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**OFFICE OF**  **THE AlTORNEY**  **GENERAL OF**  **TEXAS**

, **AUSTIN ho.-**  **-em** Honorable &nmr Oarri8on. Jr. Direotor Dspartaent of Pub110Safety bUStAIl( Texas

Dear'Slr:'

This Xvlsion **Safety** would great1 your orfioa on the to ent oi Public

ving while intorithe assessed penalty %llol?nes was not am20, the newDriYer's Lloanse

olguatnrr of **amending**Art24.paragraph that in ease of enumrated in 24of this Aot, **and** the senteaoe of **the** oourt harfag been t?uspsndQd as provided In the Statutea, suah suspended seutenoe shall not mitigate mJalnst the suspension of the operator'n, oomerolal operator!Q,: or ohauf**few18** lioensa of the person conoiotod.' 

### 616Xonorsble Romer &.rrlson, Jr., ?ace 2

Ye are in reoelpt o? **a** report **fro3** the Cregr, County District Clerk ahouing that said defendant oomitted the ofionas o? dririn& whila intoxlaated on data a? April 22, 19&l., andwas convioted ?or this of?ense, a charge of **drlting** while intoxloatod, on date o? Hay.3, 1941. being assessed penalty o? 2years suspiaded santenoe.

“1. Theoiianse ~:a$co.mitted hsf?re tba newLawbeoamemiivc *2. **Conviottd** for said oiiense after the newLawbecame e??eomeT yuestlon: Is ths driver's license BUspend- , ed as provided in Section 24paragraph (o)?”

‘The47th Legislature enaotcd .::ouse Bill :,I:,. 20, &c. 24, Auto=tlc suspension o? lloinse:

“(a) Thelfomse of anyperson shall be automatically SUSpended upon rinal Omviction of any or the ?ollotvlni; orrensos: ‘

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“1.

. . .

“2. Driving a motor vehiole while under the lniluenae of IatorfoatinC liquor or narootio drugs;0

. . . . Yea. 25, (0) For the purpose o? this Act, the terni *ooniriotion’ shall mean a rinal aonviotion. .&JO, for the purpose oi this Aot, a fur**feiture** of ball or aollaterel deposited to seoure a dniendant’s appearance In court, whioh ?or?eiture has not been moated, shall be equiralent to a convlotion. “Provided, however, that in mat o? aonvlotion ?or any of the oticnses emmernted in paraiTrnph(a) of Section 24 of ti:ls tct,Eonorable Honor Garrison, Jr., Page 3

and the sentmoe of the court heving been suspended as provided in the Ltntutes, such suspended eentenoe 4hall not mItIfxts af&ust the suspension 06 the operator's, comercial operator's, or ohaurrenr's llcenae or the peraon conv1ot4a. * .i

“Mitl‘:>ats’~ is derlned by Nsbster'a ilm Intarnetioual Dlotlonsry, 3eoond Edition, as:

"1. Torender or beooze mild or zIl.ier; to i30niry. 2. Tonoderate; t0 mak8or beco56 less severe, violent., fleroe, cruel, Intcnae, halgh, rigorous, painz'ul, eta.; to soften; oqmx+e; zlioratt; dl~lnish; lessen; ts?per; as, to xltlgate hoat or cold, grief, I..a puhIshm8nt or nn r?ffenss.W

'. Your letter edvlscs that the defendant comitted th3 orrense OGApril 22, 1941. ti:i ,iprll 23, 1941, :;ousc i3ill :I?. 20becam ef;'aatIve.

Art. 13 of the i'enal Code of Texas reads: "yihenthe penalty for anOff8n4e Is presaribed by one law andaltered **by** a subsaquent law, the penalty of such seuond law ehall not be infllated ror an orienoa oomittod before the eeoond ahell have taken effoot. In every case the **aooueed** shall be tried under the law in force whenthe Orr8n48was oomltted, and If convlated punished under that law; except that whenbythe provisions of' the second law the punlelment I4 meliorated he a:iall be punIshad under the eaoond unles4 he elect to receive the penalty presoribed by the low in force whenthe offense was comalttod.* It Is clear to us that the legislature intended thst the license be suspended If the d8fendant is OxWiCt8d anddraws a sus?end:cd .sentsuou. 'This, '~8believe, is trueXonorable E0ner Garrison, Jr.,'Pa&e 4

des ite the uce of **the** wxds "final aonviotion" in Sea. 24 a). P Thepenalty Is not aaallorated by the smandzent to Art. i%f37a, but on the oontrsry ia iuoroasad. Applyincz :Lrt. 13, supra, your question mustbe.gnswered that the detendant's lioanss Is not suspended **b ‘** **bcause of**  **a** oonvlotion art8r the **8ff8atiV8** date 0r the amendmentror he must **Lava** been tried und8r the law in foroe at th8 time the oftenee was commItted.

APFEOVED

&A' Yours v8rytNlY