Corpus

Officers authorized to make arrest without warrant; operator’s rights when arrested; transcripts of proceedings.

Miss. Code Ann. § 27-19-133
in effect
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Any sheriff, deputy sheriff or municipal law enforcement officer is hereby authorized to arrest, without warrant, any person operating, or causing to be operated, any motor vehicle contrary to the provisions of this article, within the limits of their respective jurisdiction. In case the owner, or person or persons operating, or causing to be operated, a motor vehicle shall be taken into custody because of a violation of any provision hereof, he or they may be forthwith taken before an accessible justice court judge, police justice, municipal judge or mayor, having jurisdiction of such offense, and be entitled to an immediate hearing. If such hearing cannot then be had, he shall be released from custody upon giving a good and sufficient bond to appear and answer for such violation, at such time and place as shall then be designated, in the manner provided by law, or secured by a sum equal to the maximum fine for the offense with which he is charged, or, in lieu thereof, by leaving the motor vehicle being operated by such person with such officer as may have the accused in charge. Provided, however, that should the person or persons in custody so request, the justice court judge, police justice, municipal judge or mayor before whom the complaint is made, or before whom the person or persons in custody shall be taken, shall adjourn the hearing of said case for ten (10) days upon the execution of a good and sufficient bond, in the manner as above provided, and, if the defendant or defendants fail to appear to defend said case, the sum or sums so deposited, or bond so given, shall be forfeited to the state and disposed of as bond given and money deposited for bail in other cases, or the motor vehicle which may have been left by said person or persons may be sold at public auction by order of the justice court judge, police justice, municipal judge or mayor, after giving notice of said proposed sale for three (3) consecutive weeks, in a newspaper of general circulation in the county where the arrest is made, if there by such newspaper in said county, describing accurately the motor vehicle therein and giving the date of the proposed sale. From the amount realized from such sale a sum equal to the maximum fine for the offense charged shall be disposed of in like manner; and the surplus, if any, after deducting all expenses incurred in keeping or sale of such vehicle, shall be returned to such owner on demand, but no such forfeiture and disposition of such security shall in anywise impair the jurisdiction of the justice court judge, police justice, municipal judge or mayor, to hear and determine any such charge made against the owner of such motor vehicle, or the person or persons operating, or causing to be operated, the said vehicle, or to inflict, upon conviction, any punishment prescribed by this article. If there be no such newspaper published in said county, then such sale shall be advertised by posting written notice in two (2) or more public places in said county for three (3) consecutive weeks next preceding such sale. Any sheriff, deputy sheriff, municipal law enforcement officer or other peace officer, who shall arrest or prefer charges against any person alleged to have operated a motor vehicle in violation of the provisions of this article shall, within five (5) days after the termination of such proceedings, forward to the commission a transcript of the court proceedings on such charges, which transcript shall show the name of the defendant, the date of the offense, the nature of the offense, the court in which the proceedings were had, the disposition of the matter and the sentence, if any, imposed by the court. Any sheriff, deputy sheriff, municipal law enforcement officer or other peace officer, who shall fail or refuse to forward such transcript as required hereby, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be punished by a fine of not less than Ten Dollars ($10.00) nor more than One Hundred Dollars ($100.00), or by imprisonment in the county jail for not more than thirty (30) days, or by both such fine and imprisonment. In addition thereto, any sheriff, deputy sheriff, municipal law enforcement officer or other peace officer who shall fail or refuse to forward such transcript to the commission shall be liable on his official bond for a civil penalty of Two Hundred Fifty Dollars ($250.00), which may be recovered upon appropriate proceedings brought by the commission in chancery court of the proper county.