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

Naroh 81, 1939

HOE. W. AL Tuoker **a0wy** Attorney %.llin@m, Texas

Lear Sir:

unty, Psxwihar. a pepulatlcm
a last prsga5lagte48ml

d.a5osounor sad h!lu Qtmluhmonb 16 asueeaod at a poouaiaryfine, ii he is **usable** to pay the 

### tins an5 oestu 

### adju5~5 againat hi+ ho may for mob-the es till 8eaElcii the $aQpnont k put to uo* to the wo2! khouao on Ishe aotMty far&, or pubHo ii~~~rown& orHon. W. U. Tnoker, aarch 21, 1939, Page 2

of the ocunty, as provided in the suooeed1x1~ Artiole, or if there be no suoh workhouse, farpl

or Improvements,he shall be impriscned in Jail for a sufficient length of time to disaharge the in11 amount of flw and oosta adjudged against him; rating sooh labor or lmprlsonmnt at Three Dollars ($3) for each day thereof; provided,howwar, that la all aoant%es In this Stat0 aQntainiry,

a pQpul+iQa OiaQt l.M thu tmaty-foe thQw$aa *, aa5m6 '*i&hty W4~16OJ aor8o~~thaatpeat~iour tbeaudd two aIQ#5rd ol4;ao)~"or la aiy aotit1.i

fifty (7,150);ul5 lli OoontiM 0oateiI.L~
l papalden of not 1088 thn tairt~ 

## t-a ung han5a-dan& MTO~ {30,707).nor~+3ra thamthirtyth- mwen&tmalrd~ aSm (30ro,70S)&

aad ln wantiu aontnlalaga pepulntlon **oi not**  lam thaa **twatpe+ena thoman4**  **rin huu5.rea** 

**rorty4d.80 (27,849)**  nor **-** than 

## twmy-08nn **th0tm3a** 

## rit0 **-4** 

## rirtp

cma (Z7 SSll; 8ad in oountieaqoitaln* a p0pd0n or **not** 1~8 thrn aw00a thoound ate h-5 tmmty~l&ht (lS,lS8)nor mere than nlnekeathowan5 QM l1wlre5ththir3j- (19 lS0); am5 ln oountle8ooatelnloga pqml&on of not leu thaa eIghtem tWun& el&ht hundred iI.ftpnbm (16;SSP)aor mare than ai6htOOnthoumad 8iX hw&l'& 8%Xty+IM**Eon. 2..**  **2.** T-uoker, Marah 21, 1939, Fage 3

(18,661);end in oountieeoontalninp, a population of not less than ten thousand and thirteen (10,013) nor score than ten thousand **snd** fifteen (10,015), according to the last preceding FederalCensus,when
a defecdant is aonvioted of a misdemeanor anti hls punishment is assassed at a peouniary fine, if he is unable to pay the fine, If he 18 unable to pay the tine and oosts adjndga5 againsthim, ho may ~OZ suoh tlms
as will satisfy the jrddpuntbe put to work In the workhoussor on the county faa, or publio i.aprcmmonts at the asunty,as provided In the suooss5Isg Artlole,or If taers bs no suoh Workhouss,

## ran or Smprsvamsnts, he.shallbs laprlsoue5la jail tor.s~mcffloient lssgth of **tlm** ts 5lsshargsthe Sull aaouut

## or flseasd~oostsa5 ~%$~*s;st him, rating suoh labsr as5 +i at not lsss than One Dollar 1)
nor aora than Three Dollars( 1S) per day psr day.
"Tha.OmalssionorwOourt of aaah sush oountyas.

deflnsdby papolstionbraokstsabws In this State, at ssy rqular or spssial km, shall, **by emler**  ra50 and sntsrad Is the minutes or said COurt, dstsnlns the rats 

### or WA&S to ba pal5 ssnviotsIs their reepaotln ooustiesfor lsbor or Saprisonment per day In aaoordanoa hemIth.W
ArtIols 793 

### or the Oods of OrinisalPrsssdurs In 1923 providedthat uhss a defeqlant is ooafIots5 of a misdemeanorand his punishmentIs aases8e5 et a peouniaryrim and that If ha is unable to pay t.b fins and ooats adju5gadagafnsthim that ha aoul.5 satisfy the fine and oostsb]rImprfssnmant In Jail or by bsIng put to work in the workhousesr on the county farr sr publio Improvamsnts of the oosnty,rating suoh labor
or ImprIsonmeat

at $3.00 isr eaoh **day** tharsof. !PhIs art1010was amended by tha Asts sf 19t7, **(0th** bg18tiaturn First Called Sssalos,page 194, ohaptar 68, Ebotjon 1, by rsdnolng the rate irOn $sioO:parday to.Q.00 per day. This art1010was again%msmds5 **by**tti .9&a of 1934, 43rE Le6$slature, Second Called S~SS~OII, the rate from page 85, ohnpt.cr ?z, sect3on& by chnnglnr c1.m per day t,o

Y3.0~3 per day. This article was agaln amended by the 4ats OP 1937, 45th LesZslnturc, 1st Called Session, House Ml1 45, Seotion 1, which is the present law above set out. It will be noted thet the present Article 793, Px?e oi Criminal Procedure provides generally that the rate ehall he $3.00 throughout the State, but there are IIUWNWUSsxoeptlona uhhioh apply to oonntiea oi oertalnpapolatlonbtaokets. DollIn&awmth Comty, !Pemm does not oome withia sny or the populationbnokets set out In nttlole 793 and. thereiora,the &wirra+wl rata of $3.00 Is applloableto OollIn6swwth Cotmty. Hon. 'Z.r:.

Tucker, i:arch21, 1939, Page 4

ArtIole 79%. 794a, **794b,** 7940 an5 7945 oi tha Uods of CrImInalPmoedmo am not applIoabl0to Oolllry~- rorth County,Texes **beoauso** C)ollin@Wrth County 50as n0t

.zg;0E;hIa any ot the pqmlatlon breokstsnam5 la ui5

. ArtlOlaOeO Of tha CO50 OS CriminalPN0a5IUa ot Texas reads 

### as r0rm8:

*& defendantplaoed In jail 011 soooant or railurs to pay tbo-tineand oosts aan be dlsohargadon heb0as OorpUS **by** shhorlm@

"1.. That he is tdo poor to pay the 

### rim snd ooats, and

That he has remained in jail a surfi

### 0tOe*&th of tiab to 80ti8ry the rin0 and oosts,at-the day* rate of three dollars for eaoh

*But the defendantshall* In no oese mdor this .artiole,

be dlsohsrged**until** he hae bean hprlmne5 at least ten daya; and a justioe of the pea58 nay discharge the de+ndant upon hI8 #horiB the same oause,by applloatioat0 SUOh Justl00;and when mob appliaatlonIs grantadd the justlaeshall note the same oii his dookoteu
~~%Iols oeo or tba Oo50 or Orklnal Prooodur0 

### -Or T~XLUB

is toun4In ohapter 2 or title ll W the CodeHon. kV.2. Tucker,Karch 21, 1939, Page 5

of CrIminelFroaedu*.e of Texas w?ifah relates to JUstioe aourts. t&lo18 920 of the :Toie of ~rimlnsl l'rooedure,

therercre, relates particularly ati applies particulerly tcijustice courts.

Xe have corefiilly

considoreEthe fo:loring
cases cited by you In your able brief, towit:

Ex Farte Fernandes, 57 SK (2nd) 578 2x Parta I'olly,

12 sn'(2nd) 16 16x Parte Rowler,15 SW (2nd) 1115 Ex Parte Baptlnatall,39 6sl(2nd) 95

au&me have reaahed the aoaaluslonthat there is no ooarllot betweenthese oases.

¶%a Rowley oasa raa daoldedYaroh ZQ, 1989, 

### whonthe 1989 awn&e6 atdate wmi in ru roroe 

### anderroot whloh providedthe rate of $l.Oa per day for jail wrrlos or work upon 

### the ooimty farm or othar Impmna**writs.** The Ex Part8 Polly aasa was deolded**February** W.1929, atwhleh time the 1989 amendedartlolawa8 

### ia rtm for08 and 

### arr~etwhloh provldad for the 41.00 per day rate aboreiwntloned. The ISr Parta Xepfindall oass wee dsoldsd on the 10th day of June, 1931, 

### at whfoh-time the 1939 

## amended atiole vaa In roll 

## rm80 and erreotwhIoh prmlded for the $1.00 per day rats ahovwentlonsd~ In eaoh oi *e nbom oases, Ex Parta Polly, 6x Psrte Rowley and Ex Parts Reptl~stall,the data of the orfansesof whioh the defendantswere eonriotedwas after the date ot the passage or the amended aot of 1929 and prior to the i: awage of the amendedaot of 1954, and. therefore,the 1.00 per day rats legally applied. In neither of these thme oneeta was the oonvtotion In the justiaeeowt.

The oase of Er Parte Fernaadez,59 5U (2nd) 598 ma d&aidedFebruary15, 1955, by the Court of Crhlnal Appeals.of Texas; the rslator,Fernandes,was oonrietedIn the JoMoe eoort of a misdemeanorand his pwltihment aaaeesedat e iine of $50.00 and co&S, amounting to $16.00. The quwtlon in this ease was whether or not the relator should be allowed $5.00 per day or $1.00per day fsr hI8 serv100 in Jail.Bon. K. ?A:. Tucker, Karch 21, 1939, Pace 6 '

The court held In this ease that Article 920 of the C&e of CriminalProaedurewas mandatory and the relatorwas allowed $3.00 per day for his aerricea In jail. Thia opinion dIstinguIshed this aasa from the Zx Parte Folly case by saying that t3e oonvlction in tt!e

Polly case was In the El Peso County Ccurt at Law. It dlstIngu*shed the Er Parte RI11
ease by saying thtt t>c conviction wes in the 3istrIot Ccurt of Falls Ccunty, Texas. It dIstinGuished the Er Parte Howler Case by saying that the oonrlofion
wee In the County **Court** at Law of Wlohlta County.

**The** court farther **stated** as followsr
Y'hs chapter In which artloleOZO, rrupra, appears Is oos bavIng referenceto a Judgeaat

### or aonvIotIonin a arImIna1 action behre 

### a justtaoafthc peaae. -am what has bean **@aid** It 1s apparent t?mt the **ektntory** waatawts make a dietlnotionon,

the **wbjaot** In **hand** rith ro-. farwoo to the oonvlotionai a nlsd~or baiora the Juatlaeof tha paaoe and the oonrIotIonof a mlsdamaanorln oonrt* 

### or higher jurIsdIotIon. The raaBon for the dIstInotlon

pay bs only a matter oi oon jcotura

. Slnoa the statutorydirection
wao deiInIts In Its terara, the duty or the oourt to apply It as writton Is mandatory. Kowerer, it ray ba raid that the juatlea **oourts** are limitedby the Oonstltutlon (art& ale 5 Para. 19 In oririndl~a to a fin8 not exceeding**i** ZOO, while **un4cr** atilols 5, **pam.** 16, other oourtsare gi~an ~urIsdIotIonin lniedemeanors

of muoh higher grade and with penalti es far more severe.

?From the foregoing,It ia plain that the relator having **bean** oonvIoted In tira justioe oourt, being too poor to pay his fine, end having remained In jail more than ten days and ior a tIme eufficient to **dis** aharge his fine, It Is thought that the reletor'o appllaation for a writ 

### Of habeas oorpus shouldhaves been granted." ./

. :Hon. W. Ii.Tuoker, Uaroh 21, 1939, Page 7

It will be noted that in the Es Parte Feruandez case that the oourt olearly recognized the prinoiple that a person xho had been oonoioted of a misderrmanor in the Justice court and who wss sarving his time in Jail must remain in Jail at l.east ten days and Sor a time sufficient to disoharge his fine.

In answer to your first question, you are respectfully advised that it is the opinion of this Dapartment that 3Z.03 per day is the proper rate for allowanoe
or osedit to be given prisoners who have been oonvioted of **miodemeaaoro** for oomIng tire In jail **or** for working out their fines as prod&d by law la Oolllagow0rth a0my, ~0~00. Itlo the furthoropInlon or this Doportmonttb0t ArtI MO of the Code or arwl Preoodure of Texoo a plIoo justlooooart8g only to eonVIotIonoobtaInad,In



### ut the oamo 

### IO nandataryOS appllod to juotioesoarto. for oromplo,

### A. 8. md a u.mill oenr2otod I8 

### just100sotdo ror 

### mIoaem0aaor. A*O rim urd soots amoust .~~.&S.OO;Bye ilie uxd aooto emomt to #O&O 

### crud&w oad~0oto moidtto $4SAO. War Irtl010 QW dth0 aodo Of aririnil ProaOQ-, oMO@I sol& art1010allouo&MO per day 

### ror Jail 

### 0orvi00, till artIola'?arthor

**p&doe** 8 mInIam of tea days ImprImmoat. A must lorvo tbo iinimtm of ton days; B mot oorve ton days. B'o iIne and ooot6 mt to #SO.OO,whloh d$vldodby #SAO would moko tan 

### days. 6.0 fine and oootoamouatto(4S&O; ho Is allowed #f!LOO per days ho must servo flftooadays.

With rororonoe to your oeoond qrrootlon, uo rind that c~ili~orth a0Qnty &OS not 008~0 within **the population**  braakotooi any emoption whioh would give tho OoamIooIonero* Court authorityto doteamIne 

### wages of prIoonorsfor lobor, Jail aorrIo0 or Imprloonmont and your oeoondquwtloa, thorefora,IO roopeotfully **answered** In the negaative.
Very truly your0

**WJRAW**

ATTOBXBY GEHlcRAL **OF TIEx89**