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 morning6 and 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 oeorgo P. 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 refusal by the 

court? Also APt. 793 c. C. P., Opinion 0.147. 

Tlndar Oplnlon O-1061, from your depurtmt3nt it ie ami that the 00wy a000 not 

have the authority to work 

f 

rlrowrr on the 

aity ntraetu, beoause suoh s not publls worlcn 

of the county. How, oaa the oommlsaionen 

aourt ordsr, that the olty parks ,of the oounty 

axe in need of oare and that there ape oreelcu 

in said ptwka that due to the atagnaat water 

and growth around such oreakn in said pa,rb, 

said parks are a menaoe to~hsalth an4 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 appreoiata It 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 

pecuniary fine If he is unable to pay tha fine 

a.nd aosts adjudged agalust hiat, he my far suoh 

t:Lme as will eatisfy thi ,ta@mrnt be put to 

work in the workhouse,~ a& on the oountp iam, 

OP publio lmprovementa 0r thei ootmty a6 provided in the auooeeblng artiole, or Ir there 

be no suah workhouse fam or irmpxorement6, he 

eht33-l bs imprisoned in jail f0S.a rufrielont 

length of time to disoharge the f?ILJ. amOUnt 

of fin.a and oosts aUjudg@Q a&WIu8t him Wting 

suah labor or imprisonment at Th.xW Do i lars 

($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 miedemeanor I.8 confinement in Jail 
Bonorvlbls George P. Rudson, Pago 3 

for more than one by or wluma in auph eonvlotlon the punlshmen~ la aasemad only at a 

pecuniary fine and the party oo aonvlated is 

unable to pay the fine and oosta adjudged 

agd.nst him, thoae BO aonvioted &all be rawire4 to do manual labor in aaoordanoe wlth 

the provirionlr of this article under the following rules and rsgulatlonr: 

"1. Eaoh oommlsmlonerr court may provlda 

for the me&ion of a workhonse and ths wtabl.lehmsnt of a county farm in oonaootion therewith for the purpose of utillalng the 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 utillalng aaid labor. 

*a. Such overseer8 and guardn my be iunployed under the authority of the emmlamlonera 

court a&may bo neeeasarj to prevent saoapos 

a4 to enforas ruoh labor, au4 they shnll bo 

pai& out of thrb aounty treauuS?y lruoh csompanaatlcn ,as said oourt away pro8orfbe. 

"4. Those so oonvloted ahall 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 aounty workhoutim 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 

required to work Par more than OW year. 

"7. One who refuses to labor o,r ia otherwise refraatory or 1aaubtAfnate My be punished 
.sum 

35 

Bonorablv George P. Huavon, Pa&* 4 

by solitary vonfinement on bread ana water or 

In such other manner aa the vcmmiasloners 

00urt may ahot. 

w. When not at labor they may bo oonfineU in jail or the workhouse, am may be most 

convenient, or as the regulations of the comznissioners oourt may 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 P lity 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 against him are blsebarg;ed aooording to 

law. His Inability to do manual labor ma 

determined by a physlolan appointsa fvr t L 

be 

t 

purpose by 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 oonvfctsd or a mledaiaeanor whvsv 

punlshuent either in whole or in part Is ~I?F 

primguasnt in $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 treusurar to that 

effect, shall be suifioient authority for the 

uheriff to detain him in jail without labor." 

Article~990, 8, A. C, C. I%, apppllcable to justfoe~ 

court convlotlons, reads aa followst 

*A defendant place& in jail on acaount of 

failure to pay the rine and costs aan be tlircharged on habeas aorpas by shmrlngt 

Wl. ~That he 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 satisfy the fine and 
Honorable Oeorge P. Hud8on, Prge 6 

aosts, at the rate of three dollars for eaoh 

aay. 

*But the 

this artlols, 

defendant &all, In no oas6 under 

imprisoned at 

be dieohargod until he has been 

the peace may 

least tea days; and a justloe or 

dlsoharge the defendant upon hiu 

showing the same oause, by applioation to suoh 

justice; and when ruoh appliaation Ie granted, 

the justice’shall note the same on hi8 dooket.n 

We quote f’rom opinion Wo. O-1655 of thla department as r0im88 

Y!h6 Court of Criminal Appeals 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 juatiae acurte. see 

Bx Parts Fernandez, 57 8. WRI (&d) 5~78; 9% Parte 

Mi:highlin, 60 8. W. (5d) 786. 

“In the PernandeZ ease, the relator, Farnandsz, was conrioted In the Dlstrlat Court 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. Pres f ding Judge 

!dodorrow in this, ease wroto the following: 

*‘The ohaptbtr in whiah drt;lole 990, 

aupra, appeass, Is one havin rateronoe 

to a judgment of .oonvlatIon f IL a ariminal aotion before a justioe of ths 

p0t%ce. From what ha8 been said It Is 

apparent that the statutory enaotmemts 

make a dlstinotion on the subjeot at 

hand with refereras to the oonviotion 

of a niademeanor before the &stIoe Or 

the pace and the oonviction of a misdemeanor in courts of h&her jurisdiotion. The reason for the distinotion 

may be only a mettar of oonjeature. 

Since the statutory direotlon woe definite 

in Its terms, the duty of the court Co 
c,, - 

Eonarable Gaorga P. 

as 

it 

lice couna 

._~ ._ . 

written is mundatoxy. 

may be said that the juaare limited by the Con- __.. _ 

atltutlon [Art. 5, Bee. 191 in OFZml,nal 'mtters to Q fine not exceeding 

$:ZOO.OO, while under Arttale 5, Seet.ion 16, other courts are &liven jurIf+ 

i.iot%.on in mlsdsmeanore OS much hlgher 

f;rade and with penalties far more severe.* 

mason, pa* 6 

“In opinion Ho, O-1015 by Assistant Attarney General Benjamin Woodall, dlraotad to Honoroi;le Tom Seay, County Attorney Potter County, 

Amarillo, !Fesas, appears the to&wing language1 

**In arriving at the proper oroait 

to bs~~ellowed for senfoe la jail 

undel(ta oonvlotlon In tbo jortice 

court/ we must observe tho 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 fLsr beea im, 

p48oned at least ton dayraw 

-*It Is, therMore, our oplnPon that 

(1 priaonar at+vIotad Ia thr juatI6e 

court, when hIa total fines and ooata 

i.6 a a* uqder ThIr$y Dolla~a~(@Q.OO) 

should receivcl .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 relator was oonvIot$d in the ~ooxpcratian 

court of IEl ~aao, Texae, ,snd his fine aaaeeerd 

at Thirty Dollars ($SO.OO). ,fn that we, It 

was held that Artiale 995~~8 applI(tab2e, and 

that Artiole 920, alone wae appl.lcab&e to oonvictlons before the justiae of the peaO0. 

*From the holdings In the Fernandez 6aee 

an%. the MoIaughli,n ease, and the raeent opinion 

del.ivered by Judge ICreuger in the h lgrte 

Fergueon ease, it isr apparent that a prisoner 

is en.tltled to Three Dallarr ($3.00) per day fox 
HWrubl8 George P. Hiadron, Fug* 7 

nervlae in jail ukaar 8 aonlrletlon of a 

mieaufmanor in 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 herewith a sow of said opinion. 

Opinion NO. 0431061 Of this &JpWtWnt hold8 bIM 

county prl8oncrm aannot ba 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 

aouaty prieonam plaoed in jalk who hare boaa aonriofmd of 

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.R SwtiO0 8 o? 8aid artlolo provido8 

thai the CtmElliSSlOner8' Court "W adopt MO& rule8 8nd -6ulatien8 not fnoofu4lstbnt with the law8 a8 they doam aa(lO88w 

for tmhs euoae6#iul inana,;auteat andopercrtion Of 8aia fB8tftutiana and for U~faotlTely utllitplng 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 tfrotlvsly utilized by working thm oao-half day we oan 

8ee no mallon why this would not be in subtstantd aampl,liWkeO 

tith the statute. 

Suoh prl8oners lauat 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, (SubJrat to the 

liDlii$atioM 0r Article 980, P, A. c. c. P., erplalned in 

opinion 1Fo. 0-1655,) 

i 
Bumrabl,a @m%a P. Xudroa, ?agr 8 

KiUdeMRnUr QWtiOt8 whose punirPvlent aitha~ 

in whols o?in part 18 inprl8oamant IR jell map arc&a Bllltyl 

labor b:p papnent into the aounty traaanry of ona dollar for 

084th asp of tho term or hle lmpri8ontaant, a5 providea by 

84CtiOn 11 Of Artlcl8 794, 8Iipm. 

5. IS suoh ptiatmaro rafura to work they may bs 

puninhd by wsolltary ooafinamsnt oa brawl cod lmtar or in 

8wh other manner au the Canaria8ionant C@Urt lsray dlraot.* 

(898 ssotion Q 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 8O0ar wonl6 

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' COUYt WOtid 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%kOXity to wwk mob pri8O062'8 011 the Oity park 

or say othac ttl%y pxobot. 

J,WOfOOt8r 

They zt&wt ba worked on eouaty