.” ‘. . 

Honorab~ L.lbrganYill.iame 

'Dl~txlct AWnmy 

Jourdanton, Texas 

Dear Sir8 &nion Ro. o-2888 

Ret !&he filing of canplalnta 

where eemraloffen8er arise 

out of~one traMMatlM. 

Your request for opinion ti been recelreb. ma ~aremlly 

~0n~iaerba by this aepadicmt. We qaote from your request M followsl 

"I have been requested to write to your aepwhaent for 

amling on the ro1loTlngmattem 

"In a county *iah operate8 under iPle fee bssls,,what 

la the test as tohowmny ocanplainta can be filed against a 

aefenaadi for aote oomtituting ~arioua violation8 of the 

arioinal Law. In other rorde, where a pexty, fox lllmtration, 

is drunk, disturbs the peace and fights, can three 0claplsinte 

be filed againat the defendant, and upq Oonriction in om~~~aaq, 

will such oonviction be a bar to the p.iW&i&n of the r&dug 

came. Allaots growing out of the ati tranmo~lon. 

"In this ooaneetion, Vol. 4, Texas Jurlspm&mce, page 891, 

1 5'3, it la held: 'Of course, *en the prerioue oonviction ma 

for an entirely eeparata ana aiatinct offem3e, 0u0h a8 affray, 

It is no bar whatmer to a subsequent proaecutlou for aseault.' 

Citing, &Craw ve. State, 73 Texae- CrlminalReporta 45, and 

Decker VB. State, 58 Criminal Reports 159. 

*Aiao, ' . . ..where'the defendant has been acquitted of the 

oh@,, ofunlawfullyo~yingbraee lmuokB,and IE then 

proaeeuted for an aa~aultwith euob weapona.’ Citing Cbiecm 7.i 

va. State, 77 Crlm. Rep. 397. 

Vol. 12, Tar. JUT., page 566, $ 246, laya down the 

followillgrule, %e may be aonvioted for rutma a bawdy, 

home, and also for ragranoy, becauee the traneaetlome M 

not iaentioal in point of tima.' Also, 'the playing of the 

m of aioe 16 a ooqtlnuous offense, e&h bet le distinct 

and separate riolatlon of the law ana a conviction of cme 

offense aoee not bar a trial for another.’ Citing, Parlm 

vs. State, l23 S.U. llC9. 
Honorable L. Morgan William, Page 2 (O-2888) 

"It ie lyr opinion that the test M to the nuaber of oaaee 

that may be prooeouted againat a defend& aepsnbs upon 

whether or not the points of time are identloalor whether 

a coutiuuoue trmmotion,and the faote lu eaoh ouenuat 

be airclosed.* 

Sectiom 241, 242, 245, aud 246, pager 56&561-5Q-565-566- 

567, 12 Texao Jurfiprudenoe, read M follower 

"241. Several Offenres Arim- Out of One Tran8aotion. - 

The mame truuaotion may oonntltute eemral diiatinot and eeparate 

offensea, in whlah 0uIe the defendant may be separately promoated and pmatahed for eaoh, and a conviction or acquittal 

for one will not eonmtitute a bar to a trial for the other. 

And the faot tbat'two diatinot offenrres are committed oontemporancouely, or that one is omnitted in aid of the other, 

doaa not lMke thest m the lees dlst5nct. Thus if the acoused 

slays two persoum with the intent or volition to kill both 

they are eepsr4t.9 offenree althOu& aoourrlrq at the 84me time, 

aud a oonvlohion or aaquittal for oue offenee does not bar 4 

prosecution for the other; an assault with intent to murder 

an8 carrying 4 piatolunlavfUly are different offeneeo, thou@ 

growingout of the eama tmffitionj and a eonvic$ion ou a oh-e,+ 

of drirlng an autaoblla without llghte does not,bar a proeeoutlon 

for transportlag liquor in the automobile, thou& +A6 defedant 

put cwthia lights to aid in couoealh hie transportitioz~of 

the liaor. FurtheJr 111uatratioue will be fouud in the artic1elr 

dealingwitlr speolfio erlmes. _,, ,~~,. 

"24a. tro8~iMon for Part of Single Crima. - The State' 

may not split up one orlme and proseoute it in parts, ena 4 .' 

proeeoutiou for any part of 4 ehgle mine Barr any farther 

proeeoution for the whole or 4 p4rt ,of the nime orlae. Where 

the sot ahar@d conntltutee but one orbe, thud% It lr dirleible into different parts or dogrem, the hata w out or 

carve out of It but one offense, amX"hrring proreonted and 

conrioted the defendant of this offense, -7 not pmeeoute 

fbrtimr the tram+- out of vhieh thS +fgnm VM oarved. 

As lar@, > an offenoe-may be oarvea out of,@ 'y+wxmotion as 

po@~lp&, yet the state may out only on+ Bo There several 

artlclee of property are etolm at the eametiae ati plaoa 

a oouvia~ for otealinS par% of them will bar a subnepuent 

proseoutWh for otealing any of the other artlclem. This 

dootriae of oarvjps applies withmom force to a fomer 

oon~lotion than to an aaguitt.41. ,~. 

"245. ~3lhez-e Several Offenses &m t?haYged or Pro*. - 

Where a defendanthaa beeu tried on eeretrr~ cormCa an& 

oonviated under oue hr is thereby aaquitu of the others, 
Honorable L. Morgan Willlape, Page 3 (O-2888) 

and rsj not later be tried upon the one4 for whioh ho wa4 

40 acquitted. @tie where there are 4evenal oouube in 4n ludiotmnt and only one is subPitted to the jury, thie amount4 to 

~ZI aoquittsl upon the abanboned oowts, and the defsndaut my 

not upon a eubbsequent trial be proseouted on the ab4ndomd wwt,a. 

Moreover, where two or more ekilar but repantr, 4otcl oomtitutlng nqarate offewes are plaoed In evldenoe anbar an lndiatmemt or infoxmation under vhicrh 4 oonvlotion of either offenee 

04u be had, and neither the state nor tie oourt d.eota one 

particular tbot on whloh oonvlotlon 16 eou@t, 4 plea of former 

oonviotlon will be good upon 4 eubeequent pro4eouticm bared on 

MY Of the w&m or offennee~ proved, It be* uuoertaln for 

which one the oonvlctlon v4a had. But the rule la otheniee 

where 44 eleotion io made and the jury rentrioted to one 

particulsr a4t. 

“246. Continnow Offmses. - where an 0ffMee la 4 

oontlnuoue one, 4 oonviotion bare all further or other 

proeeoatione up to the time of the conviotion, unless the 

indIaWent or infoneatlon oarvee out the time of the 

ocpnissim of the offenee, and l&e evidence, ae well ae the 

plead-, U oonfined to the time 80 oarved out, The transnotlou 4 ,a oantlnuoua one where there ie one design, one 

impulse, and oue purpoee upon the part of the aoouaebj but is 

not oontlnuoua if it oontaieCs of a elngle act, or a seriee 

of aote, or where, in order to coneummate it, an interval of 

tire Is require&. Thw one ray be 00d0tda~~or nming a 

baw+hotue and also fe vagrancy beoawe ,the transaotiom 

are not identical in point of time. And while the playing 

of the &ape of dice 16 a cantinuoue offeo8e, esoh bet ie 

a distinct and separate violation of the law, and 4 oonvlotiou 

of one offenee doee not bar a trial for another. But one 

conviction for tile statutory offense of opening plsaee of 

bueineee on Suaday is a bar to proeeautione for opening at 

other thee QII the mame day; in order for the state to oarve 

proeeoutlona in oaeea of this oharaoter, the statute muet 

prescribe or the l.egiB&tive intent muet be o.l.ear that It 

ME the purpoae to make eaoh sot or performanae pnniehable.” 

Opinion Ho. O-71 of this depcrrtrment holde at where ULO 

emue treneaotion may oonetitute several aletlnot and reparate offeneua, 

the defandart my be separately proseoutad for 4aoh 4nd 4 fee may 

be oolleoteb 4 eaoh oaee. The opinion aleo hold4 thatvhere the 

aot ohargsd,&nmtltutm but one crime, thou& ‘i%~ is :divlaibl.e Into 

different pbs or degreor, the State may txkor oarve out of it 

butane offen and; havinS proseouted and oouvloted the defendant 

of .tdrsl offenee, the Stat.8 may not prosecute further the traneffitidn 

or act out of which the offenee was carved. We enoloee herewith 

a copy of said opinion. 

: 
Bonomble L.MorganWilUs~,Page 4( o-2888) 

The illtwtration 00nt4in4a in your letterwhere crm 

1s drunk (in 4 public plaoe we assume), dieturba the peace rrrrd fQhta, 

ia apparently covered by the following srtiolee of our Texae Penal 

Code, to-wit: 

Article 473, Vernon's Annotated Texae Penal Code: 

"If any two ormom permne ehallflght tqether in 

apublic plaoe they ehallbe fined not exxpeedlng one 

hundred dollars." 

Artiole 474, Vemon’r AnnotaWd Tosam Penal Code: 

"Whoever shall go into or near any public plaoe or hat.0 

or mar any private houee an& ahall use loua end voolfenms, 

or obaoene, vu-, or lndeoent language or 8wear or mrm, 

or yell or ehrlek, or expoee hia persan, or rudely djqG& 

w p~st.b~~op other deadly weapon, in a,nmnner oalmlated to 

dieturb thd lnhabltaqti $ euoh ulaoe or home, akmll be f'iued 

not tm weed oue hundred dollara." 

Article 475, Vernon’s Annotated Texas Penal Coder 

“A 'pnbllo JODCV,' ae ueed.in the two preoediug ei-tields, 

iq any public road, street or alloy of 4 town or olty, W 

any atore or work ehop or any place at which people af-6 aaambled 

or to which people ommonly resort for purposes of buefnsee, 

amusement or Other lawful purpomt.D 

Artlole 477, Vernon's Annotated Texas Penaldode: .~ ~~ 

"Whoever ahall get drunk or be found in a,state of intoxicatiou in any public place, or at any private house enmpt hia 

own, shall be fined not exceeding one hundred dollare." 

You are reapeotfully advised that it is the opiufou of this 

deparlxmnt: 

1. That where the mme tramaction may ooustitute several 

dietLot and eeparate offenses, the defendmtllay'be ~eparetely 

proeecuted (under separate fr&~t or qlaIn$s) end mehad 

for each and a fee may be collected in dash case.‘ 

2. That the offense6 of affrw (denoumed by A&i&e 473, 

V.A.T.P.C., supra) dieturbance (denounced by Article 47$ V.A.T.P.C., 

supra) aud public drunkenesa (denounced by Article 477, V.A.T.P.C., 

aupra) given in your illustration, are eeparate and distinct 

oriminaloffenaes in law, and may be separatel$ proeeoutsd under 

eeparate complaints and legal oonvicrtions had theimn-even @ougb 

arialng outofaud iu the same t+nsaction. 
. -. 

Honorable L. Nor&au Uillicum, Page 5 (O-2888) 

3. Tad vhere the rot oharg4d oo~tikrter, but cse orbe, 

though it la divimlbb in&~ different part4 or degreee, the state 

may out or oame out of it but one offeme snd, having prooeonted 

and comic* the defendant Of tbie offeuse, the st4t4 may not 

prosecute further the tranmoticm or aot out of whiah the offenee 

VM carved. 

4. That where ah offense la a oontinuoue one, (4uc.h a6 

keep- 4 dl4orilerlJ home - See Corey v4. St4te, I.38 SW Up) 4 

ocnvidtion b4m 4ll3urther or &her proseontlon4 up to the tIsn4 of 

oonviotlm, unl4m the indiotdmt or information oarve4 out the 

the of the cxmmiwion of the offenae, ard the evldenae, 44 well ae 

the plsadlug, ie confined to the time 80 oarved out. 

By /a/ Wa. J. Fanning 

Wm. J. Panning 

Aaelltant 

WJP%AU-dE 

APPROVED nov 20, 1940 

/a/ Gerald C. Mann 

ATMBIPEIIGEBEEULLOFTRYAS 

BY /4L B.W.B.