0FFfcE 0~734E ATTORNM'CSENEWM. 0FmsxAS 

AUSTIN 

?88 . “’ 
sent entered, and both the fmntanae end judgrant m% rsocmded rwit.8 that the defendants 

were foudl guilty of robbery. 

=Gne of the defemlants Mona B&l by 

nmia , ia now suing out a writ of Rebeae Corpus, alleging that the judgmsnt ir void on 

the ground% t&t ho could aat #lm a jury 

in a eaaao ahargtng robbery by Slrraram, an4 

that tha docket alwet entry of the waiting 

of th, death aelty by .thr Stata did not 

oMaltltuts a r 1mul%%%1 at th%t part or the 

lndistxent.w 

We aticwaa for the purpose of tlda opinion that all 

at the rcqulolta 8t.p~ rquircrd by ktl%le% 101 and le at 

ths c0& Of m!dfia ~OO~bI% WUO rOihR~Wd b3 WU~ZUJ thS 

jury, inriduition co the pmawm you arrcribr nheroia tii8 

.;state rraived the death mcrlty end pmoeo6ti to trial on 

the ohargo of robbuy ruthu than robbrry by the use of 

CAWiWlS. 

In the aam ot havet T* St&o, %i& Text. Cr. IL 11,. 

( 10s 8. 3, UQ, lt ~mam held that the pmrsarting atturnoy my, 

rltk the aan*ent~ of the oourt when t&e ouo f8 culled for 

trial, or dur* the tr$al, aLirs.n &wmlon tikat.porWin 

of theindi%tm%ntwh&ah eh%rgmmth%u%% c@ exhibition &a 

flrssna or deadly woapan. Sea Bhoh+a Annotated Peal Code, 

l%Ol‘ -09 ‘8$?Hh 

The’oer* zw50 prooadure you outline 11e0Bu to hnr% 

been rollowl in B ween%uy T* Z&&e, 1OS Terr Cr. IL 595, B31 

8. Iv, S71, szoept for the iFaot thmt the 8weenry 0~8~ mm dec 

oidbd prior tc the passam of La&l6tiOn wthorlaiagt WtdVU 

or a jury ln oams leea than aapitul. W quotas 

"XII tbo ~anlr oount ln "uhe lndfotaent the 

app%l.lant m% oharged with robbery by assault 

and with %he uee of ~I~OQRPP. When the cam 

m4s called ror trial the %t%to uruiou606d, and 

tha ao?lrt noted on Mu docket, ttaxt the 8~ 

pellant sould oolr be proseouted fox-robbery 

by amcult, and that tie yostion of the charge 

re:errfr.G tG fiFW@KE wcsuld be abandonsd.~ ThiB 

pr%ctlae I.0 ~ermia%ible* Oonz%l%r vr BtlM, 

Hmorable Mao L. Bonnott, Jr., F+q$o 4 

then a oapltal ofrome 8hall have the ri&ht, 

uzon snt-rln& a p&e6 oi z:dlty, to ulve the 

right ci a trio1 by a Jury 

ever that such vmlver AWI C 

oonditioned, howbe indo in puson tly the dcfenaant In opal court with tha 

cornant an4 approval of ths Court end the 

$$ysEtzte& and :iotlng Attorney repreaentlng 

Frovided, that aaid oommt end 

&wdl 6y the Court still be urtud of 

record on the Btinutor of the Court end the 

ocaksont aa4 approval of the Attaraq ropremntlng the Swte ahball be in wrWn& d&y 

siama by said Attorney and t:lM in tin ~pers 

d the cfmie LMfore Eho Qefendclnt~e~otere hi8 

PlU ot gtilty. 

“Frovlibl, that before a defam%nt w&o 

ha6 30 Attorm;p eun agree to ~6~0. a Jwy, 

the court mua appoint ea Attorney to zvpn- 
Iionorablo Mac L 

C. c. P., eripre, 

bery. Eo sought aiaexorgo unaor a writ or n8bon8 oorpum 

heard Sstoro Ronomblo Max ?d. Bo~orm, Dirtriot Judge at 

Huntsrills. It WaB his cont~:ntlon t&t tho inaleETa0d 

a@Jat him char~od only rob%ory by the use of IIroa~pp, 

a cap:tml aa8e only, and thctt under tho provlelon8 ot 

the abwo quoted artic1s.r or OUT matu’o, l jury amalA 

net be walrod and a plw of guilty ontored beforo tha 

court. There wae nome question a8 to whether thr fnndiot3ient in the re00ra on ~p41ai *88 the OM reiid upon Lo 

tha lower aourt, but nnvortfda,so the op1n:on of JUUsr, 

Ra~ins oloarly answoro the ~uwHi5.on you 8ubdtt 

"If tho lndiotasnt f:i tact ohargod ro 

lmtcz with robbwy by aruult ud riolonoa 

mt by putting tho party robbod in fear of 

liio and bodily tnjury, an4 by ueios s fiream, tho 8+%to oould abandon that prt of 

taa indm50ti ahging th0 UIO 0r (L rimarm, end relator oould thon waln a jury 

and onter his pbr 0r guilty to ordirvry 

robbery befoir tho oourt without a jwy, 

8%0 (300ZfdO8 Vi 8tat0, 88 %‘OXa cr. R. 848, 

950, Pm 8. vi. 406 *eonoy ** stat*, 105 

Tbr. err lb 595, la! 

therd.n oited.* 

1 8. X. (511, mid 888O8 

you are thsrornre reapootWlp abVia86 that In 

0~ OpiniOn ii th0 indiCtWIt in YOUr CO88 

rem30 0r robbery, arter dlsmrdlng tho part 

e;?100 ts ths ~0 0r rireaau, that th8 8t.w 00tia abm80a 

that part; and umler tho raatr pruoH.od by you, the eonvfation appeirn regulart 

Your8 very truly 

ATTC~EY fKh7:RAL ‘OF TFXA$ 

FHIOO 

APPROVEDAI'R 11, 1941 

ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS