## 37

**OFFICE OF**  **THE ATTORNEY**  **GENERAL OF**  **TEXAS AUSTIN** 
**GXOVERSELLERS ATYCRNEI**  **GENERAL**



### iioaOrabl.id

Homer aWPi8OU, Jr., **Director** 

### ‘I’cxar DepartmeQt 

### of Public 

### Safety
,At Cxnp Mabry 

### .::uatln, Texrr I\

:ttentlon: 

### 0

Honorable 

### J. B. Draper, Cksia-2, 

### DrlvermsLlceMe Dlvirlori’~
--.- ? \ :ser 31r: oploionno. **0-6&k** 

### I.*.. 86: 

### Rðer Department* of / 

### 1 f A~Pu~J~c aarety ls+‘author-



### *t9& to **rtmirh photo-**  **-t i**  Ctstbc copier of accident

‘\

‘, \~;~‘+h~rt3 

### and char($e fee8 i+ereiOr, and related /-- ,/ -A 1%. 

### ~yestlono. We 

### hevs’fyd-r.$&ft fo’ky&Qx~ readlag aa followr~

‘h 9 *3lncr the recent 

### court declmloa regarding the admlerihility of txigld8at report8 we have had a dedded Increase in octqurstr Sor photomtatic copies ‘of patro&meQ!s repmtr. ’ 

### ~%‘iould l>ke t&ou whether or not the De

### pnrtment has 

### .theright to Diakea charge 

### tor those phafostatfc 

### ooples of reporta and if so what fund the vaoneyshould 

### be deposlted lo, sad could the moueybe spen& for the purpose of suppliem 

### end help,for do- the photostatlo copies?” W&q&e the pertinent provlaions OS Article **668m,** Vernon's pnaotated Civil Ytatuter:

“3ec. 

### 39. bccldents to be reported by persons involved. 

### “zveryperson involvedin EIQ accidentrosulting in death, lajury, or aPpEWent FKWWtY d-ageiionor8ble 

### HomerQarrlaoa,SF., 

### page 2

**of Fifty**  DO~~UW ($50) or 80~6 vherr one or aore isotor vehlcle8 are involved and who 18 the holder of an 

### operator’8,coaccrolal operator~r, 

### or ohauffeurls llCen88, under the povlrlona of thl8 Act, shall make a report of 8uch aocldent to the Depart

### ment of Pub110 Y&ety vlthln forty-eight (48) hours. Refural to make rwh report mhall 

### reader the holder of 8uch ll.aeare liable to rumpension or revocation of suoh llcenme. Report8 

### reqnlred by thlr Section shall be deemed plrlleged ao~unlcatlolu. “Sec. 40. Accident rtatlstlcs and reportr. “The Department rhall prepare and 

### shall sup-- ply to police and sherifrr’ ofiloer and other **auit** able agencies, forms **for** accident reporta, and such report8 ahall **be** made within 

### a rearonable time fronthe date of 

### 8uoh accidentby 8uch otfleers or agencies 

### to the DepartlPsnt at Austin, Texan, euftialently detailing all the 

### iact ulth reference to any hi&way acaldent, 

### and the persons and vehicles involved.

‘Sea. 41. Report or death8 resulting iron accident8

. 

### “Everycoroner, justiceof the peace,or other ofrlclal perrormlng like funotlonr rhall on or before the 

### tenth (10th) dag of each month ieport in vrltlng to the Department the death of any 

### person *IthIn hIr jurisdiction during **the** preceding calendar month a8 the result of EUI~acoldent i.n which a motor vehicle va8 involved 

### and the circuastsnoes 

### or uuoh accident.

‘so. 42. 

### kccident reportm confidential. “~11 required accident report8 and UUPPlemNit- 

### ~1 repopts shell be without prejudice to the indlvldual 30 

### reporting pd shall be for the eonfldeatial umeof the Department except that the Depart

### ment my disclose the 

### identity of 8 Person involved

### zonorableRomer 

### 0arrlsoa,Jr., page 3

in an l

acfdeat



### rhea ruoh ldontityIs not othervise known 

### 01)

Who0 8uohpersondealerhis grereaaeat such 

### l coldent

. 

### Ro ruohreport ah11 k **wed** as 

### evldenoela any trl& civil or eririlul,wiring out of 

### l



### wh l 

### ooldeat,exee# that the 

### Department StilliUrEi8hUp00 

### r6qMSt Oi @6y p0PSOE 

### UhO bu, or claiu to hAv6, 8ade rush a report 00~ upon deSIU3d Of w QOUPt, @ Oe?0iflO&te 8holtirPg **that** l speoltled report ha8 or 

### ha8 not **been received**  

### by the Department, sole17 to prow a 

### oompllaaaoor **failWe** 

### to conply with the 

### repulrcwnt that such 

### reportbe -de to tha 

### Department." **A** careful examiaatioa 

### 0r the statute di8UlOSe8 that 

### a distinction 

### 18 mndebetweenm aooidentreportmade by a Serson involved la the 

### accident aad oae made by a 

### patrolme+Q representing 

### the Dewtmeat. U6 quote 

### fro8 the oplaloalo the case of Brown 

### (I 

### Root vS* Enddad, 180 9. Y. (2d) 339:

**“We** approve 

### the judgment 

### OSthe court or CivilAppealsreversingthe judgment or the trial court and remandingthe cause,beaaure the **trial** court **erred** la **ad8lttlag** 

### the entire **report** madeby patrolman Roensfhto the Departseat 

### of Pub110Safetr. **175 S.**  **v. 26**  **269.** 

### EoveveE, that 

### report 18 not a prlvllegedoomunlaatloo under 

### Sea. 42, of Art. **6687b,** 

### Veraon~8AERO. Cit. Stat. 

### tbi8 **18 rode**  cleer b7 a ooa8lQratlon of Sets. 

### 39 and 

### 40, OS th6 

### 8-e SFtiOlO. 960. 39 requlre8 

### reports **0r** 

### aoaldents 

### by ‘every 

### person involved,'that 18, by every party to the aooldeat, aad provides **that** such reprts “shall 

### be deemedprlvllegedCommalOatlonm. 

### Roea8ch~8reportvim calledror by 300. **40** 

### as the rlndlngs 

### or en orfleer invertlgatlugthe accident,and it saysnothingabout a4 such **re** port belag prlvlleged.. Clearly, then, the PurPo*e of Sec. **42 18**  to qualify the blanket prlvllese extending to reports 

### made by Ryer80n8 Involved by 30~. 39, lo tvo particulars, namely (1) t0 9erdt 

### the Department 

### of FubllC **SatstY** 

### t0 dl*Oloeethe identity OS say person involved la 

### an accident, when such 

### 18 not known or when such person deaie*3norable Boawr Gerrlson, Jr., peg4 4

his prereoce 

### et the eccldant; and (2) to parnit the Dapertment of Pub110 SaSety to oartlfy that 

### suohreportvea m&s, to prove 

### that say param claiming-to h4r4 **made**t&a report hae or &a not made It, 

### •~ObvIoual~,

Roenaoh~r 

### raport, ea auoh, la a haeraey atatsawlrt 

### and shouldbo excludedat another 

### trial, ii objeotsdto ou that ground, 

### crcept auoh parts thareor 

### only aa may trnd to impeach any dlraot cvldaaca 

### 'glvan 

### bv Roenaoh.

. . .*I The court m&es 

### It clear that 

### thapatrolmao~araport ia not ~ivllegad but is hearsay **and vould**  oaly b4 edmlsalble for iPlpaechlag any canillctlng tsatlmony such patrolmanmight 

### glva in a judlclel prooeedla ve had In mind In ow Oplnlon 100.O-6Gt 

### It V48 this point 1. U4 **dld** aot say In that 

### ?pi.nlon

thet there vea eny duty imposed upon the DepertRent to certify or furnish n photoatetlc copy of tha patrolman’s accident report. Us said maraly, end nov so rule, that aiacs a petrolawila aooident report is heeraey it can only 

### k-e ured 

### for tha purpose of lmp4eohIng the 

### ultnaaa and thea xly, of 

### ooura4, la e judlolel prooaedlng Involvlag the acolc;cnt. The only statutory duty lmpoaed upoa tha Department Is to furnish the partlnent Informetioa oontelned In Its files vhan such lnformetlon Is required lo 

### a judicialprocesdlng.

The Supram Court 

### ~lkevfae a&es it clear that the report of the person involved in en ecoldent la privileged. Tt la In raapsot to this report only that tha statute uses the **vord** 

### “certlf

lcate.’ As tha oourt 

### points out, there are only tvo..olroumatencaa under vhIoh the prlvllegad chareater of such e report maybe violated. Firat, to permit tha Depertment to 

### certify the Identity of a person involved in the eeoldent vhaa such fact 

### Is aot knovn or when the peraoa deaiea hls 

### involvement. Seoond, to certify that aa involved 

### y;son has or 

### has not meda the accident report required by

. It saema clear from the opinion 

### of the Supreme Court and vhat ve have said 

### that the Depertawnt la under no duty tl furnish photostatic 

### or other cop144 Of a patrolman’s

## 379
iiormrable Homer Garrlaon, Jr., page 

### 5

accident 

### reportEemly upon requert 

### of sow latemated persoa but 

### only la rasponae 

### to the propar order of l aourt in a proceedlw Involvlag 

### the l ooldeat. This, for 4x4~914, vould Include, 

### umng othea things, rubpoerur duoaa tuoum 

### or depositloas tekea oc 

### Issuedln peading 8otlona. Ia 

### the **0484** of sa involved IndlvIdual oaly 

### he or l 

### aowt oould demandby subpoem OF other proper **ordar** 8 orrtlSlo8ta sha~lrrg 

### vhathar the Individual VU 

### l atMlly

**hwolv4d** in ro 

### 4coldentor **vheth** 

### cr he had rudo 

### tha rrqulrhd 

### l oaldaat rapcart.
**We have**  

### mamined the **rt4tuta8** 

### aad flnd no 

### authority for your Depwtment **to** make any clmrga ior. furolahiag the Inf’ormatlon above reterred to, 

### and it I8 our advlcathet **70~** cannot mrk4 4ny ohnrgr thareror. 

### Very trulyyours ATTORRBX

### OElyWULOF TEXAS

Eibert **Edoper** AaaIat8nt