OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TRXAS AUSTIN

Xonorable B. L. klllolit 

## county Attorney Ste_ahenr Qounty Brookenrldge , 

### Toxaa

Dear Slrr

oh eai#eI thero. hae **baea** the graatioe. lri retoral oouotlen to try tirrrt otter&era on Beb~ohesL* of lerm tbaa 88.00 

### inthejutMoe 

### oourtr. Xrthis true?
*I would appreoiatr your adtfee on the matter, **and**if It Ir permirribla ts **try** au& a aam in th@ jutxtioe court would Uke **to** knowSt.?Eon. R. L. Elliott, page R

Seation 4 of hrticle 587b, Vernon*eAnnotated Penal Code, (a portion of the law oonewmlyknownaa the *hot shook law”) reeds aa foll0waI

“Sec. 4. i%r the iiret conriotlcn for e violation of eections 1, t, or 3 OSthis 

### Aot,in the evant the chook, draft, or order given on any bank, parson, firm, or corporation, is Five Dollar8 ($5) or less, the punlmhmentshell be by imprlaonmsnt ia the oounty jell not exoeeding two 7eare, or by a fine not araeodlc~ TwoRundrad Dollare ttiiao). Fcr the 

### firstconviction 

### foraviolation of sections 1, 3, or 9 of this Aat, in the event the cheek, draft, or order giver! on any bsnk, 

### person, firui or corporation, 1.8in exaeas of Pit0 Dollars ($5) , but leas thaa Hrtp Dollare, (baa) ,, punlehment shall be by imprisonment in the oouuty 

### jellnot eroeedlng two years, or by a fiue hot exceeding Pive tiundrad Dollars ($300).

. “If it be shownoa the trial of a 

### easelnvolvlng a violation of seotlaas 1, 8, or 5 OS

### thtr Aat in which the aheck, draft, or order given on any bank, permon, firm or corporation, Is leas than rirty Dollars 

### (&Sol, that the 

### aeenam has been onea before conviatsd of the cameoffmae, he shall, on his seoond oonvlotian, be puh%ehedby aonrinenemt in the oounty jail for not leer than thirty (30) days nor mDrethan two (E) warm.

“If it be ahowhupon the trim1 of a 6a8e ln

### valving a violation 0r eentione 1 2, or !Iof t&i8 Act that the defendant has two (5! or zaoretime before baen OOAViOted of the sap’.8offOnS0, re$ardlaes or the amouat of the oheak, draft or ordox 

### involved in the tirst two (E) oonvietlone, upoq the third or any subsequent oonviotlon, the puntrhmot shall ba by oohf!.neamt in the peenitentia for not lass than two (8) nor more thsn ten (10 7 years.

“For the first wnviotion for a violation of 

### reations1, 8, or 3 of this kot, in the erect the oheok, araft or order given upon sny bank, 

### per0on. ~firfmor wrporetion, is in the amouat of Fifty Dollars ($50) or more, 

### punishmeatshall be by aonrinement in the paltentlery for not lose then two (2) years nor xaorathsn tm (10) years.”Bon. R. L. Ullott, page 3

Article 00, Yarnon' annotated Texar Code of Orlminal i+oceaure, reeds as Pollc~rs:

“Zustiasa of tha peaoe shall have jurladiotion In orileinel casas mherethe fine to be i,mpo8eUby law mspnot exoeed two hundred dollars." JQ-tlale 56, V%rnon*c¬ated Taxes Codeof CrImInal Prooadure, reads as follows:

"The oounty oourt8 rhallhave origfnal jurlrdlotlon of all mIsdemeanora of which exoluoive orQIna1 jurisdiction ia not given to the jastioe court, andtian the fine to be Imposed shell eroeed two hundred dcllers.” The mesacjf Saieddlckvs. Etate, 4 Cr. 8. Me, hold8 that oounty aourte have jurlsdlotlon a? risdemeanoru wh8re 8S8rt of the punimhmantpresoribed Is Imprironment in the eoaatf jail. The aourte have repeatedly held that jnetloe ooutt8 have no jurloiliotlonto rPn8xiy determine eny eriaiaal 8etloa *en any portion of the punirhmeut pre8arIbed by l.sniir IWWIronment ior say length of time. 

### ikethe tollowin&oarerl

Tuttle VII. &ate, 1 Cr. B. 304; BIllIngaley vm. 

### State,5 Cr. 

### E.~'bWbi Vecker f8. 5tate, 4 Or, h. '5541~ Iaoob8 08. State, 55 Dr. R. 41Oi. Ex Perte EaGrew, 40 F. 478; &ate vs. &whous, 41 T. lG5; Xx I’rrte Fhilllps, EliS. u. ai%. You am, therefore, rerpeotfully advi88d t&et lb 18 th8 opinion of thlr Department that ths jusbfaa bourt has no jtUi8- 

### dictionof'the offenaar inquired about. M.sdemeanor "hot 

### ohaok” oars%8should be tried In the county court. Felony "hot oheok” oa8e8 8hould be triad in the dI8trIot oourt. V6rg truly yours ATTOWm GghERALOF %X.!L.S