OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN

aonorable L. c. Meard county Auditor uell Gounty belton, Texas
Dear Air. Lieardr

cated by the Doard of hrtiClC 3185, il.C. S.

t&eabove oubjeot OQ this departvlent upon

Cc fioardof

equmt wag granted, and from orx~ationthe Sheri.fF*sdcpnrtho patient from I;eltonto vii&- xoulZ also state that the patient
was never carrif?d to tAe asylnm at Austin but.reRained in ijellcounty, awaiting a reply~tothir I??- quest that she bo sent to WLchita Falls.
~Since kc11 county is operating under tho Snlary system,mci the **Qierifr** is ulloacd uileag? for the uso of his ccwa, **a atatmcnt**  **was** finbrAtted to the Lom&isioncr*s I;ourt ror ixileali;c

for trmoforring patient fro74 licltonto %Lc!lltaI:~110 mung ot11er itei:,s rrr Idleago. The court took exceptionrionorable L. c. Board - poge~g

to the c;ileap?and only paid the Sheriff'sdepartwcnt tilcagc tinthe **patient frcm**  **AiUeIton to**  Austin **ami** return **and not**  **to ifichita**  Balls.

~TO this deduction the sheriffhas taken exception, anti

wit1 you pLCaac advise ue if it is zi2umatorytllutc.he County pay the sheriff the aauitimal oilca::e mtie **in** taking patient to ClchitaVzlls instt‘acl of toAustints

Article 3104 of the Revised Civil Statutes is as follo~sr
*The expenses of conveying all public patients to tilt

asylum;shallbe borne by the counties reupoctively from wM.ch they are sent1 and said counties shallpay the same upon tbo sworn aooounL of Lhe affiocr or personperfominF: such service, skowinc in detail tho actual expcnscs incurred in **the trmspor**  tation. In case any public patient 16 poosessed of property sufficient for the purpose, or any person legally liable for his support is so possetised

of praperty, ttto

c0unty paying the expenses **of such**  **transportation** shallLieontttled to rei~bursenlent

out of the **estate** nP the lunatic or the property of the person legally liable for his support, rtllch my bc rccovored by the county on stitbrought thoreSor.*

Article 3188 is aa foiiosst
WTllo iroardOS Control shalldivide the State into hospital districts, Iraychange the districts fFOELti&e to t,iU, and r;lraLl cIesif;nate

the State hospitals tovliiohinsane, Cpilcptic and ferblenduiicii

porsOns frow each district ti+all bc adc!tt**teii** anal**~;,.rzg**

transler **ptlente Srom**  **ene institu**  tion to mother. **All SUCh**  **pCrSOns** within any such districts co~~ttcd,.ehall be comitted tn the StnLc ItospitaL

cfosigmtcd Snr that Nstrict, 0~ to the Gnitcd State6 **VMxrans ’**  Rd~~nistration or such other ajiencg

or dopartmnt crf**the** lrnitrd**Stntcs as**  will ucccpt such **insane pcrnrm**  **fur care**  **op treat**  Jticnt. lhc said !itate hoard of Control shall nlsohonorable t. C. Heard - page 3

have authority to transfer any lc,qnlly conmitted patient Pros2a titaC0 hospital to theUnited states Veterans*AG&xiatratltin or any other agerroy’

or clepartr*c+nt

0C theCnltod States as will aocept such person uf unsound uiindfor onrc or trcatibeut, and in case such transfer is or shall be nradc,the cooaxitWnt &nd transfer order Mali ~WmititUte legal authority b3r the restraint of suchpatient. by the United State5 Veteranat Adn;inistration or such other a.goncy or deportment of LheUnited Stntcsuntil the Co&t by which suchpatient was adjudged insans and coamltted sha3.l ord,orsuch patient ra1aased.a

The hoard Op Gantrol has duly divided the State lute hospltaidistricts, according to vbich divialon Bell County is in the Austin Iristrict lro.1.
Under the Article laat above quotedIit va.athe duty of the collir;Stti.ng judge in tho case put by you to order the patient cortitted to tho **Auntin** rather than the Wichita Falls institution. Aifsfailure, however, to do this, and his order (aswe understand fro&x your letter) **cmndtting her**  **to** Cichito was not such an irregularity as to render the cosmittment ardor void -- Limt is, it did **not** go to tha jurisdiction of the **court,** butr;crelyto the rcSuLarity of his **proceed+ngs. This**  irregularity or error cannot be attacked collateralLy,but the order stnnds as a salAd judgment or a court uE corpetent jurisdiction.

It f01108s Lhnt the YherifP is entitled to coupcnsation frOi the county for his sCrvicea in transporting the patient to tiichita

couaty

. Yet-y truly pours