OFFICEOF=lEA’ITORN%Y GENERAL OFT=- ’ .,’ 

-- AUmN 

Honorable Roberq Hi Lcmg 

county n~torney 

Conanohe County 

~Comnoh~, Texas 

OPINION NO:O-7003 , 

: .. Eie: Opertition’of Pool 

prohibited by Art; 

R.C.S. ahd Art. 

He have reoelved’yourk 

‘ion, Which is quo>ed as foil 

arshi;, restrictn who desire to . 

rs an operator at 

e no charge for par1 or bllliardg but there 

es for each mfibar until?. 

ad been met. Thereafter 

xtent neoessmf to ffieet operating ex; 

the salary for the operator: Drinks and 

ts would be sold at cost. Xo one would 

be perriitted to enter said olub~ unless he possessod 

a rcenbershlp card. bkcibsrs would not be pemltted 

to bring gucats except Lmzbers o$ his imcUiate fagi1y. 

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Honorable'iiobert K. Lool; - r-age.2 . .' : 

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A club organized slt~Iliarlytoths abovb 

but%th the exneption that all equipneat be p&d 

l . 

for by tha &arter members before ~openinS apd 

thersafter due& paid at the end ?f the nmWi.bazied. 

On o?eratin~ axpemes. 

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"The 'purpose behind the pro-used o&b ia to provide reoreational facl.Lities for returging vetezam 

without violating A&. 653 of the Peql Co&." 

Artlole 4668, Zevised Civil Stethtes of Texqs, 1925, ' 

entitled 9001 ifalla~ , provides as follows: 

*No person aoting for h&self or ot;hers shall 

niaintein or 0per.ate.a pool hall u,~thinLhis State. 

The tern spool ELall,f as used herein,~in&ud~es any 

room, hall, bui1dl.n~ or ;urt thereof,, tent or 0112 

closure or say kin6 sL&lar to those nacisd, or my . . ..

inolosed op& space, j.ni~hW~ are exhhibited for 

hire ; reveme, rees .or @&.a of any kicd, or for ad- . - 

'vertising piqoses of any kind; say pool or billitid 

tcble ar etaud 01" structure of ZJJIY kind or oharacter 

. 

on whlob ~nay be played poo 1 or billiards, or say gaze 

sinilar to pcol or bLll%ards played with balls, .oues 

or pins or eny similar devioe. Any such table, s-tand 

:or~struottire oS any kind used or exhfbited~4.u conmotion u:ith any glaoe \:hcre goods,. wares or mrchandise 

or other things of value are sold OI! given away or 

where or u>on whioh any rzooey or thing of value Is 

pald or exchanged shall bo regarded QS a glace where 

is exhibited the sme for .hire, revmue or gain,.. 

'The habitusl, actual, or contemplated use of any 

predses,.plaoe, room, buildin;;; or psrt thereof or. 

tent, or any kind or character of e!iolosure similar 

to those mu&,, or say uninoldsed o$efi space for .. 

the purpose of exhibiting any table, stand or structuro of my kind doscrlted in &MS titicle msy be henjoined at the suit of either the State or any oitizen 

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Honorable Robert Ii. LO - Page 3 

:j .‘,. 43 _ y.‘. _, 

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'thereof. The Attorney General of t&Is State, or 

any district or county attorney, or any.oitisen 

of eny oounty In which eny pool hall is maintslned, 

operated or coltemplated may, elther.in ter&tlme : 

or vacatiozqapglyto the distriot judge of the 

.dietrict in -6h:ch is looatsd the place where suoh 

pod hall. is maintained, dperatted or contemplated, 

or to~aay district &d&a in Travis County, for on 

%njUctlonto prohibit the maiatenegce and operation of any ouch pool hall. Such judge upon the 

pr&S8nttetion oft a petition for such lnjunstion 

shall issue a taqorary hj-uuction or restraInIn 

order, and, ir upon final tia=in& thereof the 

iaot be sho%nthat the defendant ie GrliLty of 'keepins, maintalninij, or osoratu a ~ool.hall, or or 

oo;ltcqlati&j such act, l&o court baf.ore whioh the 

oase is triad shall. @ant.a permanent injunction 

ag;iinst .seh party ae prayed for inthc,p+tition. 

Any person o&5aratJn& or oontemplating the'operation . ..~

of any pool hell in violation-of any provtiion of 

: thLs artiole, or anyone aid5.q or abettinS such perrqn nsy be &ado a party .defendezt in suoh suit. 

', Aots-1919, P.'l8." 

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Artiole 653, Penal. Cod0 of Texas, 1925,‘entitl,ed, 

iQeratin& pool hall," provides as l'ollo~: 

Wnoevor'fihall operate or a9intein a pool hall, : 

5. as that tcrni.6 defined by the laws of thle State, 

. shall be fined notless th..n tvienty-five nor more 

than .one hundred Gollare or be confined in jall'sot 

18~0 t&m one month nor more than one year. Eaoh 

day of suoh violation shall bc a eeparate offeise." 

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I% believe the @evaman of thcl off&&c. hereinbefore . 

defined is the exhibitl~ of said ~061 or billiard appnratue . 

-for hire, r8vonue or w, or for advertiel.aS purposes of 

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Eonorable Robort ff. Low - Fe&e 4 

x 2% (a¶) 334. 

z&30 gollehoon v. Fortor (CO?. ,&.qII,~ error refuoad) ‘_ 

39 ueo of ouoh a;2phratus In coimrctlo~ 

r;2th eny place shere COO(~E, WQX~S of m~ohafidltse or other thinrp 

bf vdce ore ~014 car ~lvan .o~ay or whore ,or upon Aloh my ~nanog 

or t!:ing of valu% ,$a pi4 or oxo!x~npti uhall bG To@rded as a 

plaoo &ore is exhIbitod the saxe fox E, revmuo or a. 

‘would not tho %xlnks dnd refresbzmts . . . aoZd at 

cost” in .oonncatioa with tha ogerotioa of the olub, uudor oltkor 

of year tw plans enmratob boroin. 005ctitata 8 Wmx rihore 

I 

or Given amy or ahore 02 upon v&iob any qnoy or thlqe of, vaZuo ! 

IS raid OX OxchQn~Od?" 

colillteo 0. st6i0, 119 cm R. 3.31, 44 S. 1% (2&) 991, and xalker 

Ye think so In vlort of tha &lcii.qg in 

v. State (cr. npp.) 44 9. ;Y. (Cd,). 995. 

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‘Furthexmm, “dubs” .~o8id by sny J&&X, maziber of a 

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olab OF not, for the privilege of the usti ana za~taxmce of L 

tu6h p00L or billiard eppazatue COnstltUtCe tho OtiibitiOn of 

4pao fox birsr rwcnt30 ox @m em?, qg such, is In viol.~tien : .” 

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of law. 

Jn thcs 3i#it of auwrous deoiiio~% of the col;rl;s of ’ . 

tble Slate and Ooiclons of thhio Zx?mrtzvmt whioh hold vsrious c