OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN

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Hon. Robert 3. Allen CountyAttorney rubbookCounty Lubbsok,Texas

Duar sir:

oithe Peso

"1 have a queeti tion find

payment of f Peaoel. the dietribuas-em on.whiohhe to bring the total the mimes

Juatios of buu on the Uellnand, In a&lltionto

he oould apply the tsee oolhich were listed ee delinquent hir 19S'?

allowanceup to the

105tL, C.C.P. grovlbes, *....&.SO by the oounty to the Justlos or the Peace, for each oriminalaotlon tried and FIXALLY DIBP0615D

OF BPFWE EIK...' The words ot this statute aem very olear that before a Justice of the Pesos Lo entftZedto $2.SO frcim the county, thr!

oetse must be finallydisposedOS before him.Ron. 'iobert LT. Allen, T<ige

2

'article 3892, !?.C.s., providesthat any offioerwho does not collect the mxinuc amount of his fees for any fisctlyear end reportadelinquentfees for that yeer shall be entitled to retain,when colleated,suoh psrt of suoh delinquentfees as is sufficientto complete the amxlm.m oos?ponsetion authorizedfor the year in which delinquentfee6 were charged,End also retain the eo.ouut of exoess fees authorized by law.

-10 your opinion O-1868,dated Februsry23, 1940, you state, *Wherea defendantpleads ;uilty in a justice oourt but do88 not pay the fine, end a ymr later a newly eleotsd justice iesuea commitmentand the defendantis placed In jail end lays out hia fine en4 ooata, the justioe of -he peeoe who took the plee5;Egul:r;y would be entitled to the trial tee.' statesentseems to be contraryto Article*1032 because under 1052 C.C.P.,the Juetloe of the Peaoe would not be entitledto sup payment by the county uhlesa the case wea finallydisposed 0r before hid.

'? have advised the Lubbook CountyAuditor that the $2.50 fee to be paid the Justfoe of,the Peeoe was not due him unless the oese was finally disposedof before him, **end** a oaee whioh waa tried in 1937, but not finally disposedof until 1938would be earned es of 1928, and should not -belisted es a delinquentfee due ror 1937.
Vith the above statutesIn m,ind, would you kindly give me your opiniones to the answer to the questionset out in the firat part of this letter?*

In your letter you state that the Juetice.ofthe Peaoe granted "deferred ad them as delinquent e~met$t6* on oriminal oesee nnd list-, f e wish to 0~11 your attention to Article 698 of the Code of CriminalProoedureof Texee, whioh applies to "deferred judgments", whioh reads ea follows:

*On each verdiot cf aoquittalor oonviotfon,Hon. Robert J. Allen, Page 3

the **proper** judgmentshellbe entered imzedietely. If acquitted the defendant shall be at once disoherged from all further llebflltyUpOn the Oharge **for** which he wee tried;provided that, in **miade**
meanor cases where there ia returneda verdiat,
or a plea of guilty is enteredand the punishment assessed is by fine only. the Court nay, on written request of the defendantend for good o(Puse shown, defer judgmentuutil 6ome other da3 fixed by order of the Court; but in no event ahell the judgment be deierred for a longerperiod of time than six (6) monthe. On explretlonof the time fixed by the order cf the Court, the Court or JuIgge thereof, shall enter judgmenton the verdlotor plea end the saxe shell be executedas providedby Chapter 4, Title 9, of the Code of CriminalProcedars of the State of Texas. Provided further, that the Court or ;YuUge

,thereof,

In the exeraieeof sound dlsoretian~leay

pemft the defendantwhere judgment is deferred, to remain at large on hia oyn reooenieenoe, or may requfrehim to enter Into **bond in**  a mm at least double the amount of the aawesed fine end oosts, oooditionedthat the 4efen4antand auretiea, joint&y and neverally, vii11 pay suoh fine md costs unless the defendantpersonallyappears on the **day** set tn the order and d~luoherges the judgrat la the manher provldodby Chapter4, Title 9 of the Code of CrlmlnalProoedum of the State of Texas; end for the e.nforceroent of any judgueatentered, all writs, proaeeaasand remediesOS the Gode'of CriminalProaedureare cede applloebleso, X~~~~;eneaessary

to oerry out the proofsionsof thie ."

We think there is a oleer distinctionbetweenthe fen% *deSerre8peymaeatsn and *deferredju4gments.e -.-

f011OV8 : Artiale 105Z, 0od.e of CrixinelProcedure, rsads as

e'phree Dollar8 shellbe paid by the aounty to the CounOy Judge, or Judge of the Court at Law, and Two poller8 end fifty oents shell be p&Id by the oounty to the Justioe of the Peace, for aaoh orimiaal aation tried end finally disposed of before h&s. Frcvided,however', that in all oountisshave a population 20,000 or less, the Suatioe of the Peeoe shaltEon. Robert J. Allen, Face 4

reoeive 8 trial tee of Three Xlollar8. Such jndge or Justioe 8hEllpresent t0 the CO~3Ei881OQ8r8' **Court of**  **hi8 county**  **at a**  **regular term**  thereof,
a written aoeount apeoifying8aoh orlmlnala&ion in'nhlohhe **chlm8** 8uoh f66, osrtlfiedby euoh J~ge or Justloo to be oorreot,and filed with the County Clerk. 'Ph.3 COUilQi88idWr8'

Court Ohall approve such acoount for 8uoh amount a8 they find to **be** oorroot,end order a draft to be issuedupon the County Treasurerin favor of 8wh Jnd@ or JuGtios ror the amount 80 approved. FrovIQed the Commlssicnsrs*

Court shallnot pap any aooount or trial fee8 In any Oa80 tried 8X4& in which an ioquittalis had unless t.ha State of Texas w&s **repreeentsd** .ln,the ,trial~ of 8ald oause by the COlUltp AttOrIIey,

OD hi8 a88f.8taIlt,

CriloiMlDi8- triOt Attorneyor hi.8 688i8t6nt',

and the OOrtifloate of **86$d** :Attorn6p 16 attoohed to **88id** aoootit .otrtifpin& to the feat that said cause w68 tried, an@ thv State 0r Texas was rap~rvrtntvd, and that **in.6i8** judgmentthertwao 

### ,suirihnt tVid6nO8 in 6aid **oau8e t0**  **@-and a**  **trial Of**  **86~10.~** OplaiOa 8~. o-616 Of thi8 dtpart&6nt, hold8 that Artdole,

105% @xlt of.Orlminal Fraued%-eof Tbxae, a8 amencted, .l **provld68** that the Justice,ofthe Peaaa shall raoelvs $2.50 ln all countleehsving a popiilatloa of~mors than 20,000 inhabitant8for.aaohuM!ainalaotion.tried and ii&ally diSDO8ed of befurs him. eueh fee8 to be Dafd.bY the oountYwhen iuoh claim8 i&e ii&I in ouupl.iance with Ariiole 3052,-Codo OS Crlmiaalfroeedure,and that it **is** Immaterial whether the defendant who **is** oonvio%ed i.3 such orimiD.al

a&ion pay8 his +5nv **and costs**  Oi **Work8** his fine and **a66t6 outi**  **011** the oouat.~ **ooouaty, or**  a sufftoient

Opinion %a. O-1758 of this departmenthold8 that the justiceof.the p6lld UpOIl thE.tOll

e;f=g&e$;r~~~y$
rbthex in8tead onths rendition of his final judgme&tla tileEon. Robert J. YUlea, Page 5

by the oounty oourt or by the court Of orlminal appeals.

We eMlO herewith OOpie8 of OpiniOn8 308. O-616, o-1759 and O-1868, wElob 

### dtti with variou8 **qUVI8tiOU8** rlmllar to pour **question.**

WE do not hart paas on the propriety Or legalitp

or tht Wdererrlng of payment8 * on valid jUdgmd8 Of oon**vlotioa in**  Ir;isdameaaor **oaat8** by the Justlee of the Feaoe or other orfiotrs.

In anawer~t0 your **qu6atioa** you ar6 rs8peottully advised thet it iS the OpiaiOn Of thi8 **dep8rhteat** that ii the fustioe of the Peaoe **rend6red** a valid judgmant oi oonvlotlon whiah **beoama final**  **in 1957,**  **iwdofar** a8 hi8 jurisdiotioa wa8 oonoerned and he did not oolleot his trial fra **for** mce In 1937 frau the aouaty, and reported 88me a8 a delinquent fee for that pear, thtn he would be clearly antitled to aollect 8661~ **from ihe**  **oounty, uadar**  the **taot8,** In **order to**  bring his 1937 **allomno6** up **to** the maximum, ragardla88 a? whether or not the **rim** and acsts were aver **paid** or the ju6gment **8ati8fied** by jail seniae Of the d,afendat or by the defendant*8 working 88me out oa the oounty fara **or** other pub110 works.

Ii the **"$xlgmtnt** or oonviotlon ” **wan** dtierred **under** Article 698. codt of Criminal Prooedurt. the ~ustlae would not **be** entl&6 to hi8 trial **fte** until *ha **nditterred** judgment' IV68 rendered, tnttred and beoama final Cl 80 far as the juriediction ot the jurrtfaeor the pea08 was ooneernad.
**Vary** truly youra

**ATI ’** **CRARY**GEMSRAI~ CF TEXAS /