OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN



## tioxtorablo

To@.$, Dart aounty

Attoramy 

## xeadall cotaty BoarJio, "knr pur e&r- _

. . ,” .,.i



### Eoxorable Joa. B. Dart, Pcge 2



### dies an unmitural death, axospt unbar 

### ecntanoe of the lcw, or in tho abmnoo of ona 

### or mm3 good witnessca. ' "An the purpoeo of an inquest is to determine the OQUBB of death, not to prove *ether a pareon lc dud or not, the justice of the peaoc 

### ia of tha opinion that the rmatlon of 

### wltnsases in thi. artlole mean. witnao8*8 to the oaus. of duth and not nsoomsarlly witne8635 th0 

### ‘ fact thd death has 000urrod. %f 0curss.in thou 0sse8 where the wit

## nusa. to a. unn.tar.1 dwth .a. bothth. oauce and 

### the 

## deathltmlf fher'em10.d bs no 

### oeoeaslty.for~ma lnqwrt. But *hero 

### the 

## oawe of 

## a&h oaotus iiione ~laoa an4 the 

### Math 

## in another

it 

## would

se& 

## thatan Inquest .hoald **bo** hrld to a.o.rtain 

### the oars. of death.“
Totu qaastlon, aa we oadsrstand it, by ua in the heading of this letter. is a8 stated



## ATt.lola 968,cod.of Crirnixi.1 Plv..&lrs

giV.8 the oiroumtanoes 

### under whlah 

## a just100 of tbr pasae'is author

## izedto hold .n 

### inquut. 

## Suohartlolo 

### reads as hollows:



## %ny ju.tioi



## of aloyuoe s&U b. l

## w thoriead,

and lt.8bsU'bo US 

## tlUty, t0 hdLd inquest. wlthoot.8 

### j.ury ?ltMn nim oW*, in 

## the fOllowlngO..us' 9. 

## Whia0.

p-n dleb 

## ln prlSe*



# . “A!. m&z & &ob zlm

kula4. ori&l any calm0

a 

### .an8n a88ur8l do am.lXWPt 

### .wilor aenteno e

o f tba lnw. 

### or in theabsmo e ~0f0m or mo r e

### good wlitnu8e8. 

### -3. 

### Khan the body of 

### a hup*m bdag 1. 

### found, and tho .irowtanoes of hi. bath (II-. anlnOWl.

### Horlornble Jo..& Dart, Page 3



### that he oame to hi. death by unlawful means.g 

### ~phasls our..)

invoke4 inSubseotion 4 of Artiol. 960, eupra, may pmslbly be

rour faotU~oa.8, **but** thf. do.8 not 

### l pp.ar prob- .blo from 

### the 

## entire aontext 

## of yourlatter. If the jwtloe 

## of the p-0. h.4 r...on.bl.ground. to 

### swpsot the 

### -cm.. **0.m.** to 

### her am&h "7 oat&on for an 

## unlawful maas there

## would

br amplejuntlflnquost

b.o.u.8 

### or tha 

## provlsloao OS 

### Artlols 

### lvu, ooae or crlmlml 

### PTOOO~UWI, as ~~404, msuhg 68 foi

## 1OUBl "If**a** 

## pamon noalro an injury In on0 aouat~ and die8 la 

## another by 

## raaun or 

### sprh inJury, **thb offrn6sr**  **ayr ’**  **be** 

### procrooukd

## in the**ooonty** whonthe 

### learns r.o.1v.d orrbanthwbath 

## o;yAzwor ln the 

## oounty whom 

## the dud. b6ay
&&as0 of the 

## aboto sSotuto ths o** of 

## althar Buu or~Xwl&l'Couaty wouli3 bare ~rrdsdiatiea

te try 

### Zho .Ue~ 23&e

'I.nqcmst uzhr %ubd.lvision 4 of Artiol. 968, supra, 

### u6ul4 not **depend** 

### ?Ipoa the 

### prereaoo or **absuioa of**  **d&tsssos** 

### l lthar at thb 8o.n) of th. injury ar brth.



### We nort d~drsrtto th. 

### ooastraotion

to be 

### p&owl UQ.B l3ubseotlon & of said Article WL



## IthMkorl of
.. lnqu.st ls to eb 

## taaly
...o+tx t&t th.pup088 infommtloP **u to**  **rbrthera bath**  **w awoe&**  **by lol.**  **orialml sot**  **.M to**  **0-n eTlba.0**  **to** 

### preveat**usape 0X.**  

### the **@ltr,** as **Wll an**  **to $?srnlSh**  **8 fwadmtlan**  

## far**a.**  aal**  

### pro.e6utloa **in oa.6**  **(irth 1.**  **shorn to**  br 

### fslOailieor

m 

## Othemis@

unlawn& ,.

SW PiirbOa

f. ibb

Ia the instad oarno, va am 

## cb the Opinion 

### tht 1% mu&l be 

### es l



### amantial~toknow the **oamo** of th. d.dh .8 

## tha faotot 

### bath lt..lf, tm fulfill the porpo8.r 

### of the statute as disowsad in the oitd o.oU. F'rcr the 

### 8upmnar Court cam 

### or pohk Oounty *a Philllp8, supm, we tak. fh. followfly pertinant lasnm.g.1

### . . Xi1

Ho~:orabla

JOE. B. Durt, 

### Page 4

“. . . The foot that death bnd resulted from vlolonae, end the further root, for esem~le, that the rlolsnoe ooreieted of a blow upon the 

### head, are but steps in asoertainlng 

### whether or not 

### a crime haa beon 

### odtted. The blow may have oharaoterlstlos other thsn thoee 

### of a physlaal 

### mtura. It may bare bean aooidentsl 

### or 

### it msy have been Intentional. It may hnvo boon ulllful, uncl**without** jwtifloation, or it nay bate beon jostlflsbls. In ecoompll#hlng the purpose or the 

### inqumst, It is 08 Important to dotermine the80 **Uttar** aharaateristios o? sn wt of violenos rhioh 

## has led to a 

## doath as 

## it is to eman tha ra0t that 

### them 

### was violenoa, 

### and that 

### aah wus 1te mault. . . .- w8 dlrsot your espoolsl attantlon to ths dlsousslon 

### or the requlremeats of a nlid inquest boron rollsotlon~of s fee thereror 

### in the 

### @au of Pierson v. Gelvutan Conat~, (Civ. App.) 

### olted abova, spaolflcall~to paga SO of 151 

### s* n. (26).

It la our opinion that your question should br ~J.urored that -good 

## wltnsasu w to the caum of **duthwould** be as essential as "good wltnesse8 

### * to 

### the bath lt8eU; an& Li all or the 

### othw e8mntlal ruqtiraments OS 

### a valid lnquost have been mat, tha 

### justice OS the peaoa la entitled to his fee. Your. vary tnlly



### ATTO?.LWf

GlCXFX4.L ~SlStMt