OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

AUSTIN 

Xonorabk W. K. Baldridge 

Countr an4 Dlrtrlot Attorney 

Dmatoa, raw8 

Dar birr opialoa lo. O-7151 

Door l eah wt 0r rr&r of 

lorr tha threr iacher q-0, 

h are 1088 

8r th8 a,aro, 

on8 p8rroa 

Ia8 la Donton 

end oirtinct 

UnlmfullJ 

mt8 GOfi8tltUtO 

unAer Artlolo 927, Vernon’8 

, Srom rhloh we quota: 

creek, lake, bayou, pool, 

lagoon or tank, in thlr State, aa7 wt, trap ur 

Dther device fw catching fish, or take 3r catch 

any flab fram aald vaterr vlth any aet, seine, dtrice, or hook and line or trot line, other than as 

pernltted herein. Uhoever vlol4ter 8ny provlelon of 

thl8 8rticle 8hll be fined not 108s than tvsnty-five 

nor more than one hundred dolbrr. ” 

. . ..-..- ._...~_.. . . ..-.. .--.--- .--.--...- 
Bonorabl8 Y. II. Baldrldm - Pam 2 

(1) the 

The prevlourly quoted article maker Illegal both 

act- of 4~~~11~ In fr 88h vatrr l net vhoee mcl8hs# 

he8 8quAr0, M O l 7 80 (2) the aOt O? 

taklag or aetahlaq of ?18h from fresh vator vlth en7 net 

other thaa a8 permItted thweln. 

Ue think It 18 olrar th a l taoh act of placing a net 

In fre8h uaterr of thlr State contrary to Article 927, 8upra, 

18 a wparate act and a 8eparatO OffOaW, beoauw each plaClEL(I 

II 8 wparate tranuatlon ocaurrlng at a dlffereat lace and et 

a different tlrw. 22 Corpus Jurlr !Jeoundum, w@ 6 8 8tat88, 

“Separate and dlrtlnct act8 of the 8am8 nature perroL8d at 

differrot tirr gsnerelly aonrtltute repmate oifenrer.” 

Xovever, the catahlrq or taking of flab from an unlaufti set 18 One tranraatlnn rerultlng from a rlngle act or 

rolltloa, rOwdlO88 a? the number of fish taken. If 18 vell 

8ettled In l ocordmce with thlr theory that ‘the rteallng o? 

dlfferent artlale8 at the 88~18 time aad place, 80 that the 

trmmeatlon 18 the unm,l8 but one otfenn, and the acetarred 

may not be convicted on reparate Indictment8 aharglng dlffereat part8 a? the tranractlon a8 dL8tlnct offewe8.” Ullron 

08. State 45 Tex. 76, and Yllllr VI. litate, 6 3. Y. 857. 

Were 8everal l ot8 are In feet put 0r one tranractlon, there 

18 only one crime although each or 8uCh l ct8 tight have conrtltuted a orlm In ltrl? I? not part of ruch tramaction." 

22 Corpur Jar18 &aundum, pp* 60-61. 

Th4 failure of the Isglrhturo to exprorrly meke 

tha unlawful taking O? reah fl8h a 84paratO o?fenIe, jurt 

a8 they have uule a remrate oftrnr4 of the unlavful taking 

o? each gysr bird 8nd l aah g&me l lm81 under Artlale 873, 

Vernon*8 Annotated penal Code, lndloate8 the Leglrlature did 

not contemplate nor derlre that each unlavful taking Of 8 ?18h 

be a reparate oftenee under Article 527, 8upr8. 

Therefore, JOU are advised that each net, the meehee 

of vhlch are leee then three inches aquare, placed in the 

vatsre of Lake Dallas In Centon County, Texas, constitutes a 

separate offcare 83 each placing of l net is B separate transaction. YDU are further advised that the unlautul taking =r 
catchlog of flab 81 prohibited b7 Article 927, 8upra, re8ultlng from one tran8aation, Sor l uaplo, from one oet, 

oonrtltutrr only one vlo&tion a8 It 18 but one tranaactlon, 

regardle88 0s the number 0s rirh cwght or taken. 

Your8 vary truly 

I 

Stevclrt if. D8Vor4 

A88i8t&nt