Opinion No. 68-375 (1968) Ag

CourtOklahoma Attorney General Reports
DecidedDecember 18, 1968
StatusPublished

This text of Opinion No. 68-375 (1968) Ag (Opinion No. 68-375 (1968) Ag) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Oklahoma Attorney General Reports primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Opinion No. 68-375 (1968) Ag, (Okla. Super. Ct. 1968).

Opinion

Delinquents — Custody — Detention Centers No claim against the Court Fund may be authorized or approved as a per diem expense for the detention of children held in custody under order of the Court in accordance with the provisions of 10 O.S. 1107 [10-1107] — 10 O.S. 1108 [10-1108] (1968). Under 10 O.S. 51 [10-51] (1968), there is no authority for the Court to commit dependent and neglected or delinquent children to the care or custody of a County Sheriff. Therefore, he cannot request funds for his budget for such purposes. For counties having a population of 75,000 or more persons as of the last decennial Federal census, where an additional tax levy for such purposes has been made by the County Excise Board, County Commissioners can use such funds for construction or renting of a building to be used as a detention facilitY. For counties having a population less than 75,000 persons, according to the last decennial Federal census they cannot. The Attorney General's office has had under consideration your letter of November 27, 1968, wherein you ask the following questions: "1. If a child is held in custody under order of the Court in accordance with the provisions of O.S.L. 1968, ch. 282, Sections 107-108, (10 O.S. 1107 [10-1107] — 10 O.S. 1108 [10-1108] (1968)), can a per diem claim against the Court Fund be approved and a valid claim as a needed and justified expense for the operation of the Courts so that Orders of the Court can be implemented under provisions of Title 20 O.S. 1301 [20-1301] to 1311 as amended by the 1968 Legislature in the new Court Fund Law? "2. Since a County Sheriff is an Officer of the Court, in a broad sense, and if the Court orders the Sheriff to be responsible for holding in custody these children, can the Sheriff include in his budget and can the County Commissioners appropriate funds for this purpose to the Sheriff of the County? "3. Can the County Commissioners use County Funds for the construction of a detention facility? "4. Can the County Commissioners appropriate County Funds for the renting of a building to be used for the purpose of detaining children under order of the Court?" In regard to your first question, O.S.L. 1968, ch. 412, Section 4, (20 O.S. 1304 [20-1304] (1968)), provides: "Claims against the Court Fund shall include only such expenses as may be lawfully incurred incident to the operation of the court in said county, and are approved by the governing board of the Court Fund or a majority thereof. The term `expenses' shall include payments authorized to be made pursuant to the provisions of House Bill No. 1198 of the Second Session of the Thirty-first Legislature and 19 O.S. 771 [19-771], 19 O.S. 772 [19-772], 19 O.S. 773 [19-773] and 19 O.S. 774 [19-774] (1961), as amended by Sections I through 8, inclusive, of Chapter 88, O.S.L. 1963 (19 O.S.Supp. 1967 Sections 771[19-771] [19-771] through 778, inclusive), for purposes of paying principal and interest on bonds issued prior to January 1, 1968, fees of jurors and witnesses, per diem of bailiffs, office supplies, furniture, fixtures and equipment and the maintenance thereof, for the judge's chambers, the courtroom, the clerk's office, other areas primarily used for judicial functions, and the law library only, judicial robes, printing, the publication of the court dockets in a daily newspaper qualified to publish legal notices in the county, books for records, postage, attorney's fees for paupers, transcripts ordered by the court, part-time help, special services in instances hereafter authorized by law, and redecoration of the courtroom, the judge's chambers and the clerk's office; provided further, that no salaries of full-time court clerks and deputy court clerks shall be paid out of the Court Fund; . . ., provided, nothing in this Act shall prevent the construction of additional courtrooms within existing courthouse facilities, from funds other than the Court Fund." (Emphasis added) This statute enumerates those expenses which shall be the subject of valid claims against the court fund. It is a general rule of law that where a statute enumerates certain things or acts, those things or acts not expressly mentioned are excluded from its effect. 82 C.J.S., Statutes, Section 333, State v. Cline, Okl. Cr., 322 P.2d 208 (1958). The only portion of this statute which could possibly be construed as authorizing a per diem claim against the Court Fund would be that portion underlined. However, the word "hereafter" prohibits such a claim, in that the provisions of O.S.L. 1968, ch. 282, (10 O.S.Supp. 1968, ch. 51), pertaining to the detention of juveniles by the Court, was approved prior to the approval of O.S.L. 1968, ch. 412, Section 4, (20 O.S.Supp. 1968 Section 1304[20-1304] [20-1304]). It is the opinion of the Attorney General that no claim against the Court Fund may be authorized or approved as a per diem expense for the detention of children held in custody under Order of the Court in accordance with the provisions of O.S.L. 1968, ch. 282, Sections 107-108, (10 O.S.Supp. 1968, Sections 1107-1108[10-1107-1108]). In O.S.L. 1968, ch. 282 (10 O.S. 51 [10-51] (1968)), there is no authority for the Court to commit dependent and neglected or delinquent children to the care or custody of a County Sheriff. Therefore, it is the opinion of the Attorney General that your second question should be answered in the negative. O.S.L. 1967, ch. 367, Section I, (10 O.S. 131 [10-131] (1968)), provides: "The county commissioners of any county of this State having a population of not less than seventy-five thousand persons, according to the last decennial Federal census, or any decennial Federal census hereafter taken, are hereby authorized and empowered, if they deem it necessary or expedient, to purchase a farm and to construct, establish, equip and maintain thereon, at the expense of the county, county supervised schools and homes for neglected and dependent boys and girls of such county, under the age of sixteen years, who may be appointed to such schools by the juvenile court of such county, and to make enlargements and additions thereto from time to time. Such commissioners shall also have power to purchase farm equipment to be used in connection with such schools, to purchase materials, supplies and equipment for manual, vocational or other training or education, and to erect, enlarge, remodel, and repair such building, dormitories, residences, administration and school buildings, and barns and outbuildings as they may from time to time deem necessary or expedient. "Provided, that such county commissioners may rent a suitable site and buildings for such purpose, and purchase the necessary equipment and supplies therefor.

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Related

State v. Cline
1958 OK CR 21 (Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma, 1958)
State Ex Rel. v. Board of County Com'rs
1940 OK 468 (Supreme Court of Oklahoma, 1940)
State ex rel. Commissioners of Guernsey County v. Findley
10 Ohio St. 51 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1840)
Hughes v. Watson
10 Ohio St. 127 (Ohio Supreme Court, 1840)

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Opinion No. 68-375 (1968) Ag, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/opinion-no-68-375-1968-ag-oklaag-1968.