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May 1, 1970
Honorable Jack McLaughlin Chairman, Parks and Wildlife Committee Representative, District 52 House of,Representatives Austin, Texas Opinion No.M-622 Re: Constitutionality of Arti- cle 952L-12;'Sec. 2; of the Penal Code of the State of Texas as amended by Acts, 1967, 60th Leg., p. 1154, Dear Representative McLaughlin: ch. 511. you have,requested an-opinion of this office as to the constitutionality of Article 952L-12, Sec. 2, Texas Penal Code as amended. Rephrased, your questions are as follows: Does Article 952LA12 of the Penal Code violate the-Constitution of the State of Texas or the United States-by providing that the nets of a person charged with an offense under this act canbe confiscated and held pending the trial of,such person?' Does the,,provisionof the ~actwhich permits destruction of.~netsupon conviction of an individual-so using them violate the Consti- tution of the State of Texas or the United SthtesT Section 2 of Article.952L-12 reads,~in part, as follows: "Set, ~2; When any peace-office of-this state orany law.-enforcementofffcer~employed by the Parksand.-WildlifeDepartmentsees'any selene,strike; net;.,gillnet,~~~or- trammel,net, or.any devicesthe'use-of-whfch~~isprohibited under Sectionb.of: the use of such device-.Ps~,prohibfted.-.and-.has reasonto~ bel$eve and does believe that the same is being used or possessed in violation of the
Honorable Jack McLaughlin, Page 2 (M-622 )
provisions of this Acts;it shall be.his duty to-arrestthe party.,using-or. possessing-such device and, ~without a'warrant;'&all seize su~chdevice..as-evi&nce;- Tt shall be. the drrty-',ofsuch~-peace-~officeror'employee,to deftver such~device-to.a,court of.competent jurisdiction of~the~county in-which~it.was seized; where it shall"be'held-wasevidence until after-thentrihl;;"I'f~the.'defendant is found'guilty~~of'possessing-or,using- suoh device unfawfully;~~'the~"court~'shall enter'an order directing the-~immediate-destruction offsuch device by zany-state.game'warden or by'.thesheriff,..br-.constable- of-'the. county where the;case vas tried;"and the-game warden or-sheriff^-or constable .of-the'. county.sh~all inmrediate-ly'destrop..-euch.'device anLlmake a sworn report,-to.-the-judge'of'such-court, showing how; -when;and .wheresaid device was-destroyed: .When'suoh-device is found bya peace.~officer-offs-this'state.orany law.enforcement'officer-employed-by. the Parks andC~,,Wildlife Department-without any- onwin possession-where~its,~useis prohibited, itshall-be.seized by~'such-officerwithout- warrant and.-deYivered-to-theappropriate'.' court inthe ~county,-in, found. Said peace officer-or employeeshall make affidavitthat-such-device~wasfound'in or onthe tidal,.,waters-of'-this'state at a~point where itsuse-was-prohibited,~which said affidavitshafl'describe such ~deviceland the court shag1 dfrect~,-the.game.warden or sheriff orany constable,-of"thecounty to post,a copy of-~saidafffdavit.~in-thecourthouse of the county~i-n-which'-~safd~'device was seized; land said,officershall~-make,~-hisreturnto~-the- court showing-wh~en~-and,where.said notice was posted. ~,,.Thirty-,~(30)~,~.ddys .after such~notice is,posted;-the..coart;:-either.intermetime or.fn vacation;~shallenter an orderdirect+ ing the'immediate-..destraction-of,.'such device by any game-warden'or-.the,.sheriff;.,or--any constable,-in-the,-,county; Andy--said'officer executing-said.order;.-shall,;~under-oath; m&e his-return-to-saidcourt-showing how, when, an&where;.-such'.device~was'destroyed. It shall be the duty of the Parks and Wildlife Department to enforce this Act."
Honorable Jack McLaughlin, Page 3, (M- 622 )
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We assume your questions refer to Article 1, Sections 17 and 19 of the-Constitution of Texas. Article 1, Section 17, reads as folkows: ,* No person's property,shall'be taken, dame~gedor;,destroyed~for~orappliedto, public usewithout. adequate~compensation-being made, unless by-the,consent-of-such.person, and when taken, except for,the~use of.the State, such compensationshall be,firstmade, or-secured by-a.depositof-money;~and no irrevocable or uncontrol.%ablegrant.of special,privileges orimmunities, shall be made;~but all,privi- leges and-franchises-granted'by.~theLegislature, or-created under its authority shall be subject to,the control--thereof." The-corollary of Section 17 in the Constitution of the United States is the 5th Amendment, which reads, in part, as follows: .' "No person shall O D . be deprived of life, liberty;or-property,,~without~due process of--law;norshall private property be,taken for public use without just com- pensation;" Article