. . 

OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

AUETIN 

. 

c 

Honorable Joe C. Gladnay 

Criminal Dirtriot Attorney 

Eenclerstin, Texao 

nvictea of !dsae6 provhted In Artla micls 794, coas 

1 Pf'00Oau0, 0n 

aaa, brldg26 and 

110 work8 of the 

na rslstsa quest i0m 

wrb of the County, would it be necessary for the County to establish b 

County fara or a County mrt’ house? 

“2, If the Comtissioners Cmrt, by proper 

oraer’, ussa such labor then would it be 
. 

Ho,!xorable roe c. c3Laan9y, Pa@ 3 

2S5 

namlatory on the Court to pay to the 

Officers the fees am provided in Art 

lCl5 C.C.P., since all Orticers in Rusk 

County era cozpen~ at ed on a salary, 

eDa r&at yrsvioion is mle for the 

~apien* by the Court of the fine? 

m3. Rusk County !ms a population of 51,008. 

Howover) lt is zy uodsrstatiding that 

* all the etatutm Providin:! for paying 

oixvicte who work in ais0hargO of their 

fires have bceu hold unaon:~:titutlonal 

whore It has bean atteznpted to allow 

thez less than $3.00 a Oay. AZ I 

rlcht in this snd is &.oC a day the 

least amount ttit oould be allowed 

ouch ldor? 

-4. Ii the fine an6 coat assessed ie less 

than $30.00 an6 the &.G-azaa,:t i:zrks 

Sum6 out, kq0da ix hare tt Yci1’~ ten 

daga? 

‘Ati 794, Cd.P., pXOVia35 th!It 3 c&~SiOner8 Court n;ap provide for a w0rk house ma the 

astabllshxent of a Couhty fvrm in connection 

therewith. aeetfon s 0r~ said A* provide8 Wiey 

shall be put to labor upon pablio roads, bridges 

ana other publio worko OS the County &en their 

labor oannot be utilized in the County v-or’s house 

or County famP. The oonetmotior the writer 

places on ,that statute i8 that bQiore OoCVittts 

oan be 2bOOa upon Public roads, brtages or 

other publie norire uf the Courty there must be 

in exlstanoe a County work house and County 

ra+ and, ther*fo.;.(:, ,%he first quostioc should 

be answered in %he negative. 

*In answer to question Number 3 it is the 

opinloci c:’ the wltsr that since all 3ilflosr6 

in RUSK County are $iala a salary that it would 

not be r;eoassary for the County to :ay the fees 

alloweC by law tc the various officers as it 

v:ould -erely be transferrIng the JZCG~ ircm one 
IIocorablQ Joe C; Gladney, Page 3 

fund to another. Art 1055 C.0.p :‘rovldes 

the TV the County shall te liable fii o&Q-haIf 

of the feea of the Ofricers of the couhty 

vihe .-. the defandant falls to pay his fine or 

$0~8 it out in @$I Or works it out but makes 

no ~rovislor. for the ;oyz+nt of the Sine. 

Therefcre, it S8 the oglnlon of this writer 

+.!I&$ thr, CCU&~ ??cUll rot be liable for the 

f.i?Q :ihcre it hed utilized the labor cf a 

p3rso:! cwlnz the oc.r:e. 

*Ir. artwar to qmstlon &unbar 3 it ie 

zy opinion t&t Art 793 O.C.?,, controlls 

and that $3.00 a Uay is t.he cno*unt to be al1med.e 

Artlclm773 and 7.24, Vernonls .Lmot&sd Code of 

Grinlaal ?roQQdu-“Q, read PS fc?llows: 

. 

“Art. 793. Pher A Uefoudant is aonvioted cd a rds4ereertr F+nsl 3s ;usls.hmnt 1s asseaeed at e -peccslary fine, if he is uaabls 

to pay tke rlne end Costa edjudged a&net hl?n, 

hs may for such tlnQ es all.1 satisfy the judgzent bQ gut tc work in the workhouse, or on 

the county farx, or :iubllc tiproveEeant8 of 

the oounty, a3 provided in the sucoeediry 

article, or if theve ho no suoh v~orkhouse, fann 

or tapm3xs~~ k.3 nh~.:J. be lmprlscncd in jail 

for a su?flci& Icagth of time to disaharge 

t.he 1~12 erou.?t of fi;.Q arid costs adjudged 

q,aSnrt tici; rstlrf fiucb labor or ~f.rv.~rlaonment 

tt t thme dzll-.vr for esch day thereof. 

“Art. w?a, vhere tbQ punishment aseeesQd 

lr, a convlotioa for ~lede:~Qanor 1s confinev~ent 

in jail for -core than mQ 3ay, or where in 

euob ao~vlct~ioo the ~uhleb~nent is assessed 

srly zt a .>9oziaq fine and the serty so convicted 16 umble to r\ey the fine and acsts 

adjudged a.@nst hla, those so oonvicted shall 

ho re~;;_ulrsU tc Ur ;ts;~unl labor in azoordsnoc 

..4th the ?rovislsns of this artiale under 

the fallowing r”-7 -.- >a rxd rspl? tions; 
2sw 

Honorable Joe C. Glatiep, Page 4 

“1. ;Sach aomis8ioner.s court may provide 

for the erection of a workhou’+e znd the astablis;lmedt of a county far3 lc connection thare- 

:rlth for the gurqoss of utillzin+s the labor 

of said part&e q oonvloted. 

UZ. 9uoh ;cmaa and workhouses shall be 

under .the control and .-.anagzent of the oomalsslonsrs cmrt, :ind said aourt tiy adopt suoh 

rules and rogulstloor rot lnaonaistsnt with 

the laws as they deem necessary for the auccsestul .zzna~enent and operation of said lnstitutlcns and for effeotlvely utilizing said 

'lobor. 

“3. Suah ove~rseers and Zc:rds mep be employed under the authority cf tke oomaissicnera 

court aa my be neceeaary to prevent escapes 

and -to enforce smh labor, snd they shall bs 

paid cut of the county treesury such co~~enastiG& a8 s&ibid court my prescribe. 

W. l’kose so aorvlcted shall be SO gxsrdsd while at work es to prevent escepa. 

G. They shall be gut to labor upon the 

public roads, Cridgam or other publio works of 

t!m county w3sn their labor cannot be utilized 

in the county workhouaa or county farm. 

93. They shall be required to labor not 

l&e than o%gbt got zero :hnn taz houra each 

day, Sundays exo apt ed . No person shall fiver 

be rep;ircd to work for zore than one par, 

“7. Cne who refuses to lebor or is otherwise refraotory or ineu3ordlnate Amy be pmlshed by solitary oonflra%ert OIL bread end 

water or In euch other ‘:&nner ~8 the coznissl::~neru c2urt my direct. 

“8. ;~~a~ root -.t lti;3or they :zay be confined 

in jail or t:le wor?house, no my be most OOCvenient, or .:‘a tha :-:3&attorua of thn ComilSsic-cers court xay preeoribe,. 
2S8 

Honorable SOS C. Cladmy, Papat;@ 3 

"9. A fezale shall in nz aase be required 

to do -?@nual labor exaept in the workhouee. 

“10. Ons ..ha from a:e disease, or other 

physical or zmta& dlsabilltg is unable to do 

manual labor shnll not bs req~lred to work, 

::ut shall rmain In jail until hls tern of iz- 

?risoment is ended, or until the fine end costs 

adjudged a<;ainst him are disahargod accordlnc to 

law. I?!ie inability to do mumal labor lcay be 

detamined by a phpoicfan appointed for. that 

purpose by ths county udcq or the ccmm~ssicnsrs 

court, who shall be pa i d for suoh asrvios suah 

coqmsatlon as said oourt nay allow. 

“11. Cm oonvlc+ ed of a zlsdemamr whose 

:m&mnt either in whole vr in part is ls- 

@son;;ent in jail my. avoid roamal lcbor by 

gapant into the county treasury of one dollar for esah day of the tern of his imprisonn--nt, and the rocei;t of the oounty treasurer 

to that efreot shall be sufficient autboritg 

for the sheriff to detain him in jail without 

labor.” 

Sktion 3 of Article 39120 reads as followst 

“IO all oa.888 where the Comlseionays* 

court shall have detamined that county ofiihers or preolnot orricers in suoh oouaty 

shall be oom~nnsoted for their servlom by 

the payment of an annual sslmy, neither the 

State at Texas nor any county shall be oherged with or pay to any of the offloera so 

compensated, any fee or oo.mnlsslon <or the 

performncs of any or all of the duties oi 

their offices but much oftlcer# shall reoslvs 

said salary in lieu of all other f444, oommissioners or oorapenentlon whloh they would 

ot.hezwise be authorized to retain; provided, 

however, that the assessor :!nd collector 

of taxes shall oontlnue to colleot cd retain 

for the benefit of the Officera* Salary Fund 

or funds hereinafter provided for 011 fees 
259 

Hozorablc Sac C. "Jladney, Pa&e 6 

cad cozzlssiocorc which he is authorized 

under lau to oolloct; ::nd it afisll be hlc 

Zuty to ccooiint for azd to pay all suoh 

:3onlce received by hi= into fhe fend created 

and prmld.zd fdr ;i&%;* the ;:rovisSoac of 

tile A0 t ; proviSed further, that the srovleioas of this %tjoti~.r *hall not afPbct 

the ~syia:snt of cos.te in sivl.1 oases by t.hc 

State 5;)t al.1 suoh costs 8.3 pld shall be 

acco*uutc@ fcr by the ~Xlcers oolleoting 

the-.caxc, es they arc required under i&c 

~rOVision8 of thi6 hit t0 aa~OIlIIt ior f4b6, 

com5lcstcnsrs end ccsts ocllrotcd front 

private ,pM&35.* 

3c Taxao C3urt c~? Crl~innl Agpcals hzs lmrntoforce hrld that Artiolca ?Q3, -?Q*, 794a, !zQhb, 7Q40, end 

7944, tarncn's Annotateli Pod4 of Crlmlr;al 3rooaPuru, were 

~~no~:nstlt~uti3n91 f.3r 2‘58 reason0 Set forth lz Evte 

Fergucon, 132 S. W. (26) 4CR. 

ceri-4 wit:: thrw Y :~tutss. 

TheroIoru, xi) ar9 not conFowovor, the original Article 7Y5, Code of Cridne?. 3moedu4, guotd E.~OYLI, was 

u2hald iii :hz nbova mctioncd aces. 

It uli? be roted that Seotion 1 of &ticle 794, 

Cods of CrimicaX Proecdure, m;sr+ly proviSes *SW> Comicsiui6rs' Ccurt 532v or07100 for t!i.s creation of 3 ror!shouse and tha emiishzht of E oouaty far% in conneotion thcrcwlth for the Quc~osc of utilizing tha labor of 

said -x&ice so oonvloted.” 3eotlon !i of said &%icle 

prorillss; Thsy chall bs 9?tt to Lo.bor upoil zhe :utlla 

roads, brld~cc or other p&lie workc of %h:i, SsUty -&an 

their labor oanzot; be utilized in the oo,mZy workiiouoe 

or county fsrm.* Baotlcn 1, above quoted, La mt aaadatory, e.Ld it is rltL;r~ the disomtior. of the Comlcsioners* 

Court whether or Got they ~!rCwid@ for th6 6r4CtiCU of a 

workhouse ccd the csti~blich.~.ont of c oaunty fcrm. SeozLoa 5 ;;rorldcc t&t when the labor of the county convicts 

ozniist be UtiLiZed 1,~ ::hc county workhouse or aounty farm, 

the:7 still be >ut to labor u>m the public XWIS, bridges 

02 ether public aoris ir, :ne co-ar.ty. It. is also to be 

ilotyd tbt A~I-ti~l4 753, Cr?de of Crlt.Lmi ;.roc:cdurc, S~SC~- 

fichily ;]~ovideg t:t*t v.licz Y- dniendant is convicted of a 

~mis'd.asaazos acd 21.8 pWis~ie;:t~ is assevaed Lt 8 ::eounicry 
Honorable Joe C. Gladney, Fags 7 

fina if he .le unable to say the fine and costs adjudged 

c;tiJnet hi? he %ay for suoh tIma as will satiefy the judfss 

cant be put to work In the workbouae, or the county farq 

or (1. publlo imprcvozent of ths aounty 58 provided in the 

auoooadlng zrtiolbs; tThersforo, your firat quuestion ie 

respeotfullp anewsrod in ths nagativs. 

-krtIcla 1055, Code of Ctriml~al Prooedure, reads 

as lolloweq 

*The oounty shall r;ct be llahlr to the 

officsr and witness having oostr in a misdemoanor oaao ti14re defandant gay8 hi8 fine and 

costs. The county ehall be liable for onehalf of the ieee of the officers 0f the 

Court, when the defendant fails to pay hle 

fine and b3ya hi.9 fine out in the county Jo11 

or discharges the tmfi4 by means of working 

suth fiza Gut on t.& county roads or on any 

county ;roJeotr ha to :;ap such kalf of oosts, 

the county Clark shall issus hi.8 warrant ori 

the county Treasurer In favor or such offfcer 

tc bs pcld out zf tha Road and Zrldga Fund or 

othaz funds not othorwias approprfatod.” 

Con4idOring Artiols 1055, supra and i%otIon 3 of 

Article 391&b, eupra, the CommLssIoncrs~ 6ourt is ilot authorized to pay the oiflosra who are cozpensetad on an annual 

salcry baeie the cozpensstlon provided bJr Article lb55. 

There Is nc provision whatever authorizlr@ the county to 

pay *ho fine of a fi.e,tandan$ who aatioiiss the fine azd costs 

asasased against him ‘zy working in the .workbouae or OS the 

county farm or pub110 ingrovaments or thu aounty or where 

the defendant ie imprisoned In jail for a sufficient langth 

of tI-,o to disoharga the full amount of the fine and costs 

sdjudcfed agaInat htm. 

In an8we.r to your third question, it is Our opinion that Utfols 793, Cod4 of Criminal Prooedure, controls 

and that $3.00 per day is the amount to be allowed. 

With reterencs to g2ur fourth question, ~4 Call 

ycur attention to the aase 9.x carts Young, 135 9. V. ted) 

863. R4f4rring to ArtIole 795, Code or CrIfiIcal Procedure, 

the court saldr 
Honorable Joe C. Gladnoy, Pago 8 

TV4 are Impressed with ths Ids& that 

such article is a general 0114, and applies 

‘to cny ahd all miiisderreanora gensrally, unlass there should oppaer in such Code E mro 

OFuCifiC on4 dealing with some subjsot thereIn. In our ssa'rch tharsfor we cam In contact vrith Art. 920, C. C. P., under tha heading of ‘Judzent & Juetlo t Ccurt, * hiah 

is263 aa tallows; 

*vi derenlont plaoed In jail on aooount 

of iallure to pay ths tine and ooats coil be 

diachirgsd, on habeae aOrFU0 by ehowIngr 

“‘1. Thiit ho Is too poor to pay the 

fise and oosta, and 

“‘2, Th?t ha has r4maIned In Jail G 

4urricmt 14nGth or -Sin4 to 44tft3ry t39 fin4 

sAd c5sts, at. the rz te cf thres dollero fcr 

sach Cay. 

“‘Put th4 defendant shall, In no cass 

undor thlz erticle, be diachargsd until he 

ha8 boon imprisoned at loa6t ten days1 4nd 

a Justioe of the pooce l~ilg dIsohar5e th4 dufandent upon his showing ths same cause, by 

aPplIoetian to such jU4t84O; and when such 

application Is Grr_nted, the Justice shall 

noto th4 nam on l-do docket..* 

“It la our holding that Artlele QEO, 

oupre, prevents tha dlsaharge of any person 

by maans or a writ of habeas oorpus who Is 

compelled to lay out his fine end oosts In 

jnil, which was li-vied in. a justice ar,uxt, 

until he haa rrerveC at least tnn days in jail. 

At such tlms he is entitled to the writ of 

habaan oorpus, rnh shall be allowed the sum 

of three dollars per Uny for each day he cozaimd in Jail, and If suoh amount would 

have dloohsrgtd th4 fics and costs, he vsuld 

54 ontitled to hie dIechar&e 05 a habaae 

oor?us ~;esring~ sx part4 Yol;lughlIn, 124 

vex. Cr. 3. 40, 50 5. :;‘. 2d 705; XX carte 
Honorable Joe C. Dladney, Page 9 

Fsrnandez 122 Tex. Cr. R. 641, 37 3. 3’. 26 

578.' Fhi i e this holding may operate as a 

see~mlhg injustice to the reletor herein, oompelllng h&to serve ten days in jail for a 

;'14 fine, its c$vreotion la a matter for the 

legielature rather than this court. The 

datuts is plain and we must follow it. 

'578 thsrefore hold Iierein that relator 

woul!e have to either ;sy his fine snd oosts 

in the justloe court, or serve at least ten 

days in jail before being entitled to his 

disoharge herein by means of a writ of habeas 

cor;ua.* 

In view ~of.what has been snid in the above mentioned case, we respectfully ansc’er your fourth qusstion in the 

afflmative, when the oonvlotion Is obtained in a justios 

acurt.. However, when the conviction; is obtalmid in a county 

oourt, the question is answared in the negative. 

Trusting thet the foregoing fully mowers your 

inquiry, we are 

Tours very truly 

ATT;)c:PIZY GENERAL 

Ar&ell lilliams 

Assistant