OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

AUSTIN 

lmloPrBle Hoper 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 dsiincr In tour opiniea opiniea iihe 

terr fomwt of o-tent, o-tent, jjurirdhtlaa* ur ir dhtla a * a* it 

fn ta ried a Seation Seation 1 64 , l dvir inU8 g Of the 

eottrt tht8 tern saartitutet.* 
133 

Xonorabla E0m.p thU'cC18OI1, Jr., Pqe 2 

8OCtiOll8 16, 9-C, 16-A and 17 at the Texae Driver’8 

LiCOtl8C td%V read as fO11OW8; 

"880. 16, (a) The 1iCtXl8C OS my person 

8hRll be automstlaally 8UrpQnded or revoked 

upon final oonQictlon of ally of the fallowin& 

Off8il8*8t 

"(1) llegli.gmt holteid8 rerult%ng from 

the operetlon OS a motor vehlole. 

"(2) Driv¶ng a motor Qehlols while under 

the lnfluenoe of 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 %ho Venezm$ 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 aonvlotlcn of' a driver of 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) Convletion upon two separate cbrrge8 

of aggravatdd aaaault 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 inrtanoe be 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~tlon or 8u8pen8lon mhall be for 

a period of one a&llt1oM1 year. 

'(a) The revocation or 8uapen8ioz1 of any 

lioense 8bal.l be autometioally extended upon 

liaearee being convleted of opemtlng a mtor 

vehialb vhile the lIaen8e of 8uoh pewon 18 
134 

Bonorable Eomer ffarrl8on, Jr., Page 3 

8U8pended or revoked; woh l xtonded period 

Of POVOO~tiOli OF 8U8pOMiOn to be fbl' a 

like period am the orlglnal revoaatlon or 

8u8p8n8iatL 

*+ a l * 

sec . 9-o . The Departmnt 18 mlthorl8ed 

to !%Uepend.Orevoke the llcen8e o? my reeldent 

of this State upon meeivimg notioe of the aonQiOtiOn Of 8Uoh JMP8oli fJl UlOther 8tEtO Of (UI 

offense therein vhlch, 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 immediately notliJ th8 1laenue in rrltlng and ehall 

afford him an opportunity to &tend the hearing a8 

early (LO praotLosil, 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 Department and ths 1iWXl8- 

agree that luoh hearing 1887 be held in 8088 Other 

00unty. Upon mob h,ariag the ~pa~tmeat~8 duly 

authorlced agent may admini8ter oath8 end nay 

i88UO 8ubpoeM.s fOP the ette3ldUlOe of Qftlle8888 

and the production af 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 evldenoe h@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&ezaLztlxq thrt the llcenrse1 
135 

Honorable Homer QBrrI8on, Jr., Page 4 

"1. &is 008wttea an offense for whioh 

nrsndatory revooation of lioen8e 18 regu%md 

upon conQictlon; 

“2. ha been Fs8pOn8iblO a8 a driQOP 

for eny accident resulting in the death or 

El injury o? tnotbar or 8eriou8 poperty 

“3. Is an habitually reokle8ls or negligent 

driver ot n motor vehlolet 

“4. 18 lbll hebftW&i QiOittOP Of the tMfrl0 

law; 

*5. 18 Incompetent to brlve a motor Qehlole; 

“6. Hta permitted an 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 lloenae ha8 been oanoelled, 8tm&wnded, or 

revoked by the Department omept rhsm ewk oanoelletloa or revoostlon 18 mndatom uader the 

provl5loi.m OS thla Aot shall have the Fight to 

file 8 petition within thlrtr (30) dnycl thereafter for t hetring in the m8tter in the Qounty 

Oourt at Lav in the aountr vhereln 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 written nottoe to the Department, and themugan to 

t8ke teatimcmy and 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 zwwoaation of 

llcumns under the provl8ions of' this Act. 

Bata injured party 8han hRQ@ the right to 

have hi8 oane heard in the County Courtl( elthW 

in term time OP vaoation of 8aid Court. 
136 

Honoreblw Hoawr Oerrleon, Jr., Page 5 

It will be noted thet Section 16 provltl4s for the 

emndatory auapwnel,on or revocation cf 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 quwstlon are eubstentlally aoverwd by 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 convictions onlo obtained through oourte of 

this State. Should such limltatlon be given the lenguege employed, or should Section 16 be aonetruod eo aa to lnalude a 

fInel aonvlctlon In thw aourte of other jurledlatlone? 

VW do not believe the Legislature aontmnplated 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 aonvlatione to the 

Dwpartment of Publla Eafwty, end such mpcmte obviously aould 

not be aoalpellad fmm other jurledlatlone. 

In 1937, the Driver's License Lav vae mended (Ch. 

369, p. 752, Oe era1 and Spoclal L&W. Forty-fifth Leglelrture, 

Regular Swe~lon 7 by thw eddltion of awrtaln seatlane, lnaludlng 

among others, pwatlone 9-C end 16-A. eupre. Seation 15, requiring reports was also emwnded. It vae obviouelr thw leglelative lntwnt by the eddition of Seatlone 9-C and 16-A to provide a meone of suspending or revoking the lloense of oae convicted in mother Nate of an offense, whioh, if oomeItted In 

this Btate, would be grounds for euepenelon or revooatlan of 

the lloenee. Awlthwr SeatIon 9-C nor Seation 16-A, hovever, 

ebake suah aotion mandatory. In Section 9-C "the Department 

18 authorleed to suspend or revoke the liaenae, upon reaelvlng 

not-lee of thw aonvlotlon of euah person," ete. 

This le,nguege -lies thw exeralee of dleorwtlon on 

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 hearIng8 by t-h4 Deprtmwnt beforw euepwnslon or revoeetlon of 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 dletfnat 
IIonornblo 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 Department to 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 oooaeloned ln 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*e license van regularly paeesd 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%ty to 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 wonvlotlon of the eppellant or holder of the lia:yfy felony 

itlQOlQ~ StOti tuCpitUdS. . 

Thin provision van 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 

lmpartlal boecdor oou2t, and right of appeal andreview. The 

quwetion before us van thus squarely preecmted ln thw Fra.noleoo 

aase. 

The uourt ealdt 

“Teetml by these rules, the prooedure proQlded for the nvowtlon of lioen8ee undrr the 
138 

Hoa0prbl.w Homar&rrleon,Jr.,Pagw 7 

provIeIone of the etatut In question, olearly down vlolwnce to the invoked aonetltutlonel 

guarantees of due pracwee. Ilo chereator of 

notice, hearing or rwvlev OS the order of 

rwvoastlon 18 provided. The order operates 

instanter, and thw llaenees Is at once deprived of the right lawfully to praet:aw his 

profweelon. 

"It mey be ergmd thef the state bed thw 

right to provide thet the lloenee should be 

forfeited, ipso facto, upon aonvlatlon of 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 aomplete amever 

to thIe vlev, if it be otherwise sound, lies 

In the feat that the lwgieletur4 hes not provided for UI autometlo rwvoaation of the lloenew, but rwqulree au order of the Board. 

Until auah order of rwvoaatioa Is 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 llasneee vith th4 def4ndent In the 

Judgment o? oonvlation. If the oonvlotlon be 

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 oonvlotlng Court, 

the eufflclenoy of the oertlfled reaord to 

show e final aonviatlon In th4 &rfsdIction, 

the nature of the orlem undwrthe law of 

such jurlediotlon vlth relation to vhotber 

It be propwrly classified es of thw grade of 

felony and whether it 18 of l uah ahapructer 08 

to involve moral turpitude. Three are mettern 

as to whloh we believe th4 llaeuewe 18 entitled 

to a hearing beror4 his llaenee to praatloo 18 

revoked. Proo4du~e authorielng its summy 

revocation vithout euoh right of notice and 

hearl,ng conetltutse, VW believe, 'a denial 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 Department of tha lloenee of a driver upon reoelpt 

by the Department of a oertlfled report of hle oonviotlon In 

l foreign State of one of the offenses named ¶.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 lmulng, a nd luth o r letlnhe Dsg p er ttnfmrt aa th a evlb uathuo e eds - 

duo ed to suep a or nd r o voko the lluenoee f o ne vho heboon n fo und 

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 lntroduoed latheEowee of1 neeatatires a nd es p used b y th a t b o dy uld l eo tltumd a 8 8 eztgl3.a ' 

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?th Leglelature, p. 1579. BQ explmmtlon o? the purpose 

or intent of tha ammdment le pemeptible In the journale of 

:ztou&of the Leglrlatwq, although ve here omefully 

. 

We en oonetrained to the belief hht thq %neestian 

of the words 'in a oourt of 00mpdent jwIe&l.otlon ren6ew the 

vhale of seotlon 16-A so essentially lnclefinlte, unoertaln and 
._ 

Honorable Hour Qamleon, Jr., Page 9 

vague es to bring it squarely within 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 

r4aeonnbly alear 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 l ot that Is eeewntl.ally Indirrlnltw, uncw~teln end vegue, and annot be 

understood from the language wed w from 

that of sow other lrZ!Ittwn law, Is lneffoatlve, 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 lnewrtlon ours.) 

The term *court of oomp4t4nt jurMIIotionm ordinarily 

m4anm a oourt "having povwrandeutkorlty 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 heartng for 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%dioated upon 

nom act or omieelon of the Despartmmt. go authcdty is giQbn l.n 

Swotlon 16-A to any courts nor are any duties 3aposwd Upon a judge. 

We thcreforw reluctently advise you that i3wotloa 9-C Ie 

clwerly void 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