OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN



### BonorabXe George 

## cuunty Ateoammy Jonou @aua*y Anuen, !hmu
war mrt

__ . P. Rubma

**oarefully oonuidered**  **by nuuut**  an iotlmlr

91* 994 Cr c. P. Qua the oaEd8- foasu Cautttiy

oauesd ta w6rW plauu4 In ial6

aounty jatl oa

nw114 lib to do b to **wook tha**  **prluonerr** only in th6 morning6and it a priuonur retuurrl ta **work** and there ia 110 0x8~~ ior ra~h~refun+l th6n he will nOf be fOm0d t9 Wrk but rfU oaly **be** gl~8n OFodft LOX #LOO iw'8aOh hay 1~Bonorable oeorgoP. Huaeoll, mgo 3

ja.11 that he refusoa to work. If when suoh ocnvict in aallen to work an& aoea work then ha shall be given aredit of $S.OO per day on his fine and oosts. can a prluowr rsfusa to work and be punished for euoh refusalby the court? Also APt. 793 c. C. P., Opinion 0.147. Tlndar OplnlonO-1061,from 

### your depurtmt3nt it ie ami that the 00wy a000 not have the authorityto work frlrowrr on the aity ntraetu,beoause suoh s not publls worlcn of the county. How, oaa the oommlsaionen aourt ordsr, that the olty parks ,ofthe oounty axe in need of oare and that there ape oreelcu in said **ptwka** that due to the atagnaatwater and growth around such 

### oreakn in said pa,rb, said parks are a menaoe to~hsalthan4 Or4er that oounty prlrotiers bo uned to 

### rmriwe auoh mmaoe to the health of the people of the oounty of JOlm6. I - ISU&bis 

### t0 fia4 a~ bW on the matter of hm prlsonsn night bo us04 in any numaer other than ,oa oouuty #tojeatm and I would appreoiataIt if you ml&t asofet mm in this regarU.w .Irtiole

793, V. A. C. C. P., reads as followsr when a 64fon4m.it

la oomloto4 of a a&rdimaeanor

and his punMuaeut irr auueousa at a pecuniaryfine If he is unable to pay tha fine a.nd aosts adjudgedagalust hiat, he my far suoh t:Lme as will eatisfythi ,ta@mrntbe put to work in the workhouse,~ a& on the oountp iam, OP publio lmprovementa0r thei ootmty a6 provided in the auooeeblngartiole,

### or 

### Ir there be no suah workhouse fam 

### or irmpxorement6, he eht33-l bs imprisonedin jail f0S.a rufrielont length of time to disohargethe f?ILJ. amOUnt of fin.a

and oosts **aUjudg@Q** a&WIu8thim Wting suah labor or imprisonment at Th.xW Doilars ($3.00)for each day thereof."
Article 794, V. **A.** C. C. Plc r6abU aU~fOll~~l

vmre the pnlshmeat aaosssad in a oonviation POP miedemeanorI.8 confinementin 

### JailBonorvlbls GeorgeP. Rudson, Pago 3

for more than one by or wluma in auph eonvlotlon the punlshmen~la aasemad only at a pecuniaryfine and the party oo aonvlatedis unable to pay the fine and oosta adjudged agd.nsthim, thoae BO aonvioted &all be rawire4 to do manual labor in aaoordanoewlth the provirionlr **of** this article under the following rules and rsgulatlonr:
"1. Eaoh oommlsmlonerr courtmay provlda for the me&ion of a workhonseand ths wtabl.lehmsnt

of a county farm in oonaootiontherewith **for** the purpose of utillalngthe labor of said parties 80 oonvlatr4.
-3. Such farma and worlchouael ahall be under the oontrol and managemsnt of the oommlerionsrs oourt, and said oaurt map ado t anoh ruleu an4 regulations not inooneirrtsnt

tlsth thm lawa a8 they deea wcsarary for. the suooasmf&l mauagsment and opsmtlon of said lmtitutlonr e.nd for erf@8tlvely

utillalngaaid labor.
*a. Such overseer8 and guardn my be iunployed under the authorityof the emmlamlonera court a&may bo neeeasarj **to** prevent saoapos a4 to enforasruoh **labor,** au4 they shnll bo pai& out of thrb

aounty treauuS?y lruohcsompanaatlcn ,assaid oourt away pro8orfbe.
"4. Those so oonvlotedahall be 80 guarded while at work a8 to prevent emape. "'5., They &all be put to labor upon the pub110 roads,brideas or ather publla woks of th@ county when their labor oannot be utilfaed in the aountyworkhoutim or oounty farm.
=f3* Thsy shall be requii?eQ to labor not lase than sight nor more than tan hours aaoh d.ay, Sundays smeptsd. MO pexaon shall ever be requiredto work Par more than OW year. "7. One who refuses to labor o,r ia otherwise refraatoryor 1aaubtAfnate My be punished.sum 

### 35

BonorablvGeorge P. Huavon, Pa&* 4

by solitaryvonfinementon bread ana water or In such othermanner aa the vcmmiasloners 00urt may ahot.

w. When not at labor they may bo oonfineU in jail or the workhouse,am maybe most convenient,or as the regulationsof the comznissioners

oourtmay presoribe.
"9. A iemals ahall in no cdlm be required to do manual labor exoept In the **workhouse.**
-10. One who from a v disease, or othsr' physical or mental dlsab Plity is unable to 60, manual labor shall noa be required to,work,but shall remain in Jail until his term oi imprl*onment is ended, or until the line and costs adjud.seQ againsthim are blsebarg;ed aooording to law. His Inabilityto do manual labor ma determinedby a physlolanappointsafvr tL be t purposeby the oounty u&go **or** the aomm!lssionere court, who shall be B ai d for such servfa~.moh ooqenaation es said oourt rpa~~ allow.
"11. One oonvfctsdor a mledaiaeanor whvsv punlshuenteither in whole **or** in part Is ~I?F primguasntin $10 map avoid manual labor by pay&bat into the aounty treasury oi one **dollar** for 'aaah

E,ay of the term of his imprisonment and the reeelpt of the **aounty** treusurarto that effect, shall be suifioientauthority for the uheriffto detain him in jail without labor." Article~990,

8, A. C, C. I%, apppllcable to justfoe~ court convlotlons, reads aa followst
*A defendantplace& in jail on acaount of failure to pay the rine and costs aan be tlircharged on habeas aorpas by shmrlngt
Wl. ~Thathe is too poor to peg the fine am3 oosts, and W9. 2&t he has remained In jail a aufl?icfent length of tims to satisfythe fine andHonorableOeorge **P.** Hud8on, Prge 6

aosts, at the rate of three dollars **for** eaoh aay. *But the this artlols,defendant&all, In no oas6 under imprisonedat be dieohargoduntil he has been
the peacemay least tea days; and a justloe or

dlsohargethe defendantupon hiu showing the same oause,by applioationto suoh justice;and when ruoh appliaationIe granted, the justice’shall

note the same on hi8 dooket.n
We quote f’rom

opinionWo. O-1655 of thla department as r0im88

Y!h6 Court of CriminalAppeals has reoognized a distinotlon between the aredit to be allowed ror eervioe In Jail under the two preoodlng statutes. Artiols 793, su$ra,applies to the satisfaotion of judgwent In misdemeanor oa,ses in courts other than juatiaeacurte. see Bx Parts Fernandez,57 8. WRI (&d) 5~78; 9% Parte Mi:highlin,60 8. W. (5d) 786.
“In the PernandeZease, the relator,Farnandsz,was conriotedIn the DlstrlatCourt OS Ibesceu County,Tezns, of a, misdemeanor

an4 his Dunlshment

am&awed at a ,tIne of 50.00 and ao,sts,

amounting to #18?00. f Pres ding Judge !dodorrow in this,

ease wroto the following:

*‘The ohaptbtr in whiah drt;lole 990, aupra, appeass, Is one havin rateronoe to a judgmentof .oonvlatIon fIL a ariminal aotion before a justioe of ths p0t%ce. From what ha8 been said It Is apparent that the statutoryenaotmemts make a dlstinotionon the subjeotat hand with refererasto the oonviotion of a niademeanorbefore the &stIoe Or the pace and the oonvictionof a misdemeanorin courts **of** h&her jurisdiotion. The reason for the distinotion may be only a mettar of oonjeature. Since the statutorydireotlonwoe definite in Its terms, the duty of the court Coc,, -

EonarableGaorga P.

as it lice couna ._~ ._ . written is mundatoxy.

may be said that the juaare limitedby the Con-

__.. _ atltutlon [Art. 5, Bee. 191 in OFZml,nal 'mtters to Q fine not exceeding $:ZOO.OO,

while underArttale 5, Seet.ion 16, other courtsare &liven jurIf+ i.iot%.on

in mlsdsmeanoreOS much hlgher f;rade and with penaltiesfar more severe.* mason, pa* 6

“In opinionHo, O-1015 **by** AssistantAttarney GeneralBenjamin Woodall, dlraotadto Honoroi;le Tom Seay, County Attorney Potter County, Amarillo, !Fesas,

appears the to&wing language1
**In arrivingat the proper oroait to bs~~ellowed

for senfoe la jail undel(ta

oonvlotlonIn tbo jortice court/we must observetho provisions of Article 920, code or cr- ..:. s?roabaure, suprs, that %he aefendunt rab5l1, in no oaae tttia*r this artlolle, be aiO0h,2gOa uidi he fLsrbeea im, p48oned at least ton dayraw
-*It Is, therMore, our oplnPon that (1 priaonarat+vIotadIa thr juatI6e court,when hIa total fines and ooata i.6 a a* uqder ThIr$yDolla~a~(@Q.OO) shouldreceivcl

.omalt r0x atiy one-tanth of the Cotul ‘aJacunt $‘p,t M&h ,%ay,&e served * * *’ ., . .~ “In the McLau~In ease, 00 8. W.k{;kd) 786, the relatorwas oonvIot$din the ~ooxpcratian court of IEl

~aao, Texae, ,snd his fine aaaeeerd at ThirtyDollars ($SO.OO). ,fn that we, It was held that **Artiale** 995~~8 applI(tab2e, and that Artiole 920, alonewae appl.lcab&e to oonvictlonsbefore the justiae of the peaO0. *From the holdings In the Fernandez 6aee an%. the MoIaughli,n

ease, and the raeent opinion del.ivered by JudgeICreuger in the h lgrte Fergueon ease, it isr apparent that a prisoner is en.tltled

to Three Dallarr ($3.00)per day foxHWrubl8 George P. Hiadron, Fug* **7**

nervlae in jail ukaar 8 aonlrletlon of a mieaufmanorin any sourt. ma OUY airisrenas In the applicatfoM of Artlalw 793 ana 820 between the ather aourt 8onrlction~i u8tler eourt aad a4 the rhen a

We eoolocle

herewitha sow of said opinion. OpinionNO. 0431061 Of this &JpWtWnt hold8 bIM county prl8oncrmaannotba worked on the pubUa 

## rtmtr of a oitp. 

## TQU

are rarpsatfully



## aa*d tht it ie the opfaion 

## or thlm dsparwent;

1. Ihe f%M?d~8iOMlS' %Wt h88 aUthOritj t0 VOrk aouatyprieonam plaoed in jalk who hare boaa aonriofmdof a?i8aomomor8.

8. Seatloa 6 of Artlsle 794, aupm, ret8 the working day at *not hs8 then eight aor more thaa ten hour8 e&ah day Sundays axceptedd.RSwtiO0 8 o? 8aid artlolo provido8 thai the CtmElliSSlOner8' Court "W adopt MO& rule8 8nd -6ulatien8not fnoofu4lstbnt with the law8 a8 they doam aa(lO88w for tmhs

euoae6#iulinana,;auteat and opercrtion

Of 8aia fB8tftutianaand for U~faotlTelyutllitplng said **labor.*** It **irr** our opinion that tha ConmLir8fonen* Court 8hotid fol.lm Seotion 0 of Art1010 794, wpw, and in no tltont work the primnsre moue thrn ten hOtW8 p8r day; horrcnrr, ii then i8 not myiahnt work to keep th4 pri8OllCir8 bU87 ror a full aaJr or if the oourt beliarer that their labor can'be !wr8 

### l tfrotlvslyutilizedby working thm oao-halfday we oan 8ee no mallon why this would not be in subtstantd aampl,liWkeO tith the statute.

Suoh prl8onerslauat be &ran oredlt for $S.OO per day re **rdlesia** of whether they **wtwk** on county **~robwta** or luy the **r** fine and owts out in jail, (SubJratto the liDlii$atioM 0r **Article 980,**  P, **A.** c. c. P., erplalned in opinion1Fo.

0-1655,)

iBumrabl,a @m%a **P.** Xudroa,**?agr 8** 

KiUdeMRnUr QWtiOt8 whose punirPvlent aitha~ in whols o?in part 18 inprl8oamant IR jellmap arc&a Bllltyl labor b:p

papnent into the aounty traaanry of ona dollar for 084th asp of tho term or hle lmpri8ontaant, a5 provideaby 84CtiOn 11 Of Artlcl8 794, 8Iipm.

5. IS suoh ptiatmaro rafura to work they may bs puninhd by wsolltaryooafinamsntoa brawl codlmtar or in 8wh othermanner au the Canaria8ionant C@Urt lsray

dlraot.* (898 ssotionQ **ef** hxrsfiofr 794, SUpr*.) Hwavar, it ir alr oplniua thet *8uoh other manner* must be raaromb~a and not amouRt so OlUel and unu8ul QSUd8kW0t.

6. If the cOad88iOllax8' couxt18 nwbla to 8O6Ur8 labor fr?B%

a pri8OWX after r88OZt10& t@ tka ram&~ ~ttvidad by ZIaotion Q of the artiala,an4 thr rl ri8OOW rawiau ia jail, it $8 onr opiotoa that the p 8O0arwonl6 still ba eatltlad to aradit a6 the xata of $8.00 ‘par dy
. **(wb#wdt to**  tha lidtationm of Arkblr 980, 71, h. 0. 0. P,, au po?intad

aut in O&den 100. O-165af;md tlmt the C3crp1 ti8iOR8r8' COUYtWOtid haVa 011 aI&Ohoritr

t0 'Wok" him $8.00 par day for aaeh day ha remed to **wwk.**

I 7. xt i8 OUT fUXtk8r O@.b0 tk8t tit9 CWd.98i008?Ut Conk% ha8 RO&u%kOXityto wwk mob pri8O062'8 011 the Oity **park** or say othac ttl%y

pxobot. J,WOfOOt8r They zt&wtba worked on eouaty