OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS

**AUSTIN 0IRA.u)** **c. MI**  **” ll**  **111O ”“**  **cv**

**as ”**  **- nzzle**  **12, 19a9** 

Honorable EOmer 08rPi8On, +?F. Wp@hll6At Of Fubllo 3afeEy AWtiU, TeXaa , ,'

mu SF: oginlen IJO* oRet ii'hether
btrek_g look upon ei\$rucq in ordef ta umload the

ie traitspoi~ted"l&d and the Urlrsr of the truck Olait~S th+t.h% ha8 Ilbkey, but that this 1OCk ia p&aced SJ *he van at thta point of Fsrl&inand tho receiver of the merchandise has **4** .%8ter key with wbich to remove the lock and unload the 630da.n

You request :Jur OpiizbA hs.to rhetiiar **3r** not **under** euab cirowaetoncelr a Uaense ? seleht :napector **h4a** the nuthorlty to bremk the **13ck** end deturmlne whather 3r not t&o motor tehlole has **bees** correotly rcglsterea: that is, -ðer the truak eotuailg we&h8 a8 aueh as the re&lstration paperr woulb'indiaate, thereby detetinfng the net load trmnlrportea OA #O SIOtOr Vebhle."on. Ifooter tarri8on,Jr., Page 2

,.xtlol& t?27n, YOCtion Sa, ima1 Code, reads aa follows:
*(a) Epon aFplloatlonfor reglstratlon or any commarolal motor vehicle, truck-tractor, trallar or semi-trailer, the applicantshall deliver to the tax collector,x one gf'his duly authorizeddeputies,an affldarlt, duly
swers to before an orficorauthorizedto adalnlater oaths, showing the weight or aaid vehicle, whloh affidavitshall be kept on tila by the 0ol:eator. The lioesse reaeipt issued to the applicantshall also show said a-elght. A copy of said receipt shall be <:arrled at all time
on any such rehlclewhile SBF~O is upon the public hirjhway. &oh affidavit,or a certified eopy tharsof,my be introduoed ~8 evldanoe showing th4 wal@it of esld v+hial.e, and such affidavitshall be prism faale evidence3 th-. well;ht tberaot; yrovlded,however,that Pt my be shorn that said affidavit is false or that said pralgbt

insartedtherein is incorrect."
A:rticle

&27a, 5eation 6 or the venal zoe reads as roll.:Wa:

vnny license an% w&&t loa,pootor of the :tate Righway department, hsVl:ig rceson to baliove that, the gross weight of e loadedvehicle la unlurful., 1s authorlsodto weigh the same either by mane of portableor stationaryscales, and to royuire that suah vehlole be driven to the nuarest soales in the event such saales are within two n&lea. The iziapector

may theA req,ilre

the driver or operator to unlosd imediately suoh portion ~3 the load as say be nescssaryto decreasethe gross weight of suah vehicle to the mrimus gross wei&ht spealfledby this Wt."

To the facto submittedto us, you iadvise that e Licenae a :~alght

TD3peCtOrbelievesthat a truck 1s transporting
mora than 7,000 psunds, his the r,redicate

ior atorplngthe truok Ix- tha purpose of wel&ing the~sme. ..B would mntion th.st the acre belief of SUO!I on lnspeotorthat a truok is transporting

nore than 7,COO pouc%swould not b!?sufficientto authorizesuch a >roce%ureon the rart 3f the izsgeotor. ;TiS balief,sustbe supportedby r~~sanablegrounds.
7 In the case of ihltehead VS. Xicharddron,

127 S.W.- fed) 512, the Cl6trlot court had entorsd a Juderentperman-

# c (

Hon. Eoner Garrison,Jr,, page 3

antly enjsinlngtile rubllo Safety :omisalon 3f Texas and its zmnbers ami tha ?‘exzs tIif:hway I’atrol trorp unloading mtm trucks belmficg t3 ay,pFtllants In order to -IUIU+Z~it; ame, tlnrl to ascertain tbelr weight when empty. such :s of civil gpeals of Lallrte reversed 2nd rendered juidgincnt dissolvingcluoh

restraint snd holdin& t!iat when &tn inapeotorhse ceaaan to believethat the law is **b815g vio**  lated, and that such owrse ia deemed necessaryto verify the iiliraotlon,

he may unload all or any portion of a load sound on such a vehicle for the purpose or **datuminis6** the correctwe*hts and ascartainiag rhether the law is being violated. In support of such holding,we cite also the ca&ws 0f k%W‘isay Lmber C0111panyvs. Smith, 96 S.N. (2ti) 282; .%at8 of Texa5 vs. r'er::uson, at al, 125 ti.';!.

(Zd) 272; and ijlohtirdson VS. Rurley, 126 s.W. (2d) 1COl.

?;hhenan inspectoroom~s upon 3 motor truok, which he ha8 good reason to bellsve and doeo believe is oarrying a load in excess of thiit -2llowed

by law, it is hi3 duty to wei;-h suoh loaded truok and then to unload the S~~:ZE xld Weigh it empty **anti** In tkrtt way to ascertainwhether tta .iuw Is bei@ violstad. San the truclr operatordefeat.

the lr;w

ucd frustratethe officer In the performance of hi6 duty ty refuelnq to ulllook

the van anb permit the processes cd the law to be oarrled out in **an** orderly and peaoefi;l zanner? :;e think 307.. **‘ ,h%**  **6CtiOn Ji**  such **OfiiCers** i;i~td~hiCg the loaded tmck, In anpty?:q the s(lds( and ~:si:_hi.n~:

It mgty is in the nrtture

~1f' a search. If neo86aury in tii% cxecutlon 3f 0 searoh warrant an officer my break ~;d anter the gremisss wtict, are to be searcked. 56 2.J. 1242; 24 :?.i.L. 700. ;Phere M sificerhas tie authorityto uako u searchwithout
a warrant it wzul& seem that his powers and duties shoulir be the 8s~ as lf he had ipsearchwar ant authorizinqthe same kind of a search.

.issumfrg

that the inspectorhas xirfio?ent ground6 for hfe belief that the truck oarlrs a loa& in excess of that permittedby law, :?ur answer to your questionis an uffirni~tive

one.

Yours very truly