The Attorney General of Texas 

July 6, 1978 

Honorable James Warren Smith, Jr. 

p%g cam? Attorney 

P.&&al& Texan 76061 

OpinknNo.li- 1203 

Re: lh?fendant~ preence at 

tr&lbljusticecourtof miss 

meenoc punishable by a fine only. 

Dear Mr. Smith: 

Youadc~whetherajusSxofthepeacemaypro&e@btridoncertdn 

misdem~ cherges in the defendant% absems Yourquestionsccccerna 

motaM~~chargedrrithspeedingandoignedaNoticctoAppeuin 

Ccwt in aceaQnee with article 67Old, section 146. He did not eppearon his 

appeamm~da*;and waseharged with wuful vklatkn of .his :&tmaise to 

appsar.~amdenectkn I49 ofartkk’67OId. .Hothvklatknsare mfsderyanors 

pdshabbbg fine .snly. & V.T.C.S. art. 67Ob$S 14% A wm.ant was eewed 

on the defend&t:aodhe posted a.$200 cash bond but did not eppeer on a 

secondtrkldate; 

-You .a& iwhether .$he .justke court may-proceed to trial .Mhout the 

pnsmca of the defendant or MS attorney. Article 13.03 of: *,.Code of 

Criminal Froceke provides that the defendantinm be persan@~present at 

the trial of a felony or a misdemeanor pudshaHe by imprisarmen~ Article 

ss.o4fJ+aes-a6follows- ” J f, ‘, .~’ 

i .?. : z~h\;otirar m&i& oareq$&&e:&, ,&, bJr 

kument gf the6tate9sattorney~~appeerby,couns& end 

dhe*~maygrooeed.rrtthalt ids &bemnaly 

h aur&p&g,..- provisi~ ~~~&&&&&‘~ p- at trial, 

dthum or.thrpugh his attomey:when permitted in BeoocQlloe with 

artkl+ S3.94. lkkl of a defendent in his absence denies him his day in courL 

Warren v. State, 532 S.W.2d 566 (Tex. Crhn.. App. 1976). In our opinion, the 

justke of the peace may not proceed to fzlal on either cher@ uaks 

defendant is present dther peraonaUy or Uuough his attorney. & Castledine 

v. Mitchel& 336 8.W.M 267 (Tex. civ. App. - Port Worth 1960, no writ). 

p. 4626 
Honorable James Warren Smith, Jr. - Page 2 (S-1203) 

Article a7J4 of the Code of Criminal Procedwe provides altematlve method3 

of dealing wlth certain misdemeanor charges 

. . . 

. 

(b) A defendent cherged with a m4demeenor fot which 

tbe meximum possible pun4hment 4 by fine only may . . . 

mail to the court a plea of wty* or a plea of kolo 

contendemfandawdvetoffutytr4L lfthaeourtmeeives 

ai pla and wdver befote the tl me the defendent 4 &eduled 

to appeiw in court, the court 8hall d4po6e of: the ceae 

without iepulrlng a court ~cebythedefendenL..ir 

(c) In a m4demeenor ceae ar4irtg out of a moving tmfftc 

vlolatfom for wh4h the m&mum possIblequWhme& 4 by 

fIneonly,paymentofaffn~aenamountacceptedbythe 

courtconstitutesaflndingofguiltyinopencou&a8tboqh 

a plea of nolo contendere had been entered by the 

defendenL 

a%dlboluY4awtitten llwkbmgenteredintobythe 

defendant and h4 auetks for the appeamm ot the 

p&c@lthereinbetar,eomecourtormeg4tcatetoanswer 

a-criminal acmmxtiw provkM, however, that the defendant 

uponkxeeutionotsuehbailbondmaydepositwiththe 

curtodianofhmdsofthecourtkwhiohtheproseeutionb 

peadIng cutrent money of the United States in .the amount of 

ths~inliauofhaving~urati~signfngthe~mc... 

See also ‘Attorney c3eneWCplnkn C-740 Qess). Article 17.06, which states the 

requisites of a bdl bond, provides as follows; 

A bail bond 8haIl be sufficient if It contain 441 the 

following requfsites: 

p. 4029 
Honorable James Werren Smith, Jr. - Pege S (H-1203) 

. . . 

4. That the bond be s&wed by name or mark by the 

principal and awetieg if any.. . . 

Hall v. State, 465 S.W 

excnemtes the defendant from lkbility -on its forfeiture. Code Grim. Proc. art. 

22.x3. 

SUMMARY 

A jusdce of the peace may not pcmeed to triel on 

mbdemeenor chrges in defendunth +iencq whet-e 

def~t’hasnotpkdguil ornoloconten&reinacddance .with article 2734(b 3 of the C&e of CrimM 

Proc&um OCR pdd a fine in acco&nce with artfqle 27.l4bh 

A cash bowl which defendant has not signed k invalid 

APPROVED: 

Attorney Oeneml of Texas 

p. 4630