Court Opinion

ID: 4141121
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2017-02-18 03:07:04.199664+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:49:42.975322
License: Public Domain

OFFICE   OF   THE   A7-l.ORNEY   GENERAL   OF   TEXAS

                               AUSTIN

Yonorable Bert Ford, ~ditilniatrator
Texas Liquor Control Board
Austin6 TeXaa
Dxir sir:

ion of this dep
as followar
                                          ly aware, there are
                                                such SB boot-

                          ivcn or the Toxaa Liquor control
                          80, ootivelp engaged in the pro-
                          olstors of this type but muoh
                          untered in apprehending them,
                        evideme of violations of la.%when
                       one are restria~tedto dealings with
     the military foroed.
           *It ir often found desirable to attire law-
     enforoement offloers in a fashion that would de-
     ceive the oriminal into a reasonable belief that
     the officer ie a soldier. Xhaki olothing similar
    FIonorebleBert Ford, page.-2

         to that of a aoldier oan readily be purohaaed In
         meroantlle sbbros which might serve the purpose,
         but In this connection there appeer to be oompli-
         cations which night give rlso to legal ob?ections
         to such practices.
                 "One of the prosecutors of the ,'.tete
                                                      haa.sd-
         visnd OS clrcumtenoes wherein two officers, at-
         tired in khaki clcthi&y purc?lasedprivately and
         bearl?c no Insignia thereon, ep;roaoked a boot-
         legeer catering only to soldiers enA were sold
         liquor by this bootlegger. One of the officers       '
         eotuslly   wuae wearing a Sovermant  iesued over-
         seas cap whiah hed been picked up in some plaoe
         and the other was without suoh e cap. Ties were
         of the testure and color worn by soldiers, ea
         were the tan shoes they wore.
              "The officers were clothed in this fashion
         for the axpress purpose of areatlng the Lmprea-
         sion in the mind of the bootlegger that they were
         soldiers of the United states AIIVIY. This took
         plaoe in the vicinity of one of the l8rge~mllitarg
         oamps looeted in the State.
              There is a question In the rnlndof the afore-
         mentioned prosecutor ,aa to the legality of lntro-
         ducing evidence obtained In this fashion, and.he
         has suggested that an opinion on the subject be
         obtained from your offloe.
               wArtiole 147 of Vernon*6 Penal Code provide8
         ee follows:

              wYYhoever shall ssorete, sell, dispose of,
         offer foraale, purohaee, ret&In after demand made
         by a eommleaioned orrioer of the active militia
         of this State, or Ln any manner pawn or pledge
         any arms, uniroms,   equipment6 or other military
         property, iesued under any provlalon of the law
         or of the military regulations  of this State, and
         any pereon who shall wear any uniform, or pert
         thereof or devioe, atrap, knot or insignia   of
I        any design er oharaotsr used as a deelgnation of
Honorable Eert Ford6 page 9

         grade, rank or offloe,    suoh as are by law or by
         general regulations    duly promulgated, presoriived
         ror the use of the active militia of the ;‘tate,
         02.similar thereto, exoept members of the army
         OS th6 United States or the active nilitS% of thie
         or any other state shall be Sined not less than
         one hundred nor more than five hundred dollars.'
              Wkrtlole 727a, Vernon's Code of Criminal Fro-
         cedure, provid~es86 Sollowa:
              R*Xo evidenoe obtained by nnofficer or other
         person In violation of any plovisions OS the Con-
         stitution or laws 0r the State of Texas, or 0r tie
         Constitution of the united States of Ameri.ca,%hall
         be admitted in evidence against the accueod on the
         trial or nny criminal case.*
              Under these oircumstances we would appreciate
         your opinion in response ~to'the following questions:
              “1. Vould the introduction of evidenoe and
         the Offering of testimony by an offleer attired
         in a rashion designed to create the impression
         that he was a solaler or tha TfnitedStatesq army
         but none of which clothing was of G~Vernfmit issue,
         be legal in the prosecution for the offense of un-
         lawfully selling liquor $0 suoh officer in a dry
         wee?

              *2.  v0ula the intxoauoti05 0r tlrviaenoeand
         the offering of testimony by an OSfiOer who waa
         oth%rv!iseattired In privately  purcbaasedclothing,
         not OS Government issue but designed to oreate
         such impression, wearing an.overseas oap of Eovern-
         ment Sesue; be legal in the proseotuion  of an of-
         renee of this cbarscter7"
             Sectl~on1893, Title 10, 0. 8. C. A., provides In
part :
           *It shall be unlawful for any person not an
     offioer or enlisted man of the United States Army,
     Navy, or Karlne Corps to wear the duly prescribed
Eoncrable J?%,rt
               Ford, psge 4

     tdf01~11Or th8 United StetOe AZYII~, Navy, or.lzarin%
     corps, or any dlstinatlve pert of suoh uniform or
     a unlrorm any part of whioh la elmllar to a dis-
     tlnctlve pert of the duly presorLbed uniform of the