’ . 

OFFICE OF THE AlTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

AUSTIN 

honorable Y-6 V. Moridlth 

Crblnal Dl&rlot &ttonuy 

K8uram oounty 

Kaufnlnn, Tern8 .' 

imer Sir? 

1 
\ 663 

.;oC. Trod V. !i.orldlth, yacc 2 
664 

goon. Y'red V. tlerldlth, pa40 3 
66 
for th8 PUTPOSO Of hdUOing ouo,h &mr8OIie t0 p1OSd 

‘; guilty, oreatoe an 8mergonoy and an LPperatlva pub110 neoo8aity that ths Oonstitutional IStile npuirw 

bill8 t0 b0 I’OOd 00. thrO0 8eVOrcl1 days hi 6aOh iiOU80 

be EU8pOIUi66, .anA said 1t1&1 18 hereby 8U8&md8d, end 

this Aot shall tars atr8ot and be In Z’oroe rrorp and 

8ftOr it8 pcl88ag6, *IId it i8 80 W~OtOd. 

“B8#8Od the HOu80, ARTi1 7, 1$&3: YOSS, 125, 

W&y8 181 pI8Md the 3Wate, Ape11 29, 1943, by o 

ViVO TOO8 VO$O. 

“Approved my 6, 1943. 

%ffeotlvo 90’aryr after my 11, 1943, date 0s 

8djO-t,” 

&OtiOR 1 of the above QUO~& Aot (&tie10 60~) ~rr8OtibO8 

08Ttain 1iIBlktiOXi8 UpcPr the WthOTity Of jU8tiOa OOiUFt8 to try 

ti8dOSitMROr O&8*8, Mb it B8Ok8 t0 forbid th0 tripl Of 85$ ld8- 

au8e6nor~wnr by jurtl00 wart0 OUt8ib end beyond tha lirnitetiOIi8 8Ot :orth. Saotlon 1-A or the Aot @..rtlOla 6&i-1) 8OOk8 

t0 1-t the d&t Or 61 OOn8tab&s t0 OOllOOt fOO8 ti OOaDOotiOn 

with aiP~wiPoaROr Oa808 ari8bg in a pr#OiROt ot&&w th8n that in 

Which he WO8 OieOtOd 0r tIppOiatO&. SO@tibR 1-B (ArtlOb 6oa-2) 

prO8OribO8 pmaltie8 it the I%etUl'@ Of finss'fronl $lfi30 t0 aso 

Wd rOIM3~81 irOM Oft100 WhiOh my b0 tkposlrd UpOA jU8t1008 Or 

the peaao find othe;r now4 oflissr8 who violate tho provlrians 

or the not. Vih8n th@ Aat 18 ViOWOd Q@ (L WhOlO,, the mMifO8t 

p~rporo of the legisl.atlon 18 tQ prohibit Or ZorblB jU8tiOO 

oourts rrom trying miisd8manor o~aea when the ,a898 boo8 not 

~~ho~~o~ow into the juotioe OOurt in 8 ~6Ml)r prO8OribOb 

. 

gaotiar 1, La-tlole V, Conitltutlon of Tsxaa, impeat, 

prOVidO8l 

*The j&lair1 power of thin State ahal. b0 

veoto6 IR ORB Liuprefbe court la Courts Of Cl011 

AjQOO18, in a court Of lx iai nal AppOal8, in OoUntg 

COUrt8, iZl ~OUd88iOJiOr8’ CoUdS, in Court8 Of 

JucrtioeB of the Poaoe, crnu In suoh othor aourg8 

88 ms$' be prOVWw3 by law. . ." (underaoorfng 

ours) 

666 
mr E'red V. Eeerldlth, page 6 

fiertlon L8, Article V, Oonatltutlon of Terse, in part, 

providea: 

%aoh ortgmizad County in thu state now or hereafter exl8tins, ahall be divided lrom time to the, 

for the oonvanlanoe ot the people, Into preainata, 

AOt h88 th0E fOUT and Rot 5Ore than ,eight. The 

prownt GOwtg f30wta ahall tilt8 the flxat dlrlalon. 

Subaeqwnt biVidon8 m&U be mada by the ~oa&aaio~+ 

era’ Court, prorlQe6 for by this Conatltutlon. u 

aaah l uoh 

Y 

reelriot them ahall ba ale&e6 at each 

biennial e l o tio n, one Juatioe of the peace end me 

aonatable, eaeh oi rimi ah811 hold hia orflaa for 

Go Year8 and Pnt4.l hi8 l uooe1aor ahall be elaakd 

and qwllfled; . . .a 

Srotlon 19, Artlole 8, constitution of Texas, In pdtrt, 

provide8 t 

*Jwtloea of the peaae a&all have &rladLrtum 

in orlabel aattera or all aaaaa whom the penalty 

or fine to be ia#wed by law stay not be aore than 

for two hundred dolleza, . . .a 

We Robe that thr foUowi.ng lm%gmge oonQaina& in Artlo16 

60, C. 0. P., la aubatantlally the aam aa that quoted abore 

from 8eotltm 19, btlale V of the Oanatltutlon$ 

*Juatloea of the paaos ahall hare jurladlotlcm 

Yl$,n arlaiJAa1 oaaoa w&an the rw to ba iRpowQ by 

law nay not crosed two hufidred dolLara.* 

Under the above quoted oonatftutlonal provlalaaa the juatlie oourt her beea orada e part ot the Statiota judlolai ayatuni 

the Conatltutlon haa praaoriba4 a ayatea~ of juatloe oeutta within 

every organized aounty In this state; anU It haa pmaoribed the 

subject matter of the arimlnal jUTi&diPtiOE of eaoh auoh court 

rlthln tho ayatam of jumrtioa aourta provldad for eaoh orsanlcad 

oounty in t&la state. Zowafer, It hea been held that the WAatltutloA does fiat invest tha jUsti OOUd with SnJr -0lWiv. 

or-al jurladlotlon (BolOn V. Utate, 5 Cr. ii. 301). It hea 

further been bald that the criminal juriadiotien Of the OwtY 

oourt la aonaurreut with that or the juatla6 oourt over I&isdemeanor8 oogklzable in jurtioe aOuEt& (Bd.bW VO St8t8, 9 80 w. 

!%a s. iv. (26) 4938; Ku&e 1’. ““pt%a 

. 3. (26) &17; Roae P. State, A.84 S. ‘ii. (26) 6L7). * 
bcOUU~e Of the jU.riSdiOtiOA pJWI0Au.J &rIIAted t0 the OOUAty OOUt 

(Art. 58, C. C. E), aqY OTimiAal Wee wham the iiAa whioh may be 

wpoaed by law doss not exoeed two hundred dollars may bo tried in 

,ither the ju8tiae OOUTt Or in 4.h OOwty 00~t. iteogardleaa 0r 

the liddtationa pmaorlbed by Artiolea 60a, 60a-1 aAd 6oa-2, with 

rdeHAW to the trial Of oases in the juetloe oourt, the jurlgdfotlon and pleoe of trial or a m.ladoataanor iaae Oogaiuble In 

juetloo oourt la not abwluta 

court or pnalnot wit 

bin TV ~;~flned ta l partloular juatlae 

IE the oaae of lir park Van Koeanorlfz, (Cr. App.) 286 Y. 

9s7, the Court held that beoawe of the prorlalana of Irtlole 60 

G. 

c. c. P.. (rhloh aro l ubatantla~ the l aae as those lo seation 19 

Artlolo V of the ConStltUtl= with rerorenee to tha orlmlwl jurla: 

diotlon 0r juatlw oourta) a juatloe~a trying of a almlewanor aaee 

rhem the OfrOnae, if 005tdtt0a,000~~d in~otbrrpn0inot~tl 

the county, would not be void. The aourt alw hold that 1.L the 

defendaRt had the wd.iapute6 right on l prop er rotIon to hare his 

oasc trenaierred to fhu justlee preolnot where the orrelur eeo~rred, 

ruoh Caot uo~l& not render the trial of the oewe ln another pnoinct in the aounty rold. M quote iropr the above mentioned 

II followat 

oaee 

*It la l ppeUant~* oontuitlan thet the jwtioc, or 

the geaw ipl preohot YO. 6 la without juritiotian to 

try aeld can, In view of the raot, as l ppaUnnt eonte.n4a, thet the offenao was em&f-d lf at 8J.l b 

proolnotH0. 3 la Travis Cowty. ue 4 0 nol t grei with 

epplloant'a ooptention that the alloyed antlolpated 

trial of the epplloant b0rom the juatloe oqnrt or 

preoinatNo.6woul4ba l moreaullity. aaaotion 

la the oreat of a trial in our ju&mat, woul.6 not 

be lOid. Under the pdtt krma of the statute ltaelf, 

the jwtloe OS preolnotR0. 6 has jU.rladlotlon of the 

aubjoot matter of tha suit.. Artlole 60, 1925 ibrlalon 

C. c. P. 

~(2) xi it be oonoeded that appllouat would hare 

the right upon prOp~rmOtiO&I t0 have the mae tNIiSferred to the jwtioe preolaet in whloh the alleged 

orrowe oaourred, uhloh question it la wneeeaaary to 

doo$,de in this oan, it wo uld l till follow that l uoh 

right UQ~M riot render the trial of the oawe In juefloe preolnot No. 6 Mid. 8uppoae the Tight to IN 

I 1 
tried fn the yruolnct u;haru the orlense ytrm oommltted wae unbla uted, yet for some reason epplloant 

should not an f 4 t to an&art thla right and should 

plea4 guilty ln e juatloe oourt l ltua ted ln l pnOiAOt difrennt rr0m tht one In which the offense 

was ooaaitted oould it be contended that a valid 

judgment 0 oud not be rendered a&net hln under 

the80 oondftlona? we think wt. The aourt or 

Qiril Appeeb in this state has, we thins, wrnotly 

eta-d the rule as follower 

*‘The word *Void9 oan with no propriety k applied 

to a thlru uhloh appear0 to be sound, an4 which while 

in eX.lSknee out command and enforce roapeqt, and 

whwe lnflrmita ewtat bo tae4a 8umlfeat., If a $AQmat POndeNd without in faot bri@.ng then deietitg 

intO OOUTt OaWOt be Sthokud WUateriJJy on thlg 

LWeupd unless Um w4tit OS suthorlty over them uppeers 

An the reoord, it la IAO 501-e void than ir lt ~011 

founded upon a YN nLaoakoeytlotz of uoma matter or 

law or cr feet 080urr~ in the exer0i~ 0r (0 Wqueetlonabl@ &ri84iotla&. in olther •~& the &4gamt 8011 be l rofAe4 etid &&de fuzotaa of~lolb by aam8 

approprlata pro~odlw institute4 r0r. tht P~VIIQH) 

bat, ff aOf molded, mat be roapadted anay 

Duw v* T4ylor, 62 T.X. clr. App. 2&l* 9k d. 

Thw, under ttn hol4ltle 0r th. aDoye olkd woo t3 ju8tloo 

court has the authoriQ, under the prorlalona OS &ala 60, 

C. c. P. (atrbatuitlally the ama 68 sea. 19, hrt. v 0r.tb 

Conatltutlon), to try a ease *trlaQ arow In uz.0th.f preeinot 

in the wwty; l va though th d+ramdi turd tb w4i~paea 

right to have hla oaae tried in another p-e&tot. Artlolos 

6oa 600-l UU 6@-2, however, would forbid t&e &mtlee 00~1% 

to cry a miade~tktwr e&w which wow *in liha eouuty, but did 

not l r f8e fit that prtlauletr jwtloe proelnot, or ua m not the 

preolnet of tho tireadant’a rarldanoe or dib Pat- coma ulthln 

some or thr othar provlaiotia or ~rtloIo 6Om wltH trrexwnoa 

desired to aon84at to his bein& tried in l a id~p NOinOt. 

to tnoaferring ~aea, regrrdleaa or whether the 4efutdant 

The qw8tlOU lol#oally aTin a8 t0 WhWthW the hOt# b 

it* 0 ration,, m&.atea venw or la Juria6lotlotul indre0t. 

ii* p0 iI t out h+~ that TWW reletea tie the l xerofae or &=I*- 

di0ti411 fmyibr V. f3tate. 197 8. bt. 196); however it h* been 

held that b ori,d.wl 0aaea, the terms avemteR an 4 -jurladlotlon” am AOt ap#nymoua, and that-* in a oriorlnal Ocee, 

“WLIW”, unlike -jurla4iotlOn, aey be l oqulred by oorraont 
lion. Fred V. IAridith, Feea 9 

1 (tilllluu v. Stata Cr. rpp.) 170 5. 8. (26) &82; TaylOr v. 

stat., 197 8. u. 1 ). Under the op4ntion of thl8 Aot, 4V4n 

though th0 amnaa.id a08ina to 00n84nt t0 b0iog tma la l 

pertlaular pmolnot in the aouaty, ii the oaoo uer* not brought 

in 4 mannor rl8hln the lirfktiom pn#orlboa, f.&iJuatloo or 

th. F-04 r0tia be r0rDiaw t0 try the 04b4. Ir he did try 

ruoh aa-, h4 *ould b4 8ubbjoot to l rloo rrom 4100 to $500 UUI 

~-000~41 rr4n 0rrl00, 

8008 rwthor than 

Thu8, lt 18 our o~lnicm that thlr Aat 

ddena4ttt ~i8h r0 

or gr4ntlng prlrllogoO to 4 

Aot go08 the oxkant 

00 or hi0 trial, ror the 

rohlbitlm jUl?iSIn thl8 06nnoatlon um 0411 your l ttwtio n to tha rouarini3 ~~~ in the COUd. O&dItiOtl in the 0484 Or Brray V. Strt4, 

63 s. W. 327: 

airfi 4&d @d&la& r*tkr8 t0 8Otiin &MtUh, urd 

th8 16#$8titW8 i8 ltOt rUthOtis te OWt th.n Of 

8UOh ~td8biOti0AL . . 

qu88iid ii 

Vhethor tha logi8latura Imtttloned the 

ttOt thay 8t ill 

tUi8aiO8iOtt 88 t4 jU88iO0 OOurk IX 

rotrltt ji.ulmalotlonrherrtha 

Qu&hMJtt U48 by fliWIt@t l XOOO~$Z% . .* 

xxi bi80~48i~1g th8 pxor18i048 or Ckatioo 19 0r rrtiola v 

or th4 oOXt88itUtiW, in th0 0848 Of w~OOhi8 'I. SUk, 1% 8. IL 

82, the court ul4t 

. .*. . . It Will be Ob84rV.d . . . th4t th4 Word8 

08lRlOy.d OOltVOJitt& jUd~iOtiOtt 8r4 dMr, 8bTU'U5, 

and etttlraly uttamt~&uOw. . . 

-. . . The p0oullar quality or 8 OOn8titUtiOMl 

aourt OP.& Uly other WU8titUtbL8~ .8kb~i8hA+t, 

18 thf#t that it 18 LtOt IBWO@Qtib& Or Oh4tW iti 

it8 fund4Mn84i QriIi8iQb8, 4X44R8 a 800U pra8Orib@a 

m0a0. . . 

". . . It i8 Ob4r that the bgi8htUm h4d not 

ths oompatenay to impair the l 884Ilti41 ll4t.w Or 

jurladiatl40. 0r 8ny 0r the aonotitutlon41 00urt4." 
fion:I'rcd V. irurldlth, paw 10 

In view or the above and rom@ln& it la our opinion that 

& i3. ho. 342, Aota Gsth Leg. (Arti 404, 604-1, 60a-2) 48 to 

its purpo8. 4na in it8 Oprr8tiOLI, OOntr8TMO8 the jUXi8diOtiOn Of 

the juatioo oourt grantal to 8416 aourt by saotion 19 or ~tloln 

V of the f.h48titUtioll 4Ild 18 theroiom WJid. Sin00 WO hOu that 

til4 AOt 18 U4OoIl8titUtiO44l l 8 t0 it8 @li42?41 PUX? 

#? 

84, W4 d0 Dot 

&em it nOOe88ary to OM8iaar 84ptImtdy ttia OOM ltUtiOn4llty 

of ssoh PmT181On Of th. Aot. 

In our oplnlon PO. 0-%ll, wrltton prior to the l fiootlro 

data or the 8bora mntlond hot, raromm8 u88 m8ao to the rutu-0 

a@iO~ti- Of tkU AOt with N8pclOt t0 OOrkill hat 8itWtiOJl8. 

In daw Or Our holding horoln, w h4roby or4rr~l4 uld Oj+llioll 

OIAU iMOr4r 48 it OoniliOt8 hermwlth. 

2. pU4.u8Y Or riliI4t ~8dOWMMr 4480 by lU8tiW 

OOurt in DF4O$lIOt other than tbatlnw&d.oh tha 

0rrw0 000uma. 

In your lotter, YOU lnqulrrd a8 to tha &or0 

aox+kblo to take an orrudor md rib hi8 WM 

r RbOO ror a 

l 8itUtiOSi 

whem%ho oan8t8blortu3 0h8waa rio&torrrorhla prooinot 

l aromthm pmoinot llno into umtharpreolmot, ororenlnto 

.rt-iothar oOUlltJ*, Wh8XO tha l m8t lN8 IdO WithOUt l UrNttt. 

With NreNILO~ to the 8itucltiCUl eboro rd4md to, ii the 

Wre8t wan mado &a mothor OoUnty without e uarrult, wo point 

OUtth& thi8dOmrtruAt hd.d inORini4crNO.0-~,t&t~ OQO8t4bh h48 IUJ poW8r t0 Mk4 ~EI Un8t OUt8ldO Oi hi8 40&y 

ilthout l urNnt, Md that 8Uah l ~8t rd. wit&W& a rarrukt 

40 Told. w0 ip~0t4 n%3t4 Uid Opi~&iOn~ a8 iOuOW8t 

*It ia e&u. . . that l eOn8tiblO b.w 4 

-18 dOritt@d itt A?tiO& 

WtUrMt Or a-88 itt 

It W88 hOia a th4 04W Or 

-8oZi V. stit.0, 49 8. w. (24) 663 tht *rtiO& 

523, (0. C. PO l upn,do0~notoxt0ndtk#.Mght 

0r l pr~r~ orr ear to dm On l m8t out&le or 

hi8 oouttty IO tha abnnO0 Or 8 WWNti8 8d thd 

8Q l TO8t -44 lfithOUt 6 VMmItt 18 *Ok* 

with rdomnoo to the authority of 4 aoL8tiblo to ~4k4 l A 

l mA8t UlthOUt l WarT4nt, ln l prmolnot wlthln ai OoUntY other 

than that b *hioh he Wa8 ttid0or a l RPOiIXtOk rr wok f= 

our Opi.d.On IiO. O-3969, 48 rolwat 
672 

Hon. Frd Q. Yulalth, pwp 11 

LOU 8r4 rr~paOtfUl.lg l dli8ed thnt it 18 tha 

oplnlon of thi8 drp8rtault that l aosuteblr anJ 

&rittily rrlt8 8II l rro8t in l prrOinOt othrr thhrn 

his own la hi8 oounty without a warran nkon he 

rauld bc mthoriwd by law to makb the axrut WI 

aa8 warrant in hl8 OuIi praoinat 

i 

oqd thiO.:.\iplit4 i v'. 

1s him prlmory duty tmau rrtlo e 37, V. A. T. C. C. P., 

ta pro8orro th0 paaaq within hla own pxaOino8, 881&l 

hi8 j?~i8diO$i44 I@ OO-•18Wt8ilO 4th the lid88 Of. 

tho eoottty. Italmo tolIewa Chat Ww l oaa8ablo would / 

ltav4 ao8tmxl8y ta axoautc warrmtr l f mro08 onywhoro 

ix hi8 aoutt8y.~ 

TOW q W8fiO4 M t0 ëWhWa 0 l ft~t~b lr ShOuld tila 

hi8 OofspIalat man ha mokw on rrrost wWmut l mxxont la 

tha ooaaaty, b&In l preeinot othrr thaa that ln whioh tha 

43OU84 WI'8 aogri88d i8 ?OlhU br\Od. ~WUl1IX, it 18 WY 

o ~lnio a ttmt th 4 8r lo i o f a a isd4 eufhu o eoo lo ur y l orxt la 

ro cocaty *ioh ha8 jdsai0th or mr cub *a* er88rr world 

ba V8u& As point04 out in0 rrriaum port J Qt 0r tu8 

th0 8Yial oi 8Wh UM ln 8 jU8 L 8a U0W8 bt Ch* OOM8yt 

laa proolwt othox than thatlnrhiohthe ottam or-, 

rodld nat:bo r&1. (Xx jerk Ton Xmnnulta, 8upxe) LUmi8r, 

a ju4.gwaa8 rwlduod ia tiao trial of suoh aaao in the p~oe'ln08 

la WhlOh rbc OrfonOO -8 l odtt0a w0ula bo ro.lla. iaQIao1u. 

the trial ot such 008m in thr ewnty euxt voulcl ,ba ~a114 

8laaa #a oamty eouxt ho8 ooaourrout~~orl8dlo8~~ 31th the 

jtlotloo awrt ovu ti8ae60maox 40008 oo@aoblo cll tilt* $mtio* 

aourt. 

-The L4glolemxb rhull nokr provi8lori for lyla8 

at mtil worklr& publla rw04, for tL6 bulldiq of brl4dyo. 

+ob ror ut;lhln+ rinse, forfalturaa, and oomlot labor 

t0 4li tha84 pu?pO8@@.' 
6’73 

V.0 rl~~ or the fare6014 oonrtituti0pa~protl8io~ 

It ia ftutha am oplnbri tha: aonaf now in the Road 

and Brla@ Fund derlred sroa r1nr* mad forfeltar~8 

oanuot be trwufarrd.’ To hold othawim rOuld not bo 

In l ooord rith the abow quo8d @on8tltu$lmml prOvl8inn 

whioh mkaa it t4Ul64tOr~ that 8uOb,00!1~y. bti“U84d OIL rUd8 

and brldgaa. - 

Alth o ugh a h o lon4y ooll4owa ror rin88 ma f0rf81Cur.0 

18 no8 8 oaa8tltutioaal fun6 in th* 8-80 

a 8r h a trop l tu 10~1 f0r 00n8titOtioa81. 

,* flu laonay ia 

ma , aaeh l 

tlloola iuna8 rar0rra to in Carroll. v. Will 

yet tar aOmitOti08 4008 l p*oif~ tbr pwptm * 

-nay a4ri~d rrm fin48 8ad emittDa8.8h 

L$zb&A+;~~ 

4 r a thuwr a 4 4drird th 4 * mo 6.f l oll*ota 

hiit. 

ilaM .A4 

rart4ittir88 aumot bo tra~farrd or -a884 io r OaM othu 

than *for latlqg out am4 worklae publla roads* u&i vor the 

builblng of brldgw.' (ama. U, ArC. 16, Conmtltatlon of 

Texoo) It la thrrofora our oplolarr the8 the trurda inquired 

about opnqt k srandwred to 8ho ~m?mr~l fun& 

I