilols 5, pam.
16, other oourts are gi~an ~urIsdIotIonin
lniedemeanors of muoh higher grade and with
penalties far more severe.
?From the foregoing, It ia plain that
the relator having bean oonvIoted In tira
justioe oourt, being too poor to pay his
fine, end having remained In jail more than
ten days and ior a tIme eufficient to dis-
aharge his fine, It Is thought that the
reletor'o appllaation for a writ Of habeas ./
oorpus should havesbeen granted."
. :
Hon. W. Ii.Tuoker, Uaroh 21, 1939, Page 7
It will be noted that in the Es Parte Feruan-
dez case that the oourt olearly recognized the prinoiple
that a person xho had been oonoioted of a misderrmanor
in the Justice court and who wss sarving his time in
Jail must remain in Jail at l.eastten days and Sor a
time sufficient to disoharge his fine.
In answer to your first question, you are re-
spectfully advised that it is the opinion of this Dapart-
ment that 3Z.03 per day is the proper rate for allowanoe
or osedit to be given prisoners who have been oonvioted
of miodemeaaoro for oomIng tire In jail or for working
out their fines as prod&d by law la Oolllagow0rth
a0my, ~0~00. Itlo the furthoropInlon or this Do-
portmont tb0t ArtI MO of the Code or arwl Preoo-
dure of Texoo a plIoo only to eonVIotIonoobtaInad,In
justloo ooart8 gut the oamo IO nandatary OS appllod to
juotioe soarto. for oromplo, A. 8. md a u.m ill oen-
r2otod I8 just100sotdo ror mIoaem0aaor.A*O rim urd
soots amoust .~~.&S.OO;Bye ilie uxd aooto emomt to
#O&O crud&w oad~0oto moidtto $4SAO. War
Irtl010 QW dth0 aodo Of aririnil ProaOQ-, oMO@I
sol& art1010 allouo &MO per day ror Jail 0orvi00, till
artIola'?arthorp&doe 8 mInIam of tea days ImprIm-
moat. A must lorvo tbo iinimtm of ton days; B mot oorve
ton days. B'o iIne and ooot6 mt to #SO.OO, whloh
d$vldod by #SAO would moko tan days. 6.0 fine and
oootoamouatto(4S&O; ho Is allowed #f!LOOper days
ho must servo flftooa days.
With rororonoe to your oeoond qrrootlon, uo
rind that c~ili~orth a0Qnty &OS not 008~0 within
the population braakoto oi any emoption whioh would
give tho OoamIooIonero*Court authority to doteamIne
wages of prIoonorsfor lobor, Jail aorrIo0 or Imprloon-
mont and your oeoond quwtloa, thorefora, IO roopeot-
fully answered In the negaative.
Very truly your0
WJRAW
ATTOBXBY GEHlcRALOF TIEx89