June 5, 1974

The Honorable Emory C. Walton Criminal Dirtrict **Attorney** P. 0. Box 527 Eaetknd, Texar 76440 

### Dear **Mr.** Walton: Opinion No. H- 320 Re: Prorecution ofr+?r~q 

### for por~ersion ofaa alcoholic beverqq

You have asked two quertione concerning the 

### prorecution ofminorr and have 

# l

upplfed the following factr:

“On October 16, 1973, a 16-year-old male went into a liquor 

### l

tore and plrchared beer and wine **for,** and at the requeet of, **four** other minor’boyr and girls. ranging 

### frgm .I2to

### ISyear.8 ofage. After the purchare by~tbe 16ryear-old **bby, the**  adult **operator** of the liquor

. store delivered the purchared~beer and wine to the car 

### ~ontsining the four minora (agee 12**to** lS.yeare); then, the 16-year-old boy got into hir car and Leftand the four otheiminorr left’in 

### theii cri with the **‘ beer**  

### and w-he, after which thq four minorr were immediately **appre** hended. The 16-year-old male did not misrepresent hir age ae being.18, **but** simply said that he had no identification to prove his age tothe liquor store operator. The adult operator of the liquor 

### l tore wae filed upon and entered a ‘guilty’ plea to making alcoholic beverage8 available tb the 

### l

aid four minor male and female children. No **chargem** have been filed against the five minore, and the rn+tor ia pending. ” 

### Your quortione 

### aro:

“1. Whsther **or** 

### not the four minor childron (one girl, rge 12, one girl, ago 14, and two **boya.** 

### age 151can

,p. 1477. . The Honorable Emory C. Walton, page 2 (H-320)

be prosecuted for the alleged one-time offense of ‘Minor in Poeeeeaion of Alcoholic Beverage’? “2. Whethir or not the 16-year-old boy can be pro- #ecuted for the alleged one-time offense of ‘Making Alcoholic 

### Beverage Available to Minors’?” The relevant statute is Article 666-17, $14(a) and (b), Vernon’s Teqe Penal Auxiliary LAWS [codified at the time of the alleged offenre PLAriicle 666-17, iI4(a) and (b); 

### Vernon ’, Teur Penal Code] which provider:



### “(14)(a)It l

hall be unlawful for any perron uuder the age of twenty-ono (2l) **year&** to purchase any alcoholic beverage,
. . . . 

### It l hrll further **be**unlawful 

### for any 

### porron **tier** 

### the age Oftwenty-one 

### (21)year* to porrerr.

. . . 

### or to **consume** any alcoholic beverage.
. . . “(b) 

### It l

ball be unlrarful jo pprchaee an alcoholic 

### beverage for or give, 

### or knowingly make available, an alcoholic bovdrago to

### a porron under the ago of twenty

### on0 (24 yoarr. . . .I’ Article 5923b, Vornon’e Toue Civil Strtutee, hae the effect 

### of eubotituting eighteen years 

### of age for the articlc’e reference0 to twenty-one y&Ts of ago. Violatfon ir punirhable by fine only. **Attorney** General **Opinion H-82**  

### (1973).At **the time**  ofthe alleged offenea , criminal prosecutions ofyoung **per** 

### l ~ewere governed **by**Actr 1973, 63rd Leg., ch 544. **p.** 1484. 52 (formerly Article 30, Vernon’r 

### Texas Penal Code, and now found in substance at $8.07. Vernon’m Toxaa Penal Code). That etatute providld in pert:

.. 

### “(a) A person **may** not **be**prosecuted for or convicted for any offenee that he committed when younger than 15 years of age, except:

**“ (1)**  **porjury,** when **it** appear, **by proof**  that he had 

### iufficient discretion to underetand the nature end obligation ofan oeth;



### p. 1478The Honorable ‘Emory C. Walton, page 3 (H-320)

“(2) 

### a violation of a penal **statute** cognizable under **Chapter 302,**  Actr of the 55th Legis**laturb, Regular**  Session, 1957, **aa** amended (Article gO2e, Vernon’s Texas Penal Codc);or “(3) a violetion of a motor vehicle traffic ordinance of an incorporated city or town in this rtate.



### ‘l(b) Unless thejuvenile court waives juriadic**tion** and certifiee the individual for criminal prosecution, a perron nuy not be proeocuted for or convicted ofany offoneo committed before roaching 17yeare of

### age, except:“(1) perjury, when it 

### l ppoare by prooj that he 

### had l ufficiont diecrotion to undoretand the nature and obligation of

### an oath; “(2) a violation 

### of a penal 

### l trtute cognizable undor Chapter 302, 

### Acte ?f the 55th Lagielature, **Regular,** Sorrion, 1957, ae amended (Article BO20, Vornon’e Texae Penal Code); **or** “(3) a violation of 

### a motor vehicle traffic ordinance of an lncerporated city or town in this state. . . .‘I Section 51.04. Vernon’e Texaa Family Code, provides that **tbe juvlznllc**  court hae excluiive original juriediction over proceedingr under Title 304tbz Family Code. Section (a) ofArticle .53.01, which ia a part ofTitle 3, provides that: “(a) On referral of a child or a child’
. case tothe

office or official derignated by the juvenile court, the intake officer. probation officer, 

### or other perron 

### lulho

### rfred by the court l hall 

### conduct a preliminary inve#tigetion 

### to detormfno whothor:.
. . .

p. 1479The Honorable Emory C. Walton. page 4 (H-3201

“(2) there ie probable cause to believe the child engaged in delinquent conduct or conduct indicating a need for supervision.
. . .I’ Section (b) providee that if “there is no **probable cau~le.** 
**. .**  the child rh.all immediately be released and proceedings terminated. ” Section 51.03 of Title 3of the Family Code define8 delinquent conduct and conduct indicating a need for 

## l upervieion 

### •#~lollowe:



### “(a) Deliquent conduct ir conduct, other than 

### a traffic Offenro, that violatoe:

“(I) a penal law ofthia state punirhable by imprironment 

### or by confinement injail; 

### or “(2) a rearonable and.lawful order of a juvenile 

### court enferod under Section 54.04 

### or 54.05 of thie code; except tbat a violation of a rearonablo and lawful order of ajuvenile court entered 

### purmant to &determination that the child tingaged in conduct indicating 

### a neod for ruporvirion aa defined in Section 51.03(b)(2) or 5t.O3(b)(3) of thie code doee not constitute delinquent conduct. “(b) Conduct indicating 

### a need for 

## l upervlsion in: “(I) conduct, othei than a traffic offense, that on three **or** more occasions violrtea either of rho following:

**“ (A)**  the penal Iewe of thie rtate of the grade of misdemeanor that are plniahable by flno only: 

### or

“(B) the penal ordinencer ofany political 

### l ubdivielon of thir 

### l tate;

p. 1480**The Honorable**  **Emory C.**  **Walton. page**  **5 (H-320)** 

“(2) conduct which violatee the compuleory 

## l

chool 

## l

ttoadance kwe; Y(3) the voluntary absence ofa child 

## from hlrhome without theconeent ofhi6 **parent** or guardian for a substantial length of timo or without intent to return; or

“(4) the.vio(ation of an order ofa**juve** nils court entered under Section 54.04 

### or 54.05 of thie coda. purrkant to+ determination thit the child ongagod in conduct which violater the compuleory 

## l cbool 

## l

ttondince lawe or 

### the voluntary rbronco 

### of tho child from hie homo **rithout** 

### the conoont of

### tdr parent or guardian

**.** 

### for l

## l

**ubatanthl hngtb**  

### of time **or** 

### without. htsnt **to rotura.** **”**

**.** None of there 

### aro applicable to the.

### factr rot 

### forth in

### your opinion **roqusqt** and in vlor of thire rktutory limitrtione 

## l nd’dofiuitionr, we do 

### not **bolipyk** that Title 3ofthe Family Code io applicable to one-time vio&tionr of

### A+- cle 666~.17(14)..
.

Although the detaile of tho etatutor 

### have chinged, the baric **atatstQ.ry** 

## l cheme hae not, and 

### three A,ttornry Ge,aoraL:ppinjonr have diecurled *c rslationrhtp among tho;e. ihreo 

## l cte, (ArticlC 66647(14), V. T. P. C., 

### (now V. T.P.A. L), Acte 1973, 63rd Leg., ch. 544, **p. 1484,**  

### $2 (formerly Article 30, 

### V. T. P. C., and now $8.07, V. 

### T..P. C.)~rnd ,Title 3 of the Femi’ly Codo, erp. 5sSt.03 rnd U.04 (formerly Article 2338-1,V.T.C.S.)). Attorney **General** Opinion WW-1171 (.L961)concluded that Artic~le 666-L?(I4) **was** “a rpecial exception to the 

## general propopition that children cannqt he convicted 

### of a cri&nal offonso. Artlclo 

### $0 of the Penal Code. ” The opinion did not codrider the lorrc$r 

### Attorney Gcniral Opinion M-t63 (1967) held that Article 30 precluded conviction of children under the age of fifteen years. Attorney 

### General Opinioa M-327 (1968)involved ofJeneee 

### under Article 6&6.-I7 (IO committed .by

## parroamfifteen 

## yoaraof‘age or oldor **but**

### younger **th+b** \he 

### ago 

## no rnvly

l rtabliohlng adult 

## rorpoarlbility. Tho opiaion coucludod +a!

**p. .1481** 

### l-ho Honorable Emory C. Walton. p.gs 6 (H-320)

l och one-time offendera 4re “not within thejurimdistion of thejuvenile court 4nd mry ba proaecuted.for such violrtion in 413 appropriate crimin41 court b4ving jurladiction of rucb ~ffensc. ” 4nd that in nuch cases the provision requiring 4 tr4nafar from criminal courtr tothe 

### juvenile court (now F4mily Code, ( 51.0‘8, would not 4pply.

We hrva #aan nothing in the action of rubsequent legial4tures to indicate 4 cb4nge from the interpretation d the rt4tuter advanced by there opinionr. When the bglrl4ture doe* not amend a st4tutc torlter 

### a consimtsnt construction given it by the Attorney Cener41, that conatruction ia entitled to **great** wilgbt. Sah Antonio Union Junior College Digtrict v. Daniel, 206S.W. 2d 995 (Tex. 1947).

Therefore, it i4 our opinion that. under the facta you describe, tho ,poraona under the 4ge of fifteen ya4re 

### are not

# l ,ubjsct to criminal prorocution or to juvaailo proceodlngm 4nd tht tboro perronr fifteen **yearr** of rge 4nd 4b6v4 4rd 

# l ubjoct toprorecutlon in t&o4ppropri4to 

### crimhl court. SUMMARY Ono~timo 

### violatorr ofArticle 666-17(14)(a) 

### and (b), V.

### T, P.~A. L. , which prohibit4 porrcmrion or conrumptiod of 

### llc0h01ic bevorager by 4 minor or furnirb-. **ing** rlcoholic 

### bovorager to 4 mlndr, 4ro not rubjoct to crimim1 proraeution or tojuvenile proceedingr if they **are** under fifteen **yearr** of 4ge. Tbey are li4ble to crimin41 proaocution 

### if they 4re fifteen yerrr of 4ge or oldor. A ono-time offender ofArticle 666-17(14)(4) **or** (b) ii not #ubJect tojuvenile prbceedingr. Very truly yours,

u Attorney CAnoraL of Tour

**p.** 1482

### TheHonorable Emory C. Walton. page 7 (H-3201

APPROVED:

DAVID M. KENDALL, Chairman Opinion Committee

p. 1483