1 

. 51 

OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

AUSTIN 

i%wroble A. J. Luckett 

Cmity Attorney 

ccm41c0unt7 

ihi 3raunfel8, TOUr8 

Dar Sir: 

/ appoin 

er*tq I’ a guardlsa over thi 

b6 

3 r ruoh peF8on a8 beperron of unsound mind? 

This will aokzGi?&edge r&e& of your letter of reack.ouats of guerd~am, and trtUI34Ot all bU8fU888 

appqtalning $6 tie ertates of mlaoc8, perronr of 

unaouhd IJO@: habitual drunkards, and other perron 

for vhoa a guatidian is appointed." 

\ 1' 

Article 4104, Revised Civil gtatUte8, provide8 Sn 

part as fOllOW8: 

I 

. . . . 

“3 . Idiots, lUnatica.or Insane person3 are 

persons of unsourid mind. 
Honorable A. J. Luokett, pago 2 

‘4. & habitual drunkard 18 one VhOre mlad 

ha8 bOOO3te 80 ISp&Od by the U8e Of intOXIO8ting 

llquorr or drug8 that he 18 inoapablo 0r taking 

care of hla8rli.8 

Artlole 3233, Revlred Civil 8tatute8, providesa 

‘A Serb10 minded ohIld, a8 defined herein, I8 

000 Of.8UOh feeble mental Or mOPa ROVer8 a8 t0 be 

unable to profit by the Ordinu*g method8 of education a8 enp1oyed in the Oomm 8OhOOl8. A foeble 

mInd8d adult 18 0110 who 18 unable under ordinary 

Oil'CUWt@lO88 t0 pl'OteOt and 8UppOrt hI.m8elf a8 a~ 

law abiding oltlsen beoause Of laak of mental paver,’ 

A8 pointed out In 7&t101e 4102, mprb, the 6ounty 

cJwt can appoiat guardians POr the8 general 01888e8j namely, 

Moors, permns Of UnrOUnd m.l11d8 and habitual drUnkaX?dS. He 

are aesumlng that the perron 80 owmltted to the Au&In Stab 

School a3 stated 3~ your quertlon i8 over tventy-one year8 0r 

ase, for If sot, and need be neoe88ary, a guardleo. oould be appoInted upon the faot Of hi8 wzorfty. Therefore, the Query I8 

ubether or not a feeble mlnded person OOI308 VlthIn the purvlev 

of persons of unround mind vIthln the meaning of Artlole 4102, 

supra. MS hrrV8 found no authority directly in point. 

m0 LegI8iIStLWJ ha8 &fiDOd pbr8CSI8 Of UMOUId IBind 

a8 Idiots, lUMtiO8 OF in8plro pBl'8OMa UO do not believe any 

con3tructIve RlPpO8. vi11 be 8ePVed In setting forth VdWiOus 

deflnItIou8 Or the8a VOrd8, a8 th8 OOru't8 and lexiOOgrapher8 

have gono from one extreme to the other In their defInItlcnL8. 

By reading-the 8tatutas on OuardIan and Yard, 90 are of the 

0pInIon that the L6gi8lfitUre ha8 empovered our oounty OOUCt8 to 

appoint guardian8 ov8r perron vho for 8ome laok of mental pwer 

are Inoapable of taking 0-0 of thenueloer. Evldenoe of thi8 

fact is the definition the LegIllature ha8 given to habitual 

drunkards, her8tofore qUOt8d, a8 veil a8 the nature of the other 

classes over vhom guardians may be appointed. 

A feeble minded person acoordlug to the'lsnguage of 

Art.1016 3233, oupra, 18 one vho 18 unable to protect and support 

hlmself beOau88 of lack of mental power, In other YOrd8, suoh 

a person I8 on6, who for 8Om8 mental deflolenoy, 18 Incapable 

of taking care of hImself, and thus vould be one who Would need 
. 516 

%mrable A. J. LuOkstt, MO 3 

4 guardian, If thee bs 8ny need thsrofor, to look after his 

estate. Ye bellevo rush a psrron vou2d be Ola88ed a8 ens of 

m8ound mind within the me- of Artlolo 4102, 8Uph 

The mere fact a perron ha8 been rent to an elesmoclyi, 

XU?J institution l pp8ar8 to bo no bar to guardldn8hl prooeed- 

-8. 300 m8t Vo ~NIE, u4 f0%. 205, 132 se v. (26 P 105. 

It i.8 lrOt th. int~tiOll Of thi8 Ooinia t0 ipip t&t 

feeble minded people are in tho oam8 IwItal 02a88 as Idiot8 and 

ti8W mOplO. No fu22y reoognise the Int42eotua2 differenao 

between them 98 ha8 thr kgI8htWr by provldhg 88parata proceed% 

s to have a person adjudged a8 feeble mIndad. See Artlcles 3 7 to 3871, Revised CIvI2 St8tutsr. 

It 18 therefore th8 opinion of thlr deportment that 

;our question be anrversd in the afflrmatlvo. 

Very truly yo~r8 

ATTORHEY ORlRSUL Op TEXM 

By G%LdPU 

#red 0. Chandler 

AIIiStsnt 

/kGLJ o&A 

Robert 0. Koch 

ROKtdb 

.