### OFFICEOFTHEATTORNEYGENERALOFTEXAS

~ AUSTIN

xonorsb1.r F. M.Cfmaprt DireatOr of LawlbISoraanekot t%ma,Fleh and 

### Oyrter Qommlaalon Austin, 

### Tax88

Dear Slrt 

### opinionlo.o-70M Warrant 

### mar

TbSa 

### lainreplyto roquaatlrrg our OplnlOll 0110 Your l&tar 8180 oontolna 7 

### has bean **vary** 

### helpful to ua ad l 

### aaroh l

08 uaad 

### in this tltlo, is 

### the aoqulaitlon 

### orproparty bytha law ot the State.* 

### 306prorldear *Whenit la **8llqed** that **the proper+**  wa* **ae** 

### qulrod other than bytheft, tha partlaular mannor 

### of lta 

### aaqulaftloa must ba ,aet

### forth in tha oomplaint andin the warrant.”2159 I ',

Artlols 871s or the Penal Code de?clsrea al1 wild animals within the border8 of thin State to be the property of the people of this Stats. There are numerous statutes in our penal Code restrioting the right to kill wild deer in this State and afilxlng 

### puniehment to the vlolatlon thereof. The aaraasa of a dear aaqulred by killing It in violation ot the oam Lawor in any other manner prohibited by the lawa or thle State 1s psraonel property acqtirod 

### in amanner whioh makes lta 

### l oqulaltlon **unlawhl.**

It 1s **our** opinion that a aaaroh warrant msg be laaued to aearoh a grain elevator, whore it la **bellerod** that adeer, illegally killed, 1s aonoealed.

“2. Maysuoh seerah warrant 80 lesued ba sxaoutad by anr poaoe offlaer?” Artlcla 317, 0. 0, P., provides: *w peace ot,flaer to whoma search warrant la delivered shall **axaoute** it without delay and forthwith **return** it 

### tothe pzopar maglatkta. It must be! **axeout&** within three days from the tlma OSits 18auenoo, and tihall bo **oxsouted** wlthln a shorter period if 60 direatsd in ths warrent br tho mcrgla~trats.~ It 1s thereiore our opinion that auah searah warrant maybe exeouted by any peaaa oifloer of this Stats.

"3. Mayauoh ssrrah warrsnt so laaued be axeautod **by e**  **garua**and flrh waiaen?” 5%quota from our Opinion no. 0-62711 *The Came, Fish &Oyster Oommlaslon, and lta. deputies, whioh are oonnnonly keferrod to aa 'gsma wardene’ are pub110 ofilaer6 of the Stati .of Texa~a end as such the law has plrord upon them the ap~oial duty to *enforoe, the stetutefi of this ata’te~for the proteatlon end presarvatlon of wild game and wild bird8 . . .* Artlola 906~,Verncm~a Annotated Penal Code of Texsa, While these offioers have not been legally endowed with the ganeral authority of the1 I:::,

n*“

. “

. Cowsert, page 3 

## I

ordinary peaoe orrloar in thla Ctatt, they heta

been &van nubetantlal enroraemsnt powers within their ownenforoement field. Wenote that they mayarmthemeelvec in the offlolal dieaharge oi their duties and that' they nay serve- criminal process in oases d vlolatlona of the game lawn with the eame suthoritg aa the aherlrr. Artlolea~ 483 and 905, V. **A.** P. C. Also, they 

### 'm%yarrest lklthout a **warrant** any person **found** bythem in the sot of violating any of thi laws for the protsatlon and propagatlori of **game,** wild birds or iirh.

.* Art1014 905, V. **A.** P. C. Furthrrmoti, ; &me werden may searah a *gamebag or other reoeptaole’ and *any buggy, wagon, automoblle,,or other vehlo$e* **without e**  warrant when he ‘has reason to suepeat’ that it ‘may oontain game unlawfully klllbd or taken.’ Artlolee 897 and 923d, V. A. P. '3." Slooe the. at.stutqa **(Arts.** ,897 and 923d of the Pins1 Code) authorize gamewardens to 80~~4only osiminal DrtweaiE in oases OSvlolstiona of the gam.elaws, it **la** neoeseary to determine whether, under **our** law, suoh a searah warrant la a worlmlnal prooeaa.w

*The term ‘orlmlnal prooeaa’ la intended ~to signify any oaplas, warrant, oltatlon, attaohment or ary other written order issued in a orlmlnal prooeedlw, whether the **(Iamb** be to arre~at, ocmmlt, oollaot money, or ror whatever purpoes uaed.R C. C.P. Art;. 26. *WhenPlmployed, CIeearoh warrant is one of the initial steps ln a orlmlnal prooeedlng. **Aa** in the maa of awsrrsnt of arrest, a lrearoh warrant la crfxtln~l prooeesi it la lseurd to afd in the deteotlon or auppresalon or orlme. Employment Ofsuch,a warrant in a orimlinal prooeadlng meg be da important ae a warrant of erreats end 1~ brlnglng to the invea-- tigatlon ell,of the evldenoe showing guilt, it may beoone more 1mDortant than awarrant or arreat.w 38 Tex. Ju. p: 33, oiting Bloea 0. State (Crim.App.) 75 c. w. (2d) 694.. It 1s therefore our opinion that suoh aearoh warrant maybe exeeutfd by a game an8 fish warden.“4. :hy $2::me end flab warden reeroh e

grein elevator, where it 18 bellered that a deer, ll.:e+~elly killed, hee been aonaeeled, without a senral. werrent?* The answer to this question depends upon whether e preln elevator comes within tha meaning of the phrese "or other reaepteole of any **kind ”** **,** as **used iA**  **4ela** Artlolee a97 end 9236 referred to above. Wenote that in these **statutes** the words “01:sny other raoepteol~e Ofeny kind* follow immediately efter the words ‘%ie gene bag" **end ere**  hollowed by the words "or any bwu, -&'A; automobJ.18 or other rehlol,e”. Mebelieve thet the meeAing of the words "or any other reoepteole of any klndw **es used**  in these **eiatutee, 18**  restrioted by **the** rule **of etetu**  tory aonetruotlon **knowA** as the dootrlne of ejuedem ganerle. The rule end its epplloation are stated thus **in** 39 Texas **JUrisprU** denoe, page 202, et 4eq.r

“The dootrlne of **ejusdem** (Isnerie (of the same **kind) imports**  **that** general words r0110*lfngan laumeretlon of pertlouler or epeoitio things will be confined to things OSthe eeme kind. IA brief ,the general *orbs so **used** era not to be eonstrued ln thrlr wldeet sense, but ere to be held as epplylng only to persons or thin- of the lemekind **aAa** 01484 as Worse anumerated. Suohwords *ill not be held to **1AOlUas** thingp **of a**  **oleee** superior **to** that to wbhiohtha pertloular words balong. “The ejueaem generle dootrine 18 8 @enerel or ‘prima* **rule or**  etututory aonetruatlon, employaa es an aid In deterfnlnlng t&e intention of the Leglelature. It le epplicebls both to oltll and orimlnal **etetutee,** but more repeolally **t0 statutes**  **aeiinlqq** crimes and reeuletlng puniehmente.~ **Zuaerro 1.**  **State** 82 Cr1.m:Rep. 1; 197 9. X. 982; L. R. i?. 19188 354. F’Xparte Roquemore 60 Grim. Rap. 282; 131 F. ‘++‘. 1101; 32I.. R. A. (N. 8.j 1186. Ih parte Muokanfuee. 52 Crl& lisp. 167; 107 r. ??.1131. The Supreme Court ot the wAItea ctetee he8 held that the words of a statute giving s meahanb’sllen **OA 4**  ***bullaiAg*,**

**“ lot** **” )**  **w?eraP** or *my kind of property not herein enumareted*, era tco limited in their eoope to **justify the**  a.onalueion that **th4 Legislature**  had any lntentlon, by that Aat, to give a lienE!>O.1;.
. Coksert, page 5

upon rellroed property. Bu?r,oombeCounty **C~iSeiOA~s** vs. Tommy, 5 c’,,p. Ct. 626, 

### 629;1151J.f. :.122; 29 L. Pa. 308.

**A** grnln elevator olearly does not some within tha olaee of reaeptaoles enumereted in the etstuts here aonelderaa.

It is tkarsfore our opinion that #ala artlolee do not euthorlze a gem warden to eearah 4grain elevator without 8 search warrant. Yours very truly,

**8R.A !rt**  

# ByLc/-k QQ-L.
8. B. Allen, Aealetaat.