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February 9,~1966

Honorable D. Brooks Corer, Jr. Opinion 190.(C- 602) District Attorney Brazoe County Courthouse lb: Bryan, TPb*asValidity of Artlclce 4.12 and45.22, Codeof Crim$nal P+oceilure of Texas, 1966. Dear Mr. Gofer: In **a** tecent opinion requcet of the folloring question: this oifice you pore

a "Does Article 4.12, Codeof CrQninal Procedure of Texas, 1966, conflict with Article V, Section 19, constitution of the State of Texas, anddoee Article 4.22, COF, 1966 also conflict with the a-0 constltutlonal prov1610n.n Articl~e V, Section 19, Conrrtltution of the Taas, provides aa follows:

"Suetime of the Peace shall have isdiction in crlmlna~~matte~~

_ of, came4wncre me penarty or rune to 08 lmpo8ed by law maynot be morethan t*o hundred dollar8 ($200); and in civil mattemaof all case8 where the aaount in controversy is twohundred dollaria ($200) or Lena, exclusive ai intermt, 

### orwhich 0rigLnal jurie&$gW~ Is not given to the district **or** counfa courts; and such other jurisdiction 18aof given M the district or **couaty.courtaj** and lrucho%herjurlrdictlon, crinznsl and civil ae maybe providedby law, under such regulations as MY be prsscribed **by** law;

. . .." Article 4.12, Vernon's Codeof Criminal Procedure, 1966, the ?lret Art+18 about which you inqulrs otaten a@follovr:

**“ A**  aisdemetmor case to be tried in jootice court shall be,trled in the precinct ia

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. ..~ ., .y Jlmorable D. Brooks Gofer, Jr.,page 2 (C- 602)

which the offense wae comalttsd, or In which the defentit or anyof the dafendantb reside, or ulth the written conrent oi tl5e.state and each defendant or hi&attorney, In any other precinct within the county; provided that in anytiedemeanor case inwhIch the oifenee was committed in a precinct where there Is no qualified justice precinct court, then trial shall be had in the next’adjacent precinct in the samecounty uhlChry have a duly qualified juetlce preclact court, or in the precinct in uhlch the,dofenAant mayreside; provided that In any such rledemeeaor case, upon diequalification for anyreamon of all juatlc+u or the Peace in the precinct where the, offenee ma.ctitCed, such ca8e maybe trfed ln the next &lJoiaking proclnbf in the am@ comity, haviq a Auly ~quallfled jUatic0 **of** tti **peace. ”**  . It rhould iiret **be** noted tht Article 4.12, is very. ‘~l8llu to the article, $n the old Uods ,of Cri8lnal ProceAlwe, 6Oa,.Codeof Crdalnal Procidure, 192$.uh$ch lt,repl+ce& Althgugh the wadlag of these tworentloned article6 16., -ao&that di??erent, the Intent ot~.each is to acocimplleh .the mm pxirpom, xumely, setting out rules dorarrdly’the precinct In rhich a miudemeanor~case oa the justlce court level would **be** trioA. 39828 oftier oa bt lea& two eeparate occ~eionr har,hold Article 6Oa, to be uaconrtitutioaal. **OpMonIlo.** O-&hb,lg45, andOpinloaXo.V+6,1$&8. Theabove quoted Article 4.l2,.preicribes certaln llmitatloar upon~the authority of ju6tice courts to try misdewnaor ca6oa, and It seem&to forbid the trial of ury m%rAenaaor canes by ~jwtlce court8 outeide end beyond the llmltatlonr aet Sorth therein. In eramace, the purpose of this article is to prohibit or forbid justice cot&r from trying misdemeanorcases whenthe cat88doer not arrivs or oc~~;~~t& the juetlce court lri a mannerprescribed in the

In the case of Expart& VonKoenmrltc, 286 Sl?987 (Tex. C&m. App. 1926) the court IIld tn&t RJUeti0.e of the peaoe court ha@the’authoz%ty tout& a caei rihfc~zuose ,Sn mothor prwlnct in the county, even though bhe det6adaat had the uad%sputedright to have the CWQ tried in another precinct. Article 4.12, would p&aade ccrtaln Umltatlons upon this jurlrdlction of justice courts , andtherefore It ~1sthe opinion of this office that Article 4.12 ia unconstitutional eince It contravenea the provisione of Article V, Section 19, ’ Constitution OSThs State of **Texas.** .-2926 ”

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,L, -Honorable D. Brooks Cofar, Jr.,page 3 (C-602)

Your next Inquiry Is with regard to Artlcle,45.22, Code ;~~;~lnal Procedure, 1966. Said Article provides **as**

: "Section 1. Noperson shall ever be tried in anyjustice precinct court unless the offense with which ho was charged was committed in such precinct. Provided, however, should there be no duly qualified justice precinct court in the precinct where such offense was committed, then the defendant shall ba tried in the justice precinct next adjacent which mayhave a duly quall?lad justice court. Andprovided f'urther, that if the justice of the peace of the precinct in which the offense was committed is diequallfied for any reason for trying the **case,** then euch defendant maybe tried in someother juetice precinct within the county. "Section 2. Noconstable shall **be** allowed a fee In anymisdemeanor caao arising in any precinct othor than the one for which he has been elected or appointed, except through an **order** duly entered upon the minutes o? the county comlrslonsrs court. wSectlon 3. Anyjustice o? the peace, constable or d6puty conetsble violating this Act ehall be punlehed by a fine of not lose than #lOQ aor more than $500. "Section 4., Theprovisions OSthis Article shall apply only to counties having a population of 225,000 or over according to the,laet preceding **federal** cennsue**.n** Incur opinion the **same**reasonzi.ngset out above with regerd to Article 4.12 applies whenconsidering Article 45.22, It is our opinion, therefore, that Article 45.22, is alao unconefltutlonal since it contravenes the provisions of '5 Article V, So&ion 19, Constitution of the State of Texas. Prior Attorney OeneralQe opinlone O-6940 (1945) andV-496 (1Pw are aifirred **and** enclosed hersuith. BUMWARY ------- Article 4.12 and45.22 Codaof Criminal Procedure of Texae, 1966, are unconetitutional eince they contrave e.the provlsione of

-293-sfonorable D. Brooks Corer, Jr., page 4 (c-602)

Article V, Section 19, Constitution of the State OSTexti.,, Your8very truly, WAOOOVBR

CAm' Attornq General of Texae

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