OFFICE OF THE A-HORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

AUSTIN 
532 

player reoover eny part or portion or the 

money arter ceixure? 

-3. 'ih3t is the etatus of money eeized id 

@mbllng devices? 

'4. 'Shat dis.gositioa MJ be lawfully made of 

maney seized in @mbling 4eviou'p" 

After diecwaiou of each of the above questions 

you anewer the first in the Ciriraatlte, the meoond ip 

the negativeg to the third that the xaomy Is in outattodir 

le~ia, and to the fonrtk that the court oould om 

m0ney &iSylied t0 spy or fiOS UW@ - 

(a) Charitable instltutionat 

(b) To the state r0r 8pdri0 urea; 

(0) Tot;; oounty to be rteed am ordered by the 

(d) To any uauee that Is beaotolent in itn 

nature; 

(e) To any oauw that would be bemsfiolal to 

t&e yublie et large. 

You indicate ytmr belief that a writ of mndemus 

muld lie to aompel the various dlstxiot judges entering 

judgments aa above referred to, to proceed to enter a 

further ‘brder disposing of the momy NW held by the 

olerk, for one of the ,x~poses nmaed by you. 

Chapter Sir of Title ll of the Pea&l Code, 1926, 

nitb awadments thereto ewriee the statutory prohibitions and provide the rwasdiae against ganring Zn Texan. 

Provision is made through Arti0lea 6358 to 658 for the 

@~ppTpre~tsiori of violationS, end the WiWre, OOndS~atiOn 

and daetruation or pr0prrty uwd r0r gaming purposee. 

Pbe peflinent statutrs, and the ouly ones we here been 

able to rind tnaiceting the di8pooitioa of prqmrtf la* 

fully mlzed, ore Artroles 556, 5S9 and 638 ai the Funs1 

coae ., 
533 

Article 6% require0 the afrioer serving 6 

aeorch warrant to file a returu on same, with a liet 

of pc;-perty seized designating the place of seizure 

SIXI nfi’3-3 Gf 0wIlOr or >8rS0ll irGXz!whCm pOSiS48.4iOn was 

tXk4C. Thee notice met be issued and served on either 

the omer or parson in :aess44ion omnding appearaoae 

vdthln a designsted time, not less than fire day8 frcm 

date of ismama, b ahow cauee why the seized a&lcles shm~lld 3ot ba destropsd. 

.kct:c1e 637 is here quoted in fall: 

"fat. 637. mmOy4a a Grd4r 0r OOut. PC- 

*If u?an a heerfw of the w.tter rofezrod 

to in the preoeding artioi4, the juctilce 0r 

the pmico, aoontp judqe or dletriot judst,, 

before uhoz the cause is pecding shall deter-~ 

mine that the prop4rty seizsd is 6 tpt3ifq 

table or bank or Is used 88 equipment or parephernelia for a t;a_mbling house, and wee being 

ueea r0r ganing 3~~~0440, ha shall cmbsr 84.434 

to be destroyed, but any part of aeta mar, by 

or&r or the court be held as eoldenoe to'ba 

used in ang ease until the oaaa is finality disposed of. Froperty not~of that oheraotQr or 

not no used'shall be ordered returned to the 

person entitled to pons4eaion of th8 sasm. %?h* 

orrioer within not lasll ~thur fiftecln nor 1~02-8 

than thirty dayn rrw tlia~,wtx-y 0r said or&m 

shall destroy all prop&& the destructlo~ of 

wbieh haa been ordered:;J&y the court, unless 

tke omer, lessee or pstiacut entitled to posserrsian under thie hu; shell, b4rort the deemtobh Or said gTOp3Z%pl file 6Uit t0 3%3OTSr 

seas .m 

In 1933, by the dets of the Irortp-fourtfi l.e&isltlture, begalar Se4sion, Qhapter 803, p. 490, SotIon 8 

wes added to &&.ole $39. W quota Seotlon E P.B added3 

*See. 8.. If upon 4 h4arH..np; of the nrattsr 

refclrmcl to in Artlala 636 Fenel Code of Texns 

(lQZ3) the juretloe Of tb4 p6aO4, aoWlty jU&r?;rt 

or district judge before *Ihas &hu cause is 
Jmndfng &all d8t8min8 that the prqmrty 

seized, or any part thereat, is not gambling 

paraph8rAblia pew m, but that the aam OT 

any pert there& uas used a@ aquipmnt QT 

para@8rnalie ior e gtmbllng house and was 

b8iAg uead for ganlng wur 0808 and that said 

propsrty is eapablb or be P ng used tar scam 

legal purpoma, he mny, in his dl8oretion, by 

ord8r ai the court deolare the sass8 OQdi8Wta4 and oauee the muse to be doliversd to ths 

stata or ~xim, or any Qoliticdl aubaiviaion 

thereor or to 8ay State institution to bs kept 

by it fW its iW!.l U88 end banefit. 

me oftioer shall e!mw by tits r8tPm t&8 

biSpOSitiOA 0r *a property Emde by hia whiah 

~h0n ba IA 0aat~111512~6 .with tks 0zrdsr8 0r tht3 

aQurt." 

The mergenay alaaae Ot the enmndetaxy bill, 

d6AOtiAs; th i8&&8tiV8 iAt8A$, rU8it8# -4sMSiioA 

by peaae effieera throughout TWYSS of ~*cAaira, tablea, 

oarpt8anu other kindsor furdtun 0r th40 value of 

theumnb8 of bolle~a~ nhioh, *us&s the present law 

;Illt8t b8 held rm 8vid8AM or Usotroyed by en or&r ar 

the Oouti,f eta. lForhbxw la tha A& 8-e the LS&I&- 

ttvs eVid0A48 0Ay il%fHIt tQ di0m8 Of tb% ZKJXUJ0 CtBW. 

telnml in ge 88~rios0 0s panaphmnalia, 

ArtdQZ6 as3 gxmt6 the right 5r 6ny parsaan inter8ste8 in or sntlttsd to prapertg ssiwd, to tixy the 

iv!@. or whether web pm rty is e apdng table. or 

bank or deriw, QOP warn 08 3 es equipment or porffphemaliaoi any@ublin(3 home* rnd to rewver the samou~on 

a ravorable detsrrdmtian th0reoi. 

XA .OuT bIY%&tigatfQA Or tb.6 ;JAeStibAs., .~y6:-8ifi8r..i 

a leOtar t3pi~lon wrivben by k0elskmt Attarney Qpbxal IL 

L. Willirord lm Roaorable JII~,Izodgi~8, Cour~t~ AliterMy et i&loMh, T6xes Qa Au&t-b ,& ~19s%, IkdAing that 

the propr aoastxwcrtion or ~xti& 6SsI, Penn1 Code, 

8u@ra, OO~telning thb l&iqw~ %Qp6tty not at fhet, 

Oharecter or not 80 plsQd e&a21 bs oxWra& mturmd %Q 

the per6~t.t astimid to porimaaiaa at th6 -~ema ,* woulU 

raadsr it proper to hers cha oaurt entar BP ura0r ia 
535 

t&a procseding inetru0ting bh8 sheriil to return ths 

HOll8y to th0 m50fl f%OSl WhcS the pOEZi8lSSiOll Or Qt9&8 

was taken “inaamah ~8 the xomy fs not a gming tab16 

or bank, *quipsant, or paraphamalla for e ~ambll* 

hourn." 

p. aeel. 

(htter o&?iAiOA8, Attorney Cklaaral, Vol. %a,, 

IO the cam 0r Atterney cxmsral v. Justlcse of 

tb miaipai court 0f the city 0r Boet0n, m3 ftat3d. 

456 (&a~. Ct. Ease. 184Q) it a?peara that e search warrent was isatmd out 0r th4 numic;lpal cawt, an6 upon 

its sxeaution a quantity of gaabling Carapharnalia wta 

wlm4 such a8 *one f'aro table, one lay-out, one 8+nfThe 2kfm48humtC;e S6atut6 providsd~ r0r 6ha 

wizen and U*struatioa at famicig apparatus a* i&emeat0 and far aeaU~etioa emI sale of otbnr grrraonal 

proparty eeieed at *a atsac t&m and fmxutha sesin 

~?F+Xs1088, 

The prooeebing wes far aandeurm8 to require tki 

rrcaiaipel court to proma to ar6ar th4 ds*tmution of 

the gsJing agjwmk6u~ a08 iwndsa3netlon of otrzar prsonel 

Th8 ju&ps ofthamn1l3ipa1cowttook the 

ssm, although tha werrant wa$ iamt8d by them. The 

Supreme Court hsld that the fgmbig a;parattU and lap&- 

mast8 could be daetroyed end the otbdr pewtonal pro&MT6y eo~ademnsd snd sol4 &r pxaper' not~bw buti wit& 

xefwenoe to the rmmy in the iem bank, km awrt aaldr 
536 

wm be- opsratad in the plairrtiti*s ;lace OS businew, aad coctsined mormy t&at had baen played ther6in, 

~e~d soleed by deputy sheriffs, and msohines uera be9 

operated in viol&ion of lea et the tiras they were 

M zed, it was held that ;leiatifit aould re0.0~~ from 

the brsputisa the mormp contained in the rnaohine8 at 

the the of aeienm. TM oourt mid the mney vmd) not 

~i&mMSy bad," that “it8 ordinary and austomary uBo 

is not only lawful, but in met eeeea absolutely neoee8axy.w Be quote furtherr 

V&I have no statute that provides tar its 

ooadmnxati~ or oonfisaation. Where the plrpose and ordiaaxy iuse ot pxspexty is lswful, 

the plaintiff In aueh a oaae MJ the 0110 at bar 

is entitled to here hia proparty reetorsd m 

returned to him * + * It is well established 

that, rhila the law will not lend its aid to 

one or the parties to an illegal transaction 

or oontract, the rule baa appliaation a6 between the iwmdiate partfee only, and cue in 

poeeesaion ot th6 fruit8 o? exa illegal tseimaotion or oontraot to az?ioh he UESSI not a.pw%y 

aamot invoke the rule. I, * * l 

In the caee ot lbrrell Y. Clark 90 Kant. 566, 

4P. (26) 7l.2, 7W Ar~L.B.lCfiC, oitd &yyi% in yomX 

brief, the ehsriri of Wheatland County mleod tro~#lat 

meahines n::ioh bed been installed in t.he plelntifS*a 

place oi bQaim6e under an agroesmntthat he would ay 

to the amsr e pamontage or the saomy taken in, slli 

arrested the plain~tiff, who pleaded &uilty to the chargs 

of operd.ng them. The acurt oxdexed the saahinea dsetroyed and any monef ioand la thaw to be depooited 

with the clerk OS the omzrt. After the dsrrtxuotlon of 

the machiner, 8a41.85 we ao deposited end on refu8el of 

the clerk to tamit the mazley over to him, plaintiff 

broup?;ht suit to recover the isoasy 80 deposited, WWA 

one judge disseutLne;, the Eupxwm Couxt or Kcmtaaa~ held 

that, while thx+ etatut% eathori?$n& the seimre end de,- 

struotlon of slot nsoblnee did k~#t authorize the eeiaure 

Of ao~ly 88 8UOh, t&J Shetiff t%$¬i WXdIdf t~i ~F~~ltS 

in oarryin~ away the aonsy fmnd Lu ths ~rpaehiuee, and 

that the plaiatifii coald net reoover it l.n (LB- aotion 

fox that puzrgOSQ* wita refemuas ta the Beham rul4 u 
xo~. 3. a. t:om1asy, PS@ 7 

later mm:z~oed by the Claorg#a Oourt in CGzcppell v. 

Stapl6ton, suyxa, the opinion points Q& that the foota 

of the Fllegal enterprise af c+perriting the elut rpcpohinae 

wura neereeerll 

f 

618010twd tc th4 court by the plPintiff In attempt ng to m&e a prims faah ~$0. Wm 

quotrt 

wnls the ppJlntE$f, edmitting a8 Yiolation 

of t?..e law, asked thekid OS the very aowt 

ohmgod with the duty of g9alahln$ that violation, and okioh bad pertorsnd that auty Zn 

840~xln(i the rat8 0f hia tdia~, *pih hs 

mlmittod &e *ioUd not be l ntltled to rota& 

under #a la+, had he reduced the aam to panae5Siozk. l I + 

mPla i& iff aeaerts that tba geartal ml* is 

that illsgality crmnot M set up by ti third 

peram, tit is otiy available to a p&y to II. 

acmtmot (IS c. J. 5008) gbut ha .i.d2o t0 mtb3 

thet the kxt msdrr Vhic rn]Jsim ofaottree 

euhjeot to au sx0epticm, where it in attempted 

to assert rights base4 oa tlm ocratraot.~ striatly qetklng, there la 00 00mtxeet haxa inTQlTeu; 

plaintitf rabrely seek8 the aid of the aou%?t to, 

mduoo to ~sssaion tb agofl.8 of th 18.~'~ 

violrtioa." __ 

¶%e KaHsaaa Cosat by a%gmes latqpxage, did not 

pass uJ?uQ the UltLiPurba disgooiti6ri of the mo.wy, rxa 

wita4bastha rK&bwfn@lus(iae~~ 
53t 

EQB. E. Q. &Toaeley, Fags 8 

tramaation and seoure to the violatar the 

zxuitll of CiS outlnwry." 

While we haoe been unsbla to find anj'Tazas broision equaraly in point, we bslleva~cartain lanmag@ 

used in the 08~ of Cam~ball Y. Eood 55 S. Vf. (23%) 93, 

(Cum. App.) applicable to tha pxdplas hare under 

amslderation, In that oaee the eouxt denied raaovery 

for aomniasions on the aale of real estate, *hare a oorporation ritbcmt power to do so mada a oooltraot of purGh-0. Tha OpiBiOn revlere s?Uly daoiaions, dieous8ing 

the prlnoiplase involved, of whiah the tollowing la a 

typical axampler 

Ttt is a aelntary prinoipla, unlvaraelly 

a~~llad, that a court will dacliw to land ltr 

aid to a parson seeking oompensatioa fox the 

doing of an aat rhiah riolntee the publio 

polioy of tha state as oxgreasly deolared by 

tha law muldng power. A obar etatamnt of 

thla principle in tlmt &iron by tE8 Supreme 

Court of the United States IQ Bank of United 

stetas v. OwenIL, 8 Fat. 656, 7 L. Ed. 508, 

wharela it is saldr 

-%a oouxt 41 jostfca cu5 in it8 naturn 

be made thea E&ndE8id or Iniquity. ceurfr 

we in~itutad to saw into atiaot tbs 

lava of a country;how aeatha than become auxiliary tQ the ContmlnmR x ion of 

yiolatiorm of law7 * l * There can be 

513 oiril right, whore them CWJ ba no 

lapel remdy; and tbera can be no lags1 

remmdp, for that whioh la itself Illegal.' 

*A&a,tha 881118 oourtin Cappall r,HdLl, 

YUall.~,SS59,19 L.=d. 24& reaftinmd 

this ,ilootr2na in the baa of this langmqa: 

rake prinaiple to be axtraated from 

all the eases 16, that tb6 law will not 

lend its support to a alaim faundsd 

npcwa its tiolstion*'= 
lion. ?L. 0. !,?Oou8lb)r, Fa@3 3 

g&U.ng duticea and depoeltsd with the alerk ai tIm 

court, by order of th8 QOUPt, CCCUp166 tba Stat~U Ot 

aoauy *in oustodia lb&a.- . 

It has been generally eati that property is in 

*custoMa legis” when it has been lawfully telbm by 

euthority of legal pmoens, and n3a2ai~ in poa4wmion 

of a publfa offloer or a ao*urt officer ezupomered by 

law to hold It. Allmn'v, Hargadlne-8f6KittTlok Dxy 

Goods Co., 925 lib. 400, 2% S. W. (SC%) 670, 6X3. See 

also Union Indsanity QO. v. Florida Bank & Truot Co., 

48 ?a (Zd) 395, 697; BQUVIO~'U Lm DiotiOnw, 3rd R0V.i 

and proparty seized by rirtuo of a abareh warrant haa 

been 80 Qsnominated;~Dorrell '1. Clnrk, supra m&lo@ v. 

Lawson, 146 Ore. BZl, 31 S. (Zd)-171, ZW; 6 t ate t. 

Gambling 

Griete v. 

43 Aria. 1l.e. 40 P. (Z-id) 746; 9471 

.., de 5. c. 369, 99 9.8. 703, 

YTO!,ti radio f&b oats8 urb aUthCWitib8 Qitbd, 

and Othora, va agree 4th the anawur8 givea bp gou’ to 

the first thrss ~aeetiona propounded in your brie~f. 

To axxmm~iae: 

Pour fotwteh @$m~%ion prbssnt8 turthur dittiaulty to 

whioh me ahalS no* advert. 
540 

Eon. Yz. 0. !~'.osele+, I-‘abp~ 10 

unable to follow your reo6ozxiae; 

=the ntnte is not batitled 

the aousty is not entitled 

that ainos. - 

to tbs rmowy, that 

to th6 momy,.~that _ _ _ aertalnlJr ZIO ~artlaclar publla oTfiole1 is entitled to it a8 a natter ot right, end nslther 

is any partiauler person, 60 the only dlspoaitian thet aan be mde of eaoh so-my is by order 

Of the COtU?‘t in WhQS8 CU8todjr it 1~86 phObd 

end held. .?&F aourt therefore, in &t-n di8ontion, may ISEW any bonsfiaial. disporition 

thsreof it my ~6 iit, bbfq linitad odly to 

the ate& t&t such Uinpositiw should net bu 

tmrea6oaeblb or ~1vOhU8, or a diSpO8d. that 

would BhoQk th6 OOflFSCieXl~b Of 8 0-t Of 

qnuity.* 

We are lncllned to the beli8i that the prlnoipl8 

enunolated in the following: lata@aage fro& the Suprraas 

Court in the aaee of Withers tb Patteraaol, 27 Ter. 401, 

86 Am. D80. 643, would control: 

?Phe &rl6diatlon of the a6urt m6an8 the 

power or authority which f8 ooahrrad upon a 

aan%, by the oonstitutton end laan8, to hear 

and dmt6hLina Ba?mua b6tVI66n partis8, and to 

s8rr;r it8 ,jU@iU3nt6 iQt0 eff#Ot. It i8 8 

to the sstates or Qsoe&ntcl, aru all aoaferrud 

by statute. Wbetsvsr the atatuts authariza8 

the oourt to bo, it ump rfghtfallp do. But 

it dues not folltm, because the etatnte euthorizes the oourt to order the salb of land 

under certain oir6wtenee8, that all 6albs 

ai land by oxder of the ewrt are euthorizo&.* 

a** (Bfipha6iS Ours). 

It is our apinion, wdst t&e radar a8 pra88ntiM 

by ym, tbert the writ of windannte aWd not bs euaaos8f'u1- 

l~la4llnt6iu3a. f?% ‘f6X. JUT. %6&t, 9t Seq., aAd tiUthCQ?tties oitad, 
541 

turn, by apprapriots actlon doslgaates by etetute the 

uee or function to wblah lt shot&% be a~plled‘. I+8 entertain no doubt, ?.%t that, apprfersd or Its existence, 

iansmut and present srtefns, a prompt aandate will ilau 

zabst horrorable body, direcrtiug ita spla,edy dlopsn- 

. 

Upon mature reflsation and aarei\ll aonslderatlon, 

oath fo our rsaonmandation, rather then an attempted 

awlaallsls .