OFFICR OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

Honorable ivlllltm k. Grlffls, Jr. 

County kttorney 

(3aiA68 COUnty 

%SdAOle, Texas 

Denr Sir: OP~A~OA No. G-a691 

Be: Does the suparinteAd8At 

of the staff oi the State 

Eoapltal at Big Spring 

have authority to oharge 

8 ree or 8100 ior aA 

8XaQiAatiOA aAd OplA~OA 

es to the sanity of a 

prisoner charged with a 

ro1ony IA Gaines county? 

and related queetiona. 

Your letter of June 11, 1941, rsqueetln(j the oplaion of 

this D8~l-tn8At UpOn th8 qtle8tiOn~ herein etated, hatI been 

reoelved. 

iie qtiote iron your letter as follows: 

"The following question has arisen in Galnes 

County, Texas, wbloh I should like to have determined 

by your.ofiloe by way oi AA OP~A~OA thereon, 1~1~0s 

I as unable to rind any authority OA the proposition: 

930 the county Attorney and/or Sherifr or GE~ACMI 

County, Teras, have authority under the law to dsnmxl 

aAd r8C8iV8 a~ CUCAIUiMtiOA EUId OpdAlOA irOn the 

medical AtAir 0r the State Hospital et 3Isig Spring, 

Texas, aa to the sanity of a prisoner charged with a 

felony IA Gaines County, TBLaE, *8A auoh 0phi0n tUId 

examination is requested prior to any eotitmtmt oi 

tt.te subject in question to suah hospital; and, lr suoh 

exasliAatioA is authorized under the law, doeo the 

superintendent eAd/Or tittarr 0r said hospital hare 
authority to charge a r88 of ~100.00 for such 

6XCXinZitiOrl, Cr .5IIy ret3 WhRt5QeVer? 

"'lke feats eglVirig rise tc Ihie Queotioc are 

briefly as follms: 

"&ne %lph Pratker was appreharded by the Lheriii’8 r.hpirtL20nt 0r Ga:nea county, ‘I’axue, artar OWmlttlnp a i?mder In said county end being charged by 

oom.glalnt with trio 0rrsnse or murder wit:: aalice. 

After iiin arrest hod takon place, tha Lhorlfr felt 

and I slso felt, as County Attome:;, tkt t&e aceusad 

was, and is, unquestionably insane and incapable of 

dit3tiIi@i8hiAg right :roEl wrong. b.8 th%lWpoA hed 

the accused axamlnsd *, tiy the County Lealth Grrloer, who 

at&tea that in hla ~P~AIOA the 1~~1 was insan@; The 

County Bealt.2 Orrioer 8ugga8tod that the opinlor 0r 

an UXpOrt ShGU;ld b6 GbtaiAed, fn Vi6w of the rerioarA886 Or t&8 CriBI With WhiCh the 8OOCssd OtaAd6 

ohsrgeti . To that and, 1 lrstruotad him to ta&phone 

the i%apsrintendoAt of the Stata ~ospltal at Big Sprilrg 

an6 mQUe8t BA eXaFeifiatfOt fIW suoh hospital, of the 

l oouiw3, with the W%rat~nUln& that the authorltlas 

or <;cinse County wouhl transport the acouceh to Big 

Spring arid return him at the&r om expn~se. IA this 

mtter, I took tte posit102 tbnt ii an axport X~B 0r 

tte opinion theft the sag was hopolaasly inrane, it 

woufd b4 Ay duty to rpam the &tat47 F?Ad OouAty the 

useless exkerse Gf a trletl ror murder in the Dlstrlot 

Court or t,hlo oounty, together with the unusual exparise 0r ca2liug a epcaial veAire for the trial, end 

that it w~ulb be Kg duty to iile 8 luor,oy cor;plaint 

againtt the fi~oufied MCI have him tried end seat to 

the ?tats ~oopital. \ihOA the County Eealth Officer 

talep&oned the 3uperlnteAdmt or the State IIoapltal 

at X.g $priw, he wan Pnroruierd t&t 0~01; thou&h thr 

authoritiss provided trarrsportatlon ror the l ooused 

to a+3 rrom Eig Spring, Ieras, that the examlnatlon 

oould Aot b8 conduotsd on the *stats18 time,' a~6 that 

the 2uperinteAdeAt of tte State iTosplta1 woul.d charge 

n fee of $100.00 for the oxaerination, since he was 

opt authorized under tte law to mke such eXMiAetiOn 

aa an employee of tha State 

8 

rti that be would furthar 

sxaot an additional fee of 100.00 should t8 be oall*d 

upon to txstify upon trial of the aooused.@' 
artlals 83 of Vernon's Annotated Penal Code prod8war 

"The word *acauseti* Is intended to reier 

to any ~wrson.who, in (L 1wgaS mnnnwc, 16 hwld to 

amwwr for an 0rftbtiww. at any rt*gw of the prooweding, or agclnst whom complaint in a lawful 

mwmr is nmdw char@lnC( 8n offen88, lnoludlng all 

p~oeodings iron; the or5er for arrwst to tbo final 

sxeautlon of the law. The word *befwndont' i6 ueed 

in thw 6-0 8wnsw." 

iIt 14 atatwd In TWX68 Jurlrpru~enaw, t'olumo 18, pegw 388, 

that t 

"Thw m6klng of a Oom#.alnt and the filing of 

tbo UBU in the County Court in aa8w of ofienoo 

is 6 ml6demsanor, or wltb a mo618trote of the oounty, 

lf tha offen?w ir a felony, 18 the commwneemwnt o? a 

erimlnol eotlon or proreontlon; and thw proawlding 

i8 hwld to be mndiag irea that t&e. The filtng or 

prorontmwnt of on lntorlatlon, or the flnillng of wn 

lntiotment, 18 not neoeoury to thw oumawnwemwnt of the 

pro8woution or aotlon. 

"In 8 pur8ly arlminal pM8ecution, tha oaew 18 

pen8lng, SQ long as the quortion ot the guilt or 

innooenoe of the rocturrd rosmiar undetermined, . . ." 

Art1618 8561a, Vernon16 4motatwU Civil Bktutae, net8 

forth the mnnwr ol' appr8hension. arrortr sad trial of persenr 

who are wllwagw5 to bw of unoound miod csd'not ohargwd with a 

rrimlnml offwnee. 

Wwr the fsotn et6teQ in your lwttwr, on0 Ralph Prather 

18 orhargwd by oomplalnt with the ofrensw of muHer with nallcw. 

A6 thw above nwntioned person 18 charged with a orimlnal cffenrw, 

it is apparent that a judiolal proaemll~ 16 not 8utlioriseU 

er ammat bw had undwr k-title SLIOla, Vwrmn's kni:&ated Civil 

Ststtitw8, to determine whwtbar or not the eowuawd in of un6Ound mind. 

Xberw a pwreon is ahmgwd with a oriminol ofions@, insanity 

m6y bw interposwd al) e clwP4~nsw an5 tha dofandwnt tried on tbiat 

laeuw alonw. irhan insanity 16 intarpossd a8 a defenrw, tb8 

e i 

roawdure to be followw5 1s that 8et out by Artlolw OS@, 

wr:lon'w i.nnoteted :ode of CrlrPin6Z Proew4urw* 
wtlols 1036, Lode of Crfminal Praaedure provide8 OCCIpwnsotion for wit3xwmew in fdony aowee in attwndanoe upon 

thw i;ietrlot Court -6 grsnd jury in aountiw8 othwr then that 

02 thlr rwaidenaw. fltneataws for 8ttwndanoe upon the Nstrlat 

court8 an5 p,rana juries ulth:n thw aountJ of their rerldenaw 

l r w no t a o ffip 3nsa twD. 

iie Guotw fixair. Bu. JUT., vol. lo, pg0 453, 66 r0ihm: 

“An wxpwrt nay be rwqulro4 to testify 6. 

to the fade wlthlr his kmnvled,go without any 

wmpenSa8iOn cthsrthwa that r608ir8d by aa 

ordinery wltnesr for l ttwabaoae on aourt, notalth- 

~tonbily much knOwl8dg8 s6Jr have beea 'eaqufred thra4& 

8tudy uid proatio~; Be my not, ha8ver, bo r@guird 

to 8ng 

"fi 

0 in l xperlrsnt8 or lnwur wxputser in orQ8r 

to quo1 fy hlm8wli to tw8tlty la 6 portioulor 068*. 

TbU8, wher8 6 media01 8xpex-t her mob 6 port 1cort8m 

wxominatlon he may be oonrpe~ld to 4180108e the 

TO8Ult8 Of that OX8mi~6tlOZI WitbOUt 8Xtr8 eomJMM6- 

tlon, but, hw 6my not be ooagelled ta make rush *t&8- 

tlon without bwia(r paid ior it. 

*Ii the 8wnlcwr required of the expert ore rush 

that he lpag not be aompellsd ta r8nder it under the 

brdiouy proawor cf the court, or ognom8nt br the 

Ona 808kiJMJ thw 68rVi08 %fi OOm M8tw thw expert fer 

it lb valid; but the ccmpenut r on of the u98rt may 

not bw m&w to depend upon the eontlnpmay of thw 

8UOUW88fUl OUtOCSa Of th8 liti&wtiOZl.” 

*w ;;uotw rmffi A. 1. k.’ vol. 16, QOgW8 468-s-4, &Vii iOllOWBt 

The rule Is that 6 so4allwd export wltnerr 

1s not entitled to extra oomp6nntSon for any 

teithony ,:*hiah hw nay be rsqulrwd to (Jlrw andwr 

en ordinary subpowno of the aourt. . . . A phy6ial.m aalled to attend aourt 88 6 witner8 aamot 

bsrqfo for extra aompwnsatlon for the aerrlow of 

attendirig ccurt 68 6 rltncss. futl bw cannot rake 

ahargee for wx6minatione ana ooneult6tlona prwperotory to trial, dwpwn4wnt upon thw aontinfywncy of 

b+iw rwquirwd to tw8tify in (I inw 8ult. The aourt 

says thet p16intiiY16 duty 08 a aitlten oom~wl him 
to app8ar aa a witness and eive te8tlmonJ, vithout 

any other pay than fees allowed by leiw, aua ho 

should not I;e permitted to svada that duty by the 

palpable exouuo of contract ror e contingent fee. 

(Burnet v. iCrbonwin, 115 S. F.. 488.) 

"In general, If the eerrloe required of the 

expert la such that he 8aMot be compellad to render 

it undar the ordinary prooer8 or the oourt, an agreem6nt by the one seeking the BBIPV~OB, to eonpeneete 

the expert for It, iu ralltLn 

In the oaae of Phlller v. Waukssha County, 180.X. 1;'. 

889, (Wie. @sue) whleh wae an aotlon by a physlolan againat 

the oounty for remloer pertorsmd as an rrpert in a erlmlnal 

oaae, there la a dlotUm to the effeot that, it a person 40- 

8ir.8 that any witas equip hlmaelf wlth knowledge by recroarah 

or lnapeotion, he may employ hi&to do so but uueh eq)loym8at 

$;;lb13XtlWlled by the Ordinal’y TUh8 oi OontZaOt OX$rOra@8 

In People8, OX Cd, *ipp 78. c8=8 hUntY, 50 

1. r. sup.‘l6, whloh ia~O1var tha validity of a oontraot b? 8 

alstrlot attorney employing an expert for a mrdsr trial, the 

00-t 8ay@ that it 18 a Well kMlW5 ii?iOt that UpUt ritllO88@8 

are usually paid ertra oomperumtion for their clenioer when 

oalled in laRny QP8e8, uid the QUe8tion as to the amount ther 

8hall reoelve is u8~al3.y regu.lato6 by eontraot. In People, 

ex ref. Eemilton vs. Jeffernoa County, 54 8. W. Sup. OBll, whioh 

~a8 an notion for sorrlae8 rendueb by an expert In a orlmlnal 

oa8e, it appear8 that the etatute provided for paynnnt of empensem lnaurred by the dfatriot attorney, aed, the oontract 

harlng been made by hla, th6 court sald It Wa8 cbqmtent for 

bhe attorney to blnd the oounty for 8~ob 8erddeS. 

The Code of Criminal ProoeduFe (Art. 1079) provides that 

the aorb aooruing from the attendanee of WitIle88.8 in 

criminal oaae8 shall be taxed l @alnat the defendant 41 he i8 

005tiQt6d, and &W~TfaiOn i8 ilade fOT the ppJl6 Of WitIN 

te.8 by the Stete in feloa~r oases by Art1018 1095, Code Of 

crlmlnal Procedure, 8upra. 

In this etate the right of witnsasee to reoeire oompen8atiOn for their attendanoe is StatUtorp, 1358 they are 

entitled to such fees only a8 the statutes premribe. 

Artiole 2359, Vernon~e &motet&d Code of CriJdnel PrOcedUre, 

provide8 a 
Bon. ~illli8m A. Grlffis, Jr.,'page 6 

*Upon eurnlnstion of one aooused of a 

capital OffOR86, no saglstrate other than a julge 

of the Court of Criminal Appeals, district court 

or aounty oourt, shall have power to Ai8charge the 

defendant. "cy rraglatrato may admit to ball, 

exoept In capital oase8 where the proof ia l vlAeut.* 

It 16 6tated In your letter that the aoou8eA la oharged 

by oomplalnt with the offense 0r murAer. The eqme Is a 

oapital offenee, and the Court of Crlmlnal Appeal8 held in the 

O&80, Lx part0 &iynn, 88 6. K. (6a) My, that vdtm-0 the l OOu80$ 

Is charged with a capital offehle, the exadnlng mgirrtrate 18 

without authority to discharge the accuseA. You have not rtated 

whether or not the xaglatrate before whom the oomplalnt Wa8 

filed lo a just108 of the pesrce. IioweVeT, iri the absonoe 

of a 8tntOUMt to the contrary, ior the purpose of thlr eplhlon, 

weaamnm that this complaint waa filed with a jurtiae of tha 

peaoe sitting as a 'iuagi8trate. Theraters, the aragl8trete OM 

not Alroharge the aOOU8ed. In order to deteraine the 8hnity 

of the aocuaed, we think the oely procedure Is to 1nAiOt hlr 

ohargiug the offense of murder. Mter the lndiotsent ha8 beon 

returneA, and where +manlty 15 interpoeed a8 a defen88,.th* 

defendant or aooused may be tried on that issue alone in the 

I)ietrict Court before the main oharge. If the Jury find8 the 

AefenAaht 158ahe, or to have besn ln8ane at the time the not 

18 alle(ged to have been oommltted, they 8hall eo rtate in thdr 

rerdiot, or IS the Jury find8 that the defendaat wa8 inrum at 

the tlm the aot is allsgea to have been oommltted but *ano at 

the trial, he &all be irumebiately AlschargeA. If the jury 

flnde that the defendant was insane at the tia*r the eat is 

alleged to have been oomaltted MA lnrrane at the time of the 

trial, or sahe at the tlm the aot is al.legeA to have bea 

oonmltted and insam at the time or the trial, the aourt 8hnLl 

thereupon make and have antored on the minute8 of the oourt ah 

order ooaunlttlug the defendant to the cu8todr of thr sheriff, 

to be kept subJect to the further order of the county JuAge of 

the oounty, anA the prooeedings shall forthwith be oertifled 

to the county judge who shall at onoe take the aeoas8ary steps 

to have the defendant oommitted to and conrined in the State 

I!oepltal for the insane until he bsocmss 8a13e4 3n the other 

hand, when the defense on the trial of the min charge 18 the 

limanlty of the defendant the jury shall be lnatruoted, if thq 

aoquit him on that ground, to atate that raot with their verdict, 

auA lf they further find the defendant to have bean Insan 

at the time the act 16 alleged to have been oommlttaA, but 8~ 

at the time or the trial; iie 'shalf,be lraweAlately dleohargeb. 
1 son. riilliam i.. Grlffis, Jr., page 7 

rowever, if the jury f’lndda that the dofender& wae insano at 

the tim the act ia alleged to hare been oommittsd and insane 

pt the time of trial, or IMe at the time the eot is alleged 

$0 have bean. omtitted end Insane at the time of the trial, the 

oourt eball themupon make end have entered on the Inlnuter of 

the oourt 6n order oolillPitt.fag the $etendant to the oustody 

of the sheriff, to be kept aubjeat to further orber of the 

oounty judge of the county, and the promodings @hall forthwith be oertilied to the oounty judge nho ahall at moo tekr 

the neoessery step6 to hare the dofondant oommltted ,to and 

oodined in a Gate iioepital for the insane until he beeomee 

sane. (ht. 932a, 7. A. 0, C. P.) 

In view of the fore&oing authorltiea, you are rmpeotfull~ 

adviSed that It is the opinion of this Departnent thrt the oountr 

attorney or 8heriSf of Gainee County doe8 not have the legal 

authority to demand and reoelve an e-nation end opinion 

of the medical stair OS the Stats Hospital at Big Spring, 

Texas, as to the sanity of the prl8oner ohareed with a felony 

in Geinea County, Taxes. It fS our further opfnion that the 

party ohargsd with a arimlnal oifenm oannot now be ttlai In 

the oounty oourt to determine whether or not he i8 of tqmund 

mind under Article bBdla, Vernon’n Annotated Civil Statutes. 

It is olear under the above rmntloned authorities that the 

ph eioian would not be authorized by &r to char&e end reoeiro 

a i 100 fee in the event he ir eel&ad upon to tertfiy upon the 

trial of the eooueed. AD etated ebove, ia thSr State the 

right of witneesee to receive compensation ror their attendance 

la statutory, end they are entitled to SW& faoe only am tha 

atatutea preroribs. 

Trusting that the f’ore$olng rully enawere /cur inquiry, 

we are 

Yourr very truly