**OFFICE OF**  **THE ATTORNEY**  **GENERAL OF**  **TEXAS**
**AUSTIN**

lmloPrBleHoper fhm¶.lQll, Jr., Mnotor l3.30~~~ of Fublia aSiety Auntla, Texea
Dear SIC1 Attention1

the adBllni8tntlan Ci*ll Statutes af

)e l ** "Aho, phme dsiincr In tour opiniea iihe

dsiincr opiniea terr fomwt of o-tent, ju rirdhtl a a* a* it

o-tent, jurirdhtlaa* 

### f n ta red ia Seation 

### 1 6 4,

l dv irin g

**U8 Of**  **the** Seation 

### eottrt **tht8 tern**  saartitutet.*

## 133

XonorablaE0m.p thU'cC18OI1, Jr., Pqe 2

8OCtiOll8

16, 9-C, 16-A and 17 at the Texae Driver ’8 LiCOtl8C

td%Vread as fO11OW8;
"880. 16, (a) The 1iCtXl8C OS my person 8hRll be automstlaally8UrpQndedor revoked upon final oonQictlonof ally of the fallowin& Off8il8*8t "(1) llegli.gmt

holteid8 rerult%ng from the operetlonOS a motor vehlole. "(2) Driv¶ng 

### a motor Qehlolswhile under the lnfluenoeof Intox1eatsng 1IQuor or MFo0ts.c drugn. “(3) Any offense p”” iable Lz8 a felony III%- der the **motor** vehicle av8 of this Btata. "(4) Upon three oonvlctioa8 of violstIng any of the provision6 of Article 801 of the p0d cad0 Of %bX@II, OF 8OOtiOXi

lo Of chaptOP 42 of %hoVenezm$Lava ai the Seoond Called 8OUfOll Of th0 ]rOX'ty-fiF8t **Zte$t8ltLtUPO** Oi POXaIn uomltted vlthIn a period of twelve (12) aon8eeutlQe

months. "(5) A aonvlotlcnof' a 

### driverof 

### a motor Qehiole Involved In an aocldent or aollI8loa, upon 

### a ahargo of tallure to mtop, render aid, Uld diselow ht.8

1dOntity St the 8OOIH Of 8aid aaoldet or collI8lon. "(6) Convletionupon two separatecbrrge8 of aggravatddaaaault upon a person by moan8 of motor veh%ole,ae provided by lmr. “(b) The **POvOCatiOn OF**  **8USp8llSiOn above**  provided 8hall 3.x1

the fiwt inrtanoebe for a period of six (6) months. In event any lloenee 8hdll be revoked or **8U8pOnded** under **th8** ?roQl8iCn Of thl8 **8OctiOII** fQP a **8eocmd the,**  raid **8eoond** revoo~tlonor 8u8pen8lonmhall be for a **period** of one a&llt1oM1 year. '(a) The revocationor 8uapen8ioz1 of any lioense 8bal.l

be autometioally extendedupon liaeareebeing convleted of opemtlng a mtor vehialb vhile the lIaen8e of 8uoh pewon 18

## 134

BonorableEomer ffarrl8on, Jr., Page 3

8U8pendedor revoked;woh l xtonded period Of POVOO~tiOli

OF 8U8pOMiOn to be fbl' a like period am the orlglnal revoaatlonor **8u8p8n8iatL** *+ a l*

sec. 9-o.

**The** Departmnt **18** mlthorl8ed to !%Uepend.Or

evoke the llcen8e o? my reeldent of this State upon meeivimg notioe of the aonQiOtiOn Of 8Uoh JMP8oli fJl UlOther **8tEtO** Of (UI offense thereinvhlch, lf ooarrltted Lo thl.8 State, would be gPoUI3ds iOP **9U8p8n8iOn** or revoeatlon of the 11~3en88 of en operator or chauffeur.

%o. 16-A. (a) Before 8U8~Oding the liaeuus of any person a8 in thi8 6ootlon authorlied,the Depertment ahall provide for a hearing and immediatelynotliJ th8 1laenue in rrltlng and ehall afford him an opportunity to &tend the hearing **a8** early (LOpraotLosil, 8UOh he8rLmg to be aet within not to exceed tventp (20) **baya,** vhioh **8hnll** be in a aourt of oompetent jurl8diotion, after reomlpt of 8uoh notloer by the llaen8ee. Suah hearln& 8hnll M held in the aount~ wherein tha lloeruee **P88idON** u&M8 the Departmentand ths **1iWXl8-** agree that luoh hearing 1887 be held in 8088 Other 00unty. Upon mob h,ariag the **~pa~tmeat~8** duly authorlcedagent may admini8teroath8 end nay i88UO 8ubpoeM.s fOP the ette3ldUlOe of Qftlle8888 **and** the productionaf relemt **book8 urd**  **pm-I.8 and**  may require a re-examlnatlon oi ths **licen8w.** Upon ruoh hearing the Department 8hall either **l ’** **erof.fAd** it8 Order Of **8U8~Xl81Oll OF,**  **@Ba?l t3BU60**  appearing theref'op, amy extentl

this sucrpension of 8U6h lioense or revoke auah llaen8e. "(b) Vpon such hearing the evldenoeh@ving been heard and tim **reaords htwtn$**  **been** exambod, **the** ~J7f&Ptl8OXlt **18 PUthOPit@d**  **t0 8USp4JIi&**  **bl ’**  **revoke** tie lleanre of 4a opozator **or** chauffeur upon d&ezaLztlxqthrt the llcenrse1

## 135

HonorableHomer QBrrI8on,Jr., 

### Page 4

"1. &is 008wttea an offense **for** whioh nrsndatory

revooationof lioen8e 18 regu%md upon conQictlon;

“ 2. ha **been** Fs8pOn8iblO a8 a driQOP for eny accidentresultingin the death or El injury o? tnotbar or 8eriou8poperty

“ 3. Is an habituallyreokle8ls or negligent driver ot n motor vehlolet

**“ 4.**  **18** lbll

hebftW&iQiOittOP Of the tMfrl0 law;
*5. 18 Incompetent to brlve a motor Qehlole;

“ 6. Hta permittedan unlmrful or fraudulent use at ruoh lioenres **or**

“ 7. **%8** oamitted an **o??en8@ ia**  another State, which if oomaitted in **thl8** Sate vould be gPOund8 fOP **6U8peMiOn** or POQOOttiOIh.

%QC. 17, Any person denied a lloerue or vhome lloenaeha8 been oanoelled,8tm&wnded,or revoked by the Department**omept rhsm**  **ewk oan**  oelletloaor revoostlon18 mndatom uader the provl5loi.m

OS thla Aot shall have the Fight to file 8 petitionwithin thlrtr (30) dnycl thereafter for t hetring in the m8tter in the Qounty Oourt at Lav in the aountrvhereln aueh per8on **8hdll reside,**  or **if #em**  **b0 a0**  **COW&y COUrt**  **at** Ltw therein, then in the County Court of 

### said oounty, **aad** 8UuCrh

Gourt 18 he-by Qeated With jUFi8diOtiOII, **Urd It**  **8ha11** be it8 duty to 88t the stter for hearing upon ten (10) **da78 writ**  ten nottoe to the Department,and themugan to t8ke teatimcmyand exi&.ne **%ntO the**  **faOt8 O?**  **the OILI)@,**  end to deter&no vhether the petitioner is entitled to a lloen8e 0~ 18 8ubject to euspen8lon,i2anoeldation, or zwwoaationof llcumns under the provl8ionsof' this Act. 

### Bata injuredparty 8han hRQ@ the right to have hi8 oane heard in the County Courtl( elthW in term time OP vaoation of 8aid Court.

## 136

HonoreblwHoawr Oerrleon,Jr., Page 5

It will be noted thet Section 16 provltl4s for the emndatory auapwnel,on or revocationcf 

### a drlver'e lIaense,vlthout hearing,whenever the driver hem bwwn finally convlatwd of any of the offenses named therein;and the offenwe involved In your first quwstlonare eubstentlally aoverwdby numbered p-ag=N~ (11, (2) amf (5). The question orlees whether the vorde "fine1 aonvlctlon'ln the first sentence of Section 16 have mferwnce to convictionsonlo obtained through oourte of this State. Should such limltatlonbe given the lenguegeemployed, or should Section 16 be aonetruod eo 

### aa to lnaludea fInel aonvlctlonIn thw aourte of other jurledlatlone?

VW do not believe the Legislatureaontmnplated or Intended euah aonstmctlon for the roaeon thet In the original Act (Sea. 15, ah. 466, p. 1785 at p. 1792, Oeneral and mealal Leve, Forty-fourth Laglelature,

Soaond Called BeesIon), thw alerke of the aourte verw requlrwd to report aonvlationeto the Dwpartment of Publla Eafwty, end such mpcmte obviouslyaould not be aoalpellad

fmm other jurledlatlone.

In 1937, the Driver'sLicense Lav vae mended (Ch. 369, p. 752, Oe era1 and Spoclal L&W. Forty-fifthLeglelrture, Regular Swe~lon

7 by thw eddltion of awrtaln seatlane,lnaludlng amongothers, pwatlone 9-C end 16-A. eupre. Seation 15, requiring reportswas also emwnded. It vae obviouelr thw leglelative lntwntby the eddition of Seatlone 9-C and 16-A to provide a meone of suspendingor revoking the lloense of oae convicted in mother Nate of an offense, whioh, if oomeIttedIn this Btate, would be grounds for euepenelonor revooatlanof the lloenee. Awlthwr SeatIon 9-C nor Seation 16-A, hovever, ebake suah aotion mandatory. In Section 9-C "the Department 18 authorleedto suspend or revoke the liaenae,upon reaelvlng not-lee of thw aonvlotlonof euah person," ete. This le,nguege

-lies thw exeralee of dleorwtlonon the pert of thw Dspartment. Ilo provision 18 mde for notice end hearing to one holding the llaenew prior to l uah sotlo& Beotlon 16-A provides for notice end hearIng8by t-h4Deprtmwnt beforw euepwnslonor revoeetlonof the license is euthorired,' but by its teme, much eeotlon Is epwalfIoall~ llmlted to the seven grounds enumerated. The seventh numbwrwd aauee thus llatwd Is not thw same es ehovn in Seotlan g-0, bwoeuew as ehovn above, there emat bw a "uonvlatlon* In thet awotlou,vhereas Se&ion 16-A lwavwa it to the Dwpertnnt to dotermIne if the liawneww haa “aomUttwd* en offense. Bsoauee of this dletlnatlon, Swatioae g-C ad 16-A must be ooneldered

### as separate end dletfnatIIonornblo **Homer Oarrleon,**  Jr., Page 6

pronouuoeaente

by the LegIeletum aad neither oen be construed as ln aid of the other.

In your letter of inquiry for this opinion you asked whether in th4 wnfoxmmmnt of Seotion 9-C, lt vould be neaeeirary for the Departmentto hold hwarl.n&s ln order to euepbnd 

### a drlver~e llawneo **of** a resident of this State,upon r4oelpt of a oelrtlflwd record of conviction in another State.

The delay oooaelonedln rendering thle opinion Is attributable to a l tailar aasw in the Court of Civil Appwale. We refer to the cm4 oT Franaleao Q. Texas State Board of Dental Badnero (T. C. A. 1941), not yet reported,**oplnlon** filed, March 5, 1941.

Under the facts la the **Frenoleoo** oatte ths appellant@8 lioenee to practloe dttntletry In the State of Texas 

### van revoked by the Dental Board upon the gmund that he had been oanvioted of a forgery la the State of Oklahoma. Th4 order of the Dental Board :.

revoking appellaat*elicense

### van regularlypaeesd vlthout notloe under the provlslantt of Artlole 4549 of the Revised Clvll 8tatute8, 1925, as emended,providlngt

*The State Board of Dental Fmmlners &all have euthor%tyto euepend m r4voke 8 dental llaenee **for** eny one **or** more of the follwlng 4aueeet
"a, Proof OS I.xmml.tj of the app114ant or holder **of** 

### a lioenee. ea ad udged by the **regularly** oonetltuted author1 t y. "b. Proof of the wonvlotlonof the eppellant or holder of the lia:yfy felony itlQOlQ~ StOti tuCpitUdS.

. Thin provisionvan ettaaked (Lo uncwnetltutloual

in falling to provide for e notlao, hearbkg, 04u2t reQfeW1p, appeal to any aourt, trlel by a jury, and n&loo of hearing before an lmpartlalboecdor oou2t, and right of appeal andreview. The quwetionbefore us van thus squarelypreecmted ln thw Fra.noleoo aase. The uourt ealdt

“ Teetml by these rules, the prooedureproQlded **for the**  nvowtlon of lioen8eeundrr the

## 138

Hoa0prbl.w

Homar&rrleon,Jr.,Pagw 7

provIeIoneof the etatut In question, olearly down vlolwnce to the invoked aonetltutlonel guaranteesof due pracwee. Ilo chereatorof notice, hearing or rwvlev OS the order of rwvoastlon18 provided. The order operates instanter,

and thw llaenees Is at once deprived of the right lawfully to praet:awhis profweelon.

"It mey be ergmd thef the state bed thw right to provide thet the lloenee shouldbe forfeited, ipso facto, upon aonvlatlonof a lelonp involving

morel. turpitude,end elncw the Board 18 not vested vlth q diear4tIonery povwrs in the mttwr, notice and baring vould perform no useful purpose. The aompleteamever to thIe vlev, if it be otherwise sound, lies In the feat that the lwgieletur4 hes not provided for UI autometlorwvoaationof the lloenew, but rwqulreeau order of the Board. Until auah order of rwvoaatioaIs peeewd by the Boerd the license rwemlne ln offoot. Bwfore thw Boerd oen Intelllgbntly or properly eat t&be 

### er4 a nu0ber of mnttere it emat ascertain. First emong three Is the Identity of thm llasneeevith th4 def4ndent In the Judgmento? oonvlation. If the oonvlotlonbe in mothwr jurledlotian, than ther4 er4 several awttere to 

### be aeoertalned with 

### refermoe to the Zev of such jurlediotlan. Among th4e4 would be thw jurledlatlon of the oonvlotlngCourt, the eufflclenoy

of the oertlfledreaord to show e final aonviatlonIn th4 &rfsdIction, the nature of the orlem undwrthe law of such jurlediotlon

vlth relation to vhotber It be propwrly classifiedes of thw grade of felony and whether it 18 of l uah ahapructer

08 to involvemoral turpitude. Three are mettern as to whloh we believe th4 llaeuewe 18 entitled to a hearing beror4 his llaenee to praatloo 18 revoked. Proo4du~eauthorielngits summy revocation

vithout euoh right of notice and hearl,ng

conetltutse,

VW believe, 'adenial of due prooesa under both 

### state end federal.

OMetltutlone."~oaombloXomer~leon,Jlr.,Page 8

Thle ease was dwlded by **the** Austin Court of Clvll Appeala, and t&ills a writ of error ha* been applied for on behalf **of** the **Ikntel** Board, **until** the opinion as quoted 1s $I??~ 

### or overrul4d, ve oannot &nut it as being other than

. Under those olratmstanoee It Is our **0pInlon** at thle **time that**  there oaamot be am autortio nvooatlon and euepen- *ion by the Departmentof tha lloenee of a driver upon reoelpt by the Department of 

### a oertlfledreport of hle oonviotlonIn l foreign State of one of the offensesnamed ¶.II your letter.

We next oonelder **a** prooedum vhereby the Department of ?+ublio

Wety might 

### l

oconplleh the came purpose by o"fll lleaoe vith Seation **16-A,** providing for e notioe aad depwtmnta lmu

### ln g, a n d l u t ho rl e ln g

t he Ds pe rttn m t

fraa t ha ev l bu a oe

t hu s ed - duoed t os ue pa n d

or 

### r ovoko

t he ll ue n ee

of on e vho he n boon 

### fou n d to have oomltted aa offense 2.n emothe~ Ilkte, vhloh, lf ooma.itted3.n this Statw,wmldbegroumde formoh mepeneionor aevouatlon.

Xn ammldering this @wee **of** pw inquiry,we em **eonfronted** vlth fhr, troublesow mblu of detemiming the mmning utd effect of tb vorde J&hi eh &ml]. be held Ia a oourt o? oapetent juHedlotIoa,~ in Uu first eatatenoe of fb0t1m 16-k In an effort to uoerkin the leglelative&atent, w have traoed the hintor cU tha emmabtow Aat 0r 1937, vhloh as ve have **pointed** out, lneerted the rho10 of eald'eeotlon. ThoB1llwe er&lmlly lntroduoedlatheEowee of1 neeatatires and

es pusedbythat b o dy uld l eotltua md 8 eztgl3.a ' 8 aedtezi nov, exoept for the abwuwe of tbo lawuege

. The uvndrntedsllngthevord~ 'irhiohehallbe lna 04urt of oampetent jurlodIotloa

” me offered es e **44mWtt44** aae&nsntlntbo Sonata and88 abptedby thetbo@,w8 finally **emoted** aud ezvmnmd by the 

### Bowrnor. See 8eaate &urnal, Forty-fI?thLeglelature, p. 1579. BQ explmmtlon o? the purpose or intent of tha ammdment le pemeptible In the journaleof :ztou&of the Leglrlatwq, althoughve here omefully

. We en oonetrainedto the belief hht thq %neestian of the words 'in a oourt of 00mpdent jwIe&l.otlon 

### ren6ew the **vhale** of seotlon16-A so essentiallylnclefinlte, unoertalnand._

HonorableHour Qamleon, Jr., Page 9

vague es to bring it squarelywithin the rule as stated in 39 Tex. Jur. 45, from which v4 quote*

"Obviously

a statute - am? wapeaielly e orbtbral or pwnel rot L (end Sea. 16-h lo owrtalnlypwnelin Itsnature) shouldbe r4aeonnblyalear and plain, rJld its provl8iane so oertaln,definite and spwolflc that the enaotprent oan be understood nnd applied. et least vhon oonelderwd in aonn~btlon~vlth

other rote In mrl materla. 0 0 0. An lot that Is eeewntl.allyIndirrlnltw, uncw~telnend vegue, and annot be understood from the language wed w from that of sow other lrZ!Ittwn law, Is **lnef** foatlve, lnopeautlvw, unwnforeeabls and voLd. In ooiatwmplation of lav, a statute la manlnglass I? It le suacsptibl4 of e variety of rPPan%ngs, and th4 r4al intent **of** ths fiegIelature is a 8etter af oon~waturw

. Thus an eot is iavelld If the act sought to ?4 prohibT.ted or the duty sought to be Imposed oannot be determined thereiron vlth any dwgrwn of aertalnty.” (Farwnthatical

lnewrtlonours.)
The term *court of oomp4t4nt jurMIIotionm ordinarily m4anm a oourt "havingpovwrandeutkorlty of law atthbtias of acting to do thw particular aat.” 12 Coepue -is 836. It hae been dwflnwd l.n

thle Slate ae ammIng 8 wourt having $uriedier- ;;goE;;Fe;$$ ~~~j$$ T;.*;~';~"1~~f@&-~, u~~t~;~y' 569; Boxa fEaiploJrers Insuranoe Aoso4letlon v. hnameker (T. C. A. 1925) 267 8. w. 749.

lndlcatw thu situ8 of a dwpertae&Z hearing end a2t%i4~”

As used ?n Section 16-A the l.sn&aego le tion 16-A nai ar\y

other swation of tbs mtl& act pswv~dee for 

### a aourt 

### heartngfor orF@xaf doterPtlllstlon of vhethsr 

### a 1104nae ohm swpwnded or rwvoked. &KttfoP 17 d006 provide for th4 right of appeal to the oourte,but that r5ght 1s pr%dioatedupon nom act or omieelon of the Despartmmt. go authcdty is giQbn l.n Swotlon 16-A to any courts nor are any duties 3aposwdUpon a judge.

We thcreforwreluctently advise you that i3wotloa 9-C Ie clwerlyvoid under the ml.4 eaa4unmd in thw Fmbnaieoo aaaw, UDF~.

## 141

Xanoreble Eomea O~rrl~on. Jr., **Page** 10

Likevise In !%mtlora 16-A the words %hiob ohs11 be held in a court of oompetant jurir8lotion* am ii0 mgue, lndcflnlts end uaoertaln ae to make the plaor of heaPfng 80 **doubtful** aa to render the entire eeotlan void.

We dlreot your attention to the saving olau8e 0r the Texas Drlver~e Lloenoe Law. We &a not, hold any other part of the aot Invalid,exoep %?$:",? T tione 9-O axnIl+A.

Yours very trnlx