’ 606 

OFFICE OF THE AmORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

AUSTIN 

Ron. I. Pmd4oki 

bounty Auditor 

c4l+euton coculty 

Ga1reaton, Terar 

Dear sir: 

for opinion, whioh 

pour opinion on 

latinp, to the filling ot 

h more than 58,000 powar 20,000 population, saeb 

aeloot irem the Ust of 

unty au ahown by the tax lists 

4 for th4'burrent y44r.' 

0 in the Tax Asaeasor’u oifioe should 

led as ‘tax lists’? 

tha poll-tax lirt be regarded a8 rtax 

he purview OS oaid rtatute?' 

*IL would the oubon 4opier of reoeiptr lerued for 

atttamabile llaenseo be regarded as tax llataTa 

i 

i *o era.... 
7 

,. i 

Ron. I, Pr4drokl, 9464 2 

- &tie18 2133 at seq., V. A. C. 9. of T4144, sets 

forth the gualitioatiotm ot Jurors generally throughout the 

Stats or Texas. Tha statutes Just mentloged 8r4 general 

laws, and rt the tin4 of the enaoabnt of the original Jury 

wheel aot or 1907 w4r4 in Ofre0t and bud so been ror naaf 

years. 

The original jury wheel aot Oi 1907 did not 0pemt.e 

to ohango the then-existing Statute8 SO far ao sanm applied 

to the ala88 of oountira to whioh tha 

nor was tha l iieo t or it to make i 

ury wheel aot related1 

unava lab14 for Jury l errio4 in 

those oountlra aomfng under the jury wheel sot, miy man heirlng 

qualitioationa ~praacrlbed in said statutes ilrat above mentioned. 

Prior to the enaotmant of said jtiy wheel lm 

all jurors in the State wore oomt~nly selected by fur7 oommlaalonera, and this selection involved in it the blbdmnt or 

disoretion. The OfrOot or the jury wheel law was to rwm~0, 

in the aountles afrbm3d br aald law, the alenent or diaoretlon involved in the sbleotlon ot Jurors by jury .commiaalonera,’ 

and to subatltute for this elemant ot dlaorition the sbouring 

of Jury panels by mPaohanioa1 ~~8118~ 

Art1014 209k 0r Vernori*a Revised civil Statutes 

provides& 

*aatwb4n the Iiret and fiiteenth days of August or. 

eaoh year, in eaoh oounty having a population of at leaat 

tirty-eight thouaacd or hering therein a oltg oontaining 

a population of at least twenty thousand, am shown by the 

preoeding Federal Census, tha Tar Collsotor or one oi hls 

daputlea, together ulth the Tax Assessor or on4 of h.ia 

deputies, togathur with the Sheriff or on6 of hi8 deputie@, 

and thb County Clerk or one of hlo deputies, .aad the Dlatriot Clerk or on4 of his deputlem, shall m8rtt at tho 

oourt house of tholr Qountp and seAoat irom: the liat'ot 

qualifi4d jurors ot auoh oountg am shown br~the tax lists 

in the Tar A8aomor+a 0rrf00 ror thb ourrent ye*r, til7- 

3uror Sor a l srtios in the Dlatrlot sub County Courts ti 

suoh oounty for the ensting gear in the aanmr hereinafter 

prorldbdr* (r;iPpharle ouro) 
ROn. 1. FTbdOOki, Dag9 3 

ml010 a095 or v. A. a. 9. 0s TOXU is 44 r0l3m4: 

"Said oitio4rs shall write the n41rma o? all men who 

are &noun to be Quali?ied lurora under the law. reaidlnq 

inhlbir ronD6Otive oounti44, on soprate oardo o? unl?om~~ 

aias and color. writing al80 on Bald oardr. whenerar ~048ibla, the post 6??ioa uidreas o? eaoh juror-se 4414oteil, 

exoept that in oanntiea of ono hundred tifty thoauand population, or over, aa sham by tie preoedlng Pedbral 04nm4, 

the oomni4rlo~mr~4 oourt &all provide a sum n4004aary, 

not oxoeading three hundred (#SOO.OO) dollars in my 0114 

fear. ror the rtarmuit of anoh trolat and other 4x~a44ea a8 

iiay 64 neaess&y; who shall u&r the dirsotion kd suporViSiOB of the dirtriat-, typo the nanem and addrosaea 

o? said qualified rotera upon %he onrda as herein desoribed. 

Be oards containlna eafd name4 shall be d4DOSit4d in a 

oiroular hollow *h&l, to bo poridod for S&I purpose by 

the Convaiasloner*a Court a? the aounty. Said wheel shall 

be made o? Iron or steel and stall be 40 conatruoted aa 

to ?rrely revolve on its axle: . . .* (~phaels ours) 

The Jury wheel law, as first onaoted, did not oontain 

the refersnor to the *list o? qualified furors of suoh oounty 

as shown by the tax lists in the Tax Assessor*a otflo4a, whloh 

now appeara in 8aid Artiole 2094. The ofiioera dealgatad in 

the aot were le?t to asoertaln the namaa o? the qualliled 

jurors in their aounty through their own personal knowledga o? 

said persona. The names plaoed in the jury wheel were limlted 

by the extent of information as to who were qualified jurors 

In the oounty,posaeeeed by the orfloers named. 

In 1911 the Legislature amended this Jury wheel law 

by ohanging the time ot ?llllng the Jury wheel and by inaertlng 

a olause requiring said of?losr4 to look to *the tax llata in 

the Tax Aaseamrls o??ioeW in making l eleotlons o? the names to 

be plaaed in the jury tieol. The amendment left in full effeat 

that part or the aot requiring said o?iioers *to plaoo in the 

jury wheel the names o? all men reafdlng In the oounw who 41-e 

known to them to be quall?led jurors under the law.* 
609 

Ron. I. FTodoeki, pago 4 

Arti 813s l t l OQ., of the Rotlsad Statute8 

or lms, thin8 the ptdiriO~ti028 or juror8 gonerally bbrolghoat th0 State, aad the t*a utfoler 0r the J0.r~ rh0O1. 14~ j-t 

quoted, all being gaaeral laW8, most ba no o0n8tr~0d togother 

.%8 tit give a rO08OnablO OffOOt t0 ai Of thbn if 8UOh 001&8tXWOtica be QO8aible. 

tin8tXtiag thoeo hw8 in aaoordaase with the above 

rrferred tc rule or Oon8t~OtiOIl w8 do not believe that it 

was th4 i&tent, -080 or effooi Or the jury whorl law to 

render atrvailablo to? jtWy 8OlriOO in th080 OOUEltiO8 wbioh 

Oam WdO? 8Ush hf, w Mal 11 OUOh OOWktiO8 who had the 

qUdiiiOltiOlt8 of a jtlror prescribed in said Artlols f&?D, 

Ot IOQ. In oonrtrulng that portlan of Art&ala ;K)94 (a8 

mended) uhioh prOWidOl thlt tha acUne3 used fcr filling the 

jury wheel arm obtained *ffom the Wx 11Ut8 in tho ht A880880?‘8 

ofiioo ror the ourrent year, * togsthor with that protiaion ti 

Artlolo 8095 (as amended), whleh pmtidea that the drrignated 

orrioers *8hall writs the aames or all men who am knom to be 

qualified jurors under the law, * on cards whloh shall be plaoed 

in the whesl,. wa ara inarltablg lad to the oonalu8lon that it 

was ths purpose and lntsat or the Legislature fn eaaoting the 

jury wh& law to (a) praearrs tha arallability as jurors or 

all men In the oounty qualified ror jar;r 80l’ViOO under the 

Fenoral law: fb) to abolish, in oountlss oolning under the proririone si the Jury whssl law, the olsment cf dlsorstion involved in the selsotion, br jury oommissioners or tho individual 

jurors to make up Jury panol8, and to utiliae instead the salootlon or jury panel8 by meohanioal mans1 and (0) to aaaotioa by 

law the use of the tax list* In ths tax amm38or*s 0rri06 ror 

the ourrent roar 83 w aid to ths designated ot’?ioars in their 

perrc-manrr or their duty to bee that the d&aee or all thorns 

know to be qualified jurors under ths law fiad their way into 

the jury wheel. SO think the law OOIIt~~lS~W that ths doalgnated orriosrr should be dilige"t 12 their effort8 t4 oolleot 

and plaoe In the fury rheol tha namn of all mai la the oounty 

having the qoallrioationr or jurors a8 psrorfbed by the 8taWe8 Or TMCa8. And alway the oontmllla& objeot to bo etrooted Is tha plaoing in the jury rhea1 of all tha qualiflsd 

fU?0Z8 il the OOWlty. 
610 

Hon. I. Prodaoki, pq$o 5 

The dO8i@uIted OrriOW8 have a0 awar to diroriminata agaia8t any qwiiri04 juror kaaua to t i am whore JIM48 

4pDaar oa tha tax liStI (300 misooa 74 State, 104 aTim. 

40222 Xnott v. state, 140 Grim. Rap. 4481 Atwaad v. 3tat0, 

Rap. 

94 Ori& Rap. 8448 yabquas 7, State, 74 Grir. Rap. 371 &%I&.& 

v. St&O, 44 Orim. ROD. 335) 

The designated orrioora do not tar0 the powwto 

leave out of the jtuy ahaol the nlasr or qualirlad jurors 

who are ontitled to exemption iromfrrf rartioa, M nroh 

exemption ir not a dl4qu4llrloation rcr jury 8orvioo but 

18 a prltilaga whioh say OT my not be ol.aimad by tha 

pemon afreoted thereby at hi4 option. (Yee Randolph T. 

State, 117 Orb. Rap. 80; ard Atwood T. ':;tata, rupra) 

In tha 04~4 Or XoEIaal v. :3tata, 101 him. Rep. 

114, our Court ot Criminal Appeals said8 

*It re comprahand the lan+aga of Arti~ola 5151, 

supra, in its rafareaoa to the filling or the jury 

wheel *rrom the liab or qualified jurors af auoh oounty 

a4 shown by the tax list8 in tha Tax .maa8aor*8 0rri04 

ror the oturaht ytiar,' thl8 maeha that a OOuDlata list 

of suoh Darl)ons must be had and usad.* (sph48i8 ours) 

lmun what we have aaid above you will uudarstand 

that our amwer to your qnaation Ro. 1 ia that thr list in 

the Tax Asaasaor';l ottioa,whioh should properly be alasalriad 

aa a tax list within ths uaanin5 of tnu jury whebl law, 18 

the rendition llati but this llat is to be used in aid Or the 

designated orrioarr In a diligent effort oa their part to 

sea that the name8 of all qualitled jurors In the oouaty 

rihd their way into the jury wheel. In rurtharanoa of thl8 

arrort, it is DaraLi88ibl8 ror 3ald orfioare to rarer to and 

ahaok the all tax list ror the ourrent year against tho 

raudltlon P ist) but it wauld be error ror the offiorro to 

use said poll tax list as the exolueira 8du?OO from whloh 

the maad to be pla8e4 in the jury wheel would bo obtained. 

z.8 the OasO Or Bri8eOu 7. st4tu, SOpI%, WhiOh 

war a death penalty oa80, and in mhloh (I motion for rohaariw 

wab o~arruhd, our Court or Criminal Apws aald I 
,. 

611 

Iloa, I. Predeokl, paga 6 

9t (the jury who.].) M* rerllled . , . on the 

rilling the rhea1 haa bean approved by the oommlsrionera 

court on the 9th day of July, 1925, . . . The oomplaint 

t&t nsma# la addition to there on tho tax lists warm 

plaaed In the uhaal raa~~~s wlthout sumit. Artiale 2095, 

R.C.3. (1925) expressly dlreots the offloerr riiliAg 

tho ahsol to plaoe therein ‘the name8 or all men who 

are Lnom to be qtlaiiried juror 8. * l 

In the oase or Knott T. Sate, supra, in an opinion 

having to do with proper prooedure under the jury wheel lrr, 

the oourt said! 

*Th6y (the orrisers designated by statute) used 

the tax roll 0r the tax aas*asor*8 orit r0r the year 

1922. . . They mpplemsntad the tax rollr from the tax 

assessor*8 oifioa with the poll tax rolls for tho aama 

year, oheoklng rrom on0 to the other in an erfort eo 

leave the mpr or no ‘one out or the whrela who might be 

known to be a quallrisd juror. Some n-es not upon tha 

tax rolls rram ths tax assessor*s ofrlos wars also plaosd 

in the jury wheel ii it wa8 knom to the orrioers that 

they were qualified jurors. . . We oonoludr it ahowr 

a substantial aomplianos wlth Aztlola5151, SlS2 and 5153, 

R. c. 3,” 

In the above oaso notion for rshbsrlng wa8 orerrulad 

by the oour t. 

In answer to your seoond question, we advise that the 

poll tax list is not to be regarded aa *tax list* wlthin the 

meaning of the jury whoa1 law, but wa further ray that raiarsnoo 

to the poll tax list may be had bl the derlgnatsd offioer8 aa 

an aid to thus in the prrmniMOe Of their duty to 888 that the 

names 0r all the qualiflsa jurors in the oounty r%nd their way 

into the wheel, In this OOAAOOtiOA ws oall your attention to 
612 

Ron. I. FmdookI, ~8 ‘I 

tb dealsion to the oam or Atwood v. State 94 calm. Rag. 

249, wherein our Court of UrIminal A;pealr in rwerslng a 

orisinal oontiotion had this to say: 

“There la no dispute of the faet that the who.1 

was filled from the poll tax list only. , . W think 

thhs aotlon or the authorities erroneous and or auoh 

?natsrialIty aa to require a ravsraal of thia judgnwnt.* 

Tha ,-in maso whlob militates agalnrt the usa 

0r the poll tax lI*t ror tha &Wpores or tha jury who.1 law, 

I8 that the poll tax llet rrom 313 very nature or it aould 

not and would not oontain a aomplefxlist of all thoeo men 

IA t.he aounty qualiried ror jury aerrioe. 1% ham found no 

deoiaion ln direot point tit& the quo&Ion, but the 8ame 

rearonlng or ths oourb whlsh oonrtrai;ledl than to hold it 

error to use the poll tar list would obta:n tith equel or 

,@eator toroe to the oarbon oopler or reaelpta ror autosobile liacmmsa. You are t!?arerore advised ttat carbon 

oopier(:or reoeipto issued for automobIle lioense8 do not 

00118 within the Aaanlng 0r *tar lIsta= as that term is us8a 

in the jury wheel law, 

Your3 very truly 

CIB:AMM -/