.
OF TEXAS
AUSTIN a~.%%-
January8j.1959
HonorableEdna ClSneroS Opinion~Ao. wi-537 CountyAttorney winacy county Re: Are the offensesof .!%unting Rapdvillej T6=6 at night",Art. 887, P. c., and "Killing a wild turkey hen", Art. m, P-C., of like nature for the purposeof ~enhancentent df penaltyunder h-t. 61, P.Ic., and reLated questione. ..':
Dear Kiss Cisneros:
In yoti requestfor en OpiniOI.f%OIW$hiS OfftCe,@U bSYe~eSkf?d 'thefollawingqUe6tiOnS: _.
1. Under Article61 of the Penal Code, providingthat "If ft be shown on the trial of a mi@+eawr that.thedefendant~b66 been once befor convlcted'ofthe Rame offense, he shall On a secand.cOnviction receivedoublethe-punishQIe?lt prescribedfor such offense,inOrdinary cases,and upon a third Or any subsequentconvictiowforthe'saiie offeme, the punishmentshall be increased60 88 not to eiCeed four times the pen- saltyin ordinarycases",are the offensesof "huntingat night" (Art$cle 887 of the Penel Code) whereinthe defendant~68 ch6rgedwith huntinga deer at night, and'"killinga tild turkey"(ArtAle 877 of the P-1 Code) the 6am6 offenseOr the 6ame:typeoffetieforths'purpoeee'oi~th6 ebOv6 witi 614
2. Can you also, since these are game viol&lone, con6truethe LllegalpossessionOr use of nets (Article978~ as PeTbiDing to WillaCy county,Texas, acts 1933, .b3ra leg., Spec. L., p. 36, Ch. 29) 86 thS.S6m6 type of offense66 the two above (inq~estion Ho. l):.fOr 6&6CtiVe prOSa- cutimunder A'rticle 61.4
3. can game violationcases.betaken to any Justice of the PesceIinthe County? 1' : ,.'
Aiticle @$i~of thb P-1 Code reads as iolhnm:
"It 6bal.l be uulawfulforkany personto take;klll, wound; Shoot at, bunt or possess,deed Or alive, any wild: turkeyhen at any 6eammofthe year excepta6 herein,.- sfterprovidad~ _- ._ .
HonorableEdna Clsneros,Page 2. (WU-537)
"Any person violatingany of the provision6of this Article shall be deemedguiltyof a misdemeanor,and upon conviction,shall be fined in any sum not less then Twenty- Five ($25.00)Dollarsnormore than,OneHundred($lOO.CO) Dollars."
Article887 of the Penal Code reads as follows:
"It shall be unlawfulto kill, hunt or shoot at any wild bird, wild game bird, wild fowl, or wild game anis+ protectedby 'thisAct at any seasonof the year, between one-halfhour after sunsetand one-halfhour before sun- ~~ rise in any county in this State. Any personviolatingany .~~ provisionof this chaptershallbe deemedguiltyof a ::misdemeanor ax&upon convictionshallbe fined in any sum not less than Twenty-Five($25.00)Dollars,nor more than One Eundred($100.00)Dollars,and each bird or animal so killed shall constitutea separateoffense."
Articleg78j of .thePenal Code with.regard,to Willacy County (Acts 1933, b3ra Leg., Spec. L., p. 36,~:ch: 29; i. I23adSE&SfOllowS: ; %ection 1. It Shallbe unl&ul~to'use a'seine,net. ,Ortrawl or.to 'havein possesalon.~aseine, net :ortrawl in. .oron any of the tidal waters'ofWillacyCountywestof ~'I~. .._:
'.. Padre Island;provided,howeverithatinothingoontained~in:.. ., .~
this Act shall prohibittheeuseof a cast net fortaking '~ bait. .!
"Section2. Any.~&sc&YioLati& any provisionof .. :.this.Act :shallbe deemed guiltyof amisdemeanorand upon, convictionshall be fined in a sum not less than Twenty- Five Dollars ($25.00)nor more than Two HundredDollars .($2oa.00). ~. .~ ~.I .~ - ,vSebti.od 3. All .&6W6, :or..pabtE.o$.lwre, ..in.'SO afar68 ~'.~.,: i .. they'mayconflictwith the pXYXisiolI6 of.thisAct, he and, the same are hereby repealed. : ~, ..
"Section4. The fact that the ownersof lsnd abutting onthe LagunaMadre have donatedvaluabletractsoflandto the RaymondvillePost of the AmericanLegionfor recreat- ianalpurposesfor the benefitof the entirepublic and'that the