Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

OFFICE OF THE A7TORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN

Eonorab3.e I(ira L. Bennett, Jr. Distriut Attorney lWm8ngee, Texas

Dear Slrr Opinlaa Ho. o- Rer Did t&e

the hereimbbove quote fra8 hour

ed 8tatemat 6f faute m-

alatoP viPgl1 Bovnd8 wa8 oeorioted 6f burglary ln the or-1 tlL8tPlot Connty,Texm, aud tk@taa the c, 19X, was rentaeed to four yewe oaaflameat ia the state pcmitmtiaa-y of Tex- a8 ad was mmived In the rrtatb pslastent5rrg at Xuiztsville, Texas, 011.Juwwy s'; 193& that there- after ua Ray 1, 1939, the relate, VWg!ll Bounds, bg Px'oo~tlca So, 3E558 af the oovbzmor of the State of %WM VIE gcoted r oaPtdit%ml ocmditiared tb8t ha aooept the jsb off exwE2L

Be&umtmt,Taxas,andmka acme provlsica fw his nottier; t&et be totrllr 4bslmIn fmm the u8e of latoxluatiag'Uquorm of eve+ry kind and ebar- aoter and that the aelrtor aaoept tke @aLid oop- dltlonalpudm~ tbatthmwafter ~1 the 20thday of Jwm, 1940, bJ ProolMltfim No. 1603 the am- ditianrl pu?don hereinbeftmo ref4x4rQd to @ented to the celator va8 revokcrd by W. Lee O'Daniel, Gw4Pn6r oi the stat4 of ~oxaa, for the reeSQ8 ret out them4n and cm ffla in the office of the Seamtaryof Sute~ tbtca Septe@er?6,1940, the m?lator vaa reoeired at the eats penitatlrr~ at Eunt~vllZe, Texas, 8a a oonditional pardrza riolrtor and that at muoh tS.ne th4 wostlm amI oammutrtlm tim4 tbrt tilt8 IzIlStop ha6 oUma6 pior to l&by 1. 1939, vu by the auth~ibioo of the Texas Ptirrm SyatamfWfblt66~ al%BtaltbArda~th4PeUtor~lPloundm wall be dlrohqpd m or &out 6;lu fisrt &T o? A-t, l!#lj t&t hat swh ot4rtfae &ad oeta- tiaa tjlPs not been farfeitod t&4 relrfoz vould b4 Olltithd t0 hia didlRl'@il f!PQS th0 TO%88 8trt4 Prritmttimy at tlm the; ft ia further agmetl that a Soptoaber 26;, 1940, Hien the mlatar vaa rwtwaodtotbFua8 State Prirakl1~mtha ad 2 daya voro forieited~ t&at at rnab t&w l.acmth and 13 day8 oamutatian time vba foa'folted; It ti further agrood that 0. J. 8. l!lli.n$son aad Y. Y. Wlrid, the rcwpondats herein, aam rertrUMn$ the Ubwt;r of the ved.ator, YirgU Bcwnde, by vl.rtua otandtmderthe authority of the Judan\tmd samtsaae nrde aud mtaed in Jofrwaao ootaty, Toxam, an or about Aovember 9, 1937, m6 mder and br r&r&e of the rwouatiar of the atmlltloa*l plzl- dm *II hersintwfozle eat 6ut~ it 18 furthor shovn end egxwod horein that e vr%t OS Waeaa ~orpu8 vp8 diilr imwd by tha Dletrfot Olosrk of SfSlk4P &nasty, Texas, tmdor direaticm of the Olrtrict Judge of rr;ld county, cm th4 third dar of Xey, 1941, ad vaa @azved thereafter cm the 4th tix of rta;rr, 1941, by C. L. Idltohell, Sberlff' of WIulcrr Qomty, Tsw, ad that in axuwer to the nit of btmuw ooxrgur rerved th4 reupandenteW.W.WaidMQ0.J. S.~lSngsoah.~e nov pi+duuo the relator %IZand to raid Omrtra

&no~Poble Mac L. Bennett, Jr., Page 3

Ax+icle 6166~ and 6166x-1. of Veraan* Annotated @iv11 Statutes of T4xa.a provide aa iollowa:

“Article 6166~. In order to encourage prison dlsoip~lne, a dlst ctlm my be msde in the treat- mt of prlsontea 80 ks to extend to c;ll such as are om%mly, lndustrlotm and obedleat, comt’orta and prlvll4gs waording to their deaerta. ?%e reward to be bestowed a~ priaonera for gooU amduet shall cmmiat of aueh relaxation of strict p~lsm rules and extension of aooisl pltlleges 8s may be oai- slateslt vlth proper &pisc1plllle, commltat1on of time for good cam&metaball be granted by the saw%@?, and the following deduct&m shall be made f5oa1 the t%rm 0)’ terma of aentenaea vhen no @lame Of IklLaom- duct MaS been auatained Against % ~~BORol', viz * th off of the first yearfa sent&e3 tgee &ys per month off of the seecod year of am- taae~ four days pep raatih off of the thiml yea2 of stintmce3 rive d~ya per wth off of the rourth pisr of segtance3 air daye per maktb off or the tlfth yeer 6f aaittmce; 8ev4n dspa per aw21t-hofl of tke alxth year of acmteme; eight d8ys per mcmth off of the aw5lthy68ror amlt4n44~ ah4day4 perrcmth ofr of the eighth year of ae5tace;t.a dayI permaal off of the ninth y4A.r of ae&t4mz43 ?u%3en &8ya par maNi ofr of the tea&h gear, and all aaaaeediag years of asarttmce. A pzrlsonsr mder tva or more oumlatlve ssaterwea al11811 be tilowed eoawtrtian &a if they

ttiFns ulthout exgense to the-stAte, euak forfblture my be set aside by the mawkger. For extra m%?it- orlous conduct on the part of any prisoner, he aball be reoormended to the favorable ccaaldepation of the Govemmr fir increased cozmutrtion or p&Ma~, and in case of ang yxlscaer who shall have esoaped md been captured, part oz all of him good tleie th-areby fer- felt& my be restored by the VF, ii in his je- laanthUi subsequent canduot asltltlss hia thweto,*

m2wWabl4 Xae L. Bmanett* Jr., P8ge 4

"artitde 6166x-1. Prismor amfined in the StatePadtaotlary ahsllbe k4ptrtr+'kwider such rulea rsd regdatiara As rsybs preacribedbythe gmmral rraager,wlthtbe camant 4ndrppmvalof the hiaon Fioard,provGI4dthatno px'faarer shall bemquIredtororkmr4 thantaahousa p4rdayex- oept ~1 vork neceaa8ry and ssaentl81 to efflalent orgaala*tioP of cctaviot forces, rhlcb time -1 Include thetU8 spatin g4i.ngto4ndrvtumlng framthel~wa~k, bqtnotto lncludethe int4m.U- aiut fordfImor, lhioh ul8l1n0tbe lra th*116kk4 hmm,aadia ci8448 4fapSBn4ceasary8d4aa4%tlAl ove?tlm verk, mid prlaopsrr lhrll r404%v4 l do- duotl~fromthalrarrtaae ofdoubl twxwwa vorkear md wwfm frirthar that toi hom8 skd cmatl&te a-day to be d4duoted fp4m aii wmtao8, This hec88suy and eaaentirl vwk” aball be aub-

A strlat 8caomtlng at oF4dlt mmrdeof ellovortirsa38ma~ ahallbekeptbytba yain~~ofthe~tO~Chthrr~i8~- formedmdm~~~l~tod~ 8 report aMllbera&medto th% gaerol w 4aoh mth, rho tarrll'qprow all apohevtilma be&r. it is placsd tothemwut or th4 lprto. TM g4ll4r4Jmamg4P Rball,rith t&e omaat ad rppFo+dl of the Prl~aI Jso8sd, .MY4 al4 pwer to deal(prrt8 44Watn flxed ove*irs hours ~hieh hs 0o~ufm8 dr~tdm fw th4 4rnam porfor~~e of my prtialUr imrk, &xd ~4 inrrte sh811 r8c8lY4 azIp onrtlae at all UAleas a8m la at- twtedbytho offlce~ in ahargo ofaaidlnmte,vho must oertffYfr6Rhle olmklwul4dm thataasdov4~- tZaiewaa6otnalSyearneU.Forea&attat4fwd otni44ccnductin vIol.&tiim oftiyrnl Dam to prlacmor, all 4ammtrti&r e+rnad br atsh w4rts.m vaP3c snail D4 lubj84t to ocurJtlet4 f4rfeltur4. h n4.b~~ to pnd rstuming fraawmk ~Hamers ab8llnot 64 Gqufrad to travel-faster thuia wa2.k. lo $rerter Aaomt 0flAbwahal1b4 requ3red ofmlypr~ams than hia Fhyslcal health md strength vi11 reumably p8rmit,nm ahallasypriaaaerb4 plrcradrta~whlabr es the prism physlcl~~ my pmmunee h&n unrblb to p4rrarm. a0 primu2w, upm h.ta ulnfaalm to t&8 PI- stp, ahallb4rsa~4dtocuny IrWw untflf3mthmla(g

Bommble mo L. Rennett, Jr., page 'j

beea exambed by the phi8ux phyalcrlan. Amy of- tica or employee rlolatitlg ey provuiar. or thla Sectha, ahall be dimtiessd fpon the aenice. Thlr Act ahall be PetrWtive and beoars effe~- tive aa of June 1, 19%. Aota 19 9, 46th Leg., P. 534, I 1.O (Undersoorlng aurn 5 It18 etrted ln21RultigCase uW,pagellg2,See- tion 28, that;

'Oood aonduot statutes me irrmd vith the intmtlcn of Uproving p~?isan dlsolpllna smd bve that effeot ii their sptoraemmt is allowed. The oredlts are arid to be inthearture ofrpqmmt or revard by the atate to the aemviot for bie geod behavior, io order to stiaulate hip to oQfol¶ to the m&lee of the iaatitutltm 8nd to aroid t&e 88u~ or eraerr an

withfavor bothby atateankulerallegielaturee, Slaoe the shertaring of L asntmms by reaao of good behatioz ia a beaofit eaSerred by the state, ;: I”, eyyy depeadeat QL the *tatate aroi6mlag . The of lmpriaamfmt provided for by

Ia the ease of Rx psrte @eKema, 64 Atl. 77, the Supreme Court of Yermmt, undsr faota 8imilar to thoee here Involved, held aa follewai

=The seat6moe ID for the aulauutsm,and therllmfazmefor goodbebrieris tobededuated from the -term. The deduetlen8llouedfmr $oodbebriol.p~tioostothsaood;itri~~~ is not forfeited by the bm8oh of the acmditioam of the pardoa,butstPrdeta the oreditvf the pri- 8amr in the fiaslocmmutatim ofhI aentfimoe, Uhena pri8<ner!vh0 haa been at lug8 cm a eon&- tioiaal paMa% is recaslaitted ta eerve the reml&er

Honorable J&c L. Renaatt, SF., Pap 6

of hia tera, th6 Alma ho has so bea at Urge is not to be treated JM tire eerved wash$a am- tame. The remUader of the term to be served ra re~c8anlltment 18 that psrfi of the term that rl¶Iml&l- ed unexplzvd at the time he v&a sat at lmge by the ccndltimal psrdon. ”

In the oane of Stat0 vs. Hater (Iowa) 100 x. Y. 510, the @avernor grroted the pieater i oomliticaul ~~MQQ ad, aa-af Other OQtditiOW i~~wed by the ttovemor, it van provided

“Whatever 8llowanee and rebate he ray haov heretofore earn*** by m88ai of @oed Goduct vhile luoaroonted In the pomitmtiary vi11 be forfelt- ed by opervtf~ of SW& rwowtiar, md he will be thereupa rwa8atttod ts wrve the nrining period oi hlr erQfa81 8Qtanae, sitbut eny mu bto er allov8nao for good timb hs*etsioro eunuLn

“The ltrtutosy pmv~aiaxa aa to dirdnutl~ of lmprlsamaat for gwd omduot do qot, parhape, amber upw thv priraner ray lew1 rIghtI but, at oy Pate, they a&r a atrtutory privilege, of tioh the p~laaser may aoril b3aael.f’. Xo doubt, the forfotturea provided by Code, 5704, my be Satpored by the warden witho& a j UL atal dcAamLnat.ian as to t&e irota. owatitutlng a rlo- Iatiaa of the rulee, ra@atiane, or laws for the

fig=& &~~sadfctW~tag~i~ fg gggOh baa served folr atmh 1-h of tlm t&t, vith the llbJlnutloll o? aaztmlce provided sor, he is ratlt1ed to his dlsobaqe, he em* without questsin, aeoun his discharge in a le@ praaeedlng. We re8ah the c~a18afz1432,therefom, that the dimkutltasr of im- priscQnwnt PFoplded f6m by etatute la a privllegs OS which the pria~isr o& be deprived only in ao- cmrdance with Che provzlaitie of the statute, end thst* aa 110prwlaiw 5,s mde for iarfeiture af ttd.8 prfvllep al aet3olmt of violatien of the temE9

Eoi%oPableI!Iao L.B~ett,Jr., ?age7

ofrcondltloaalpmdaa or awpaaitar ofaazit6me by the executive, no auah ftieltum eaz%be %m- posed by the erecutlve amdtw any oaadftlaa oa stipultaticaa tiaarted in tha oiaw3itfiatal partpa OP order for suapenalan of aontmce. + * l

We are of the opinion thatfm3ditfor odcondnct aud cmertiw Sll~~Oe undea?ArtloLe8 6166~ and r 166x-1, when tsme emted by a priaaoer ry bs rorfeited cdy upm thaw ,- . ground8 ape&fled in'srid Artlolea. It la obvloua, of eourae, that ~said atatutea do not authcu-ire a forfeltuxw of such credit upcnarwocaticm ofaoakditlmalpmdm. iRwtw,weme of the opinlca that auoh statutes rce Qal~ed to irprove pzllam dlaeiplinb. It folliwa, themfere, t&at om3uet outsida of the penitentlargwhllethe pMatmwia QX a mmdftloxtal paw&a, neitbeP entitles the pr%smaeZ to the baPef&ts of auoh statutea nor subjacta hlm to the penaltfea thereof.

Da ccnfer~as o#nlap lo. 3010, z'oadered by thla de- jlartmat 0 wNsbar g, 19x, to the E&xaarabla muse w. ~~of~~OiP~s~?~~,ltu~~ld Tr* ~'t ooavlata a.re not otutitld to oamutawm 0r tiia3 ta be applied a& their saat~~o8 uuder Artialw 6166~~ Revised Olril Statute8 ofTems,1925,foFtlwa asrredandemdlted~8uebae&eaoea butslde of the pamltar~. Wa quota from mid epln%cm at p8go 179-180 in Bwk 67, as follcwst

'%m HI.1 note that t terms plstmer, 1 ~prlatxter dlaeiplln~‘~ md vpr%aaa rules* am al- luded to la aUd Ptlalo aa well au the vlolatloa of prison rule8 and eaoap%nig* attempting to es- eupe all of vhiah I think: mmt438p2ltea th8t th8 pr~aoaeraa8tbe in th0poitca~l.a order to camevItAIn the parrieu psd latadawt of saXd utiale. xt is dlffiault to ecaweive ~UW i m ma fu~lougbcouldbea~aamx'vltt&~ tba OQ- ma%aadomi.lmryacaep~tlaaof swh tw&. It is also diffiotit to oonoelve of a psman CQ 8 furlough hdng guilty of a breaoh of prlaat die- cipline or escaping or attempting to eaoape froar a panitantlary. Bvldmtly the QaIEUtatttw Slloved apriapaer naderatrtbaztiale isazwwam%for good mm3,uct8ndfor obedSap68 ta~i@X~ ruleawb%le

Boaemvble l&c L. Beumett, Jr., Page 8

actually uonflned in the penltentlary. Them- fore, a pareon could not earn this aoaatatlau except by aatually serving the rsapeotlve 9sFioda of time required by the statute In the pemlim- tlavp with a clew prison record. I, therefore, amwer your queatlon Ho. 7 in the negative pld say that convicts vbile out of the penitumtiuy on a furlough are not entitled to a oommtatlm of their aentasoes for time aemad out of the penltentiaPy."

You are seapectfnlly advised that it la the epiniog of this department, under t&a facts stated, t&et the -it-- tiuy authorities did not have the rlgbt, at the tins the re- later was returned to the penitentiary to r&bit any ot tb overtlme end oommutstiar earned by the relator prior to hia discharge m tha conditional pardoa.

Because of It8 related lmportaaae tmder the faota aubatitted by YOU, ve reapeetfully luvlts your attentlar, bar-

T h e g a a er a lr u leia atdmSd2Ohliagma6Iar, page 570, SwticQ 59, aa fd.loMr

Yhejud~tlathe~~tyOfthe~,aa declaredbythe eomt,wblle th8 d%@eetlca~lth reapeat to the tins o? wry&k it into effeot la in t.hma&tare of a avard 0f 8xecutlaol, ad uberetbapasalty la japrla-t, the aathw of the law la to be aatlafled only by tke Mtwl aavlng of lmprlacinmmt, unless rultted by death or some legal mtbortty. fa aoarPntaae vlth t#heS~ glrszwlplea the gaeral rule $8 thrt whme a prlaoner has acmpted a aadltlakal pardae and has beem nleaaeddcm~lmmentbyvl?tab ~’ thereof, but baa violated or failed to peHgn the ca~ditlmr, or any of thw the * bei domea void, and the a- rrJthlVPmb@* -atbd ad compelled to nndesgo the pm&&me& imposed by hla original aQtenee, ec so miwh there- of as he h8d not auffewed at the tlsia of bla re- lease; ad the time &mlag vblcrh t&e aonvlot Is at

HamoMblo Mae L. Biamvtt* Sr., Page 9

laxqe tlPdaraomflltlmSl ptmdmlanottobe ooaaldered ~8 tima served on the orl~S1 aen- tanae. This is the only logicsl rule, for b the nmperformance of the ocmditians the p~i&m beoaava void, and the priamer ia in the aama state in which he wab St the time his pardon ~88 graded3 or, as IS sowtime said, the 2ositlon of the prisoner on a violaticm of the conditfonr of hla prdw id 8irilarto thatorau eJ$oapvd collv%ct. * * * (Underscoring ours)

AoceptPnce of a p~rdak aeavasSrlly cSrrD38 Pith it an acceptance of the acuaditlma upon VW& the pardon is grated. If the ooadlti~ imposed is subsequent in itsmature, u undsrthe~fmta aulrPdttedbyyou, thvpardan tuba effeat ~a aoQI ~a it ie dellvvred and acoeptvd; but ang vlolatlm of the comlltlan ~111 work a forf8iture of the pardoa, ard till rvnder the grantee liable to re~rrvat and to reucmultzaeit ador the original sentewe. 31 Teat. Jur., ppgv 1268. If the p~rd~ itself expreaaly prwldva thet on bremh of lrny of the atxditlans thv ocavlatat.ubllbe zirble to sumam-y arrest QI aa order by the Rmraor, vhoae 1-t aball be vanalualve as to a riolPtiaa, ths prciswer is sot emtitled ta a jndialal l3lqulryuto thebraauh of the aaazdition. Exparte mvempoFt* 7 9. W. (2d) 589.

In order thatveadghthwe ~lltbe iaot.8 bvfvrv uv, 'we obtained the reaord of the relator frartheBorrd ofPordm8 and Paroles.

The aov8rnor’8 Proclawtlal Ho. 32558 greatlpg the relators oc4itlanolpuda ahvati cake of thv aauWtl~8 lm- posed to be "thst he totally abata.fn frvmthv uav of latexi- outing liquo~a of wery kind vad abMatvr4 + l l.' 8rld pro- clamSt1f.m @artheb exprvaaly pwmldva that If he la gvllty at any tire OS my rlaumduat ar rioJ.~tim vf the Znr oz far any othva rvaaan f&a Oovvmor tiy deem auffiolmt lirroluding anpfscta notknevn totha i3ove~oratthetlma of We clva- emcy), this tondltionsl prdaa la aubjvot to rwocetlon at the Governor's diaoretlcm, vith or vlthout hesring, ~a the Oovwmr aary dvteraine,Snd the aSldV%rgilBouada lvspbe, by order of the Qaventor, retnn?ed to and atxdinti in the peal- tertiary until the and of his aeatame.'

~cino~ble ltac L. lkezmett, Jr., Pqe 10

2&e r4wordfurtber 8howa thptthe wndltia3alpamIcn was aotwgted, bosom ellocti'lc), and tbrt the klato? was re- leam&onSay 4, 1939, mdtbrt rold oanditl~lpudaairrs revoked 188June 29, 19&O. The period of time that the relator was at large under asidoemUtlowl pardon,was, therefore, axe yea, cme lnadltk apd sixteen days.

The recwd further shows a letter deted June 7, 1981, trapl L. B. Wdox, Chief of Pollee, Wmmmt, Texas, to the JeffersonCoIpDty PLcoleBoard invb&ahlSr.Haddox states that aald Vlrgll Bomda uaa fined &50.00 and oosts on June 7, 1H0, on 8 omvittlan Xor drtmkemnean. The tkmenaor*r PPoalamtion Xo. 1603, dated Jlrae 20, 1940, lWVOkQ@tk.H aondIti9n~lprrdon, shove thatituas re- yoked cu the'&rolrad of relator's iatoxlaation referred to in the letter fro& ILr. Maddox. The rwocatia8 dlreota that @!l%e prfran Uathoritlea We hereby directed to take hS.m in charge aodrotum Mmte the panltmtkuyto some the rem&&e of h%* amtmme."

W!lerthe utt;haritles hezvd~~before aentiomd, the relatoP’8 isilme tobaqplyvithtba ealdituau4 of his pIzdolz (tototallyabrtdn ficlrtlle UBe of iatoxlorrtlngl~~r) rondorod theprrdoPtoid,uadplaoedtherelatcrr in the m posltirm (with reXemmoe ta hf* 8entemae ae he ua8 rt the tlm his pardm lm38me effeotive on Nay 4 , 1939.

~8 ed8d b0r0m, vhii0 the Felot0r 35~ not my8 forfeited the @Mm tm for good aonduct and overtime vowk allwed vhioh he Ud emmed rrp to &Is rele68e m the carditlap- al pwdaa, he Is not entitled to reoelve am 8 cmdit on @.%s four-tsar sentence, the ate yeara 6mePanthand alxteenda~ thfbthevas atlvge c~the cmdltloaoipardon. The 8~ lenthoftine rembiriedtolpe savedby~?elatar oaJ=e 20, 1948 , as a8 shy 4, 1939.

Triutizq thatthia iullye2wuer8 p?urinQulry, U8 ATT0tLIfE-fGTlNERAL EP8ej