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i I **OFFICE OF**  **THE ATTORNEY**  **GENERAL OF**  **TEXAS AUSTIN**  **OROVERSELLERS ATTORNEY** 

**OENBRAL**

iionorable Vi. P. Iierme,Jr. county Auditor Wailer County fieapatead,Texas

l alltoo ounty 1sh6rlfr **not** to oQmRllerion on **leotions;** and where nt made out of oourt, rt reoorde would not amount oolleot#L

**ent** eommunioation inwhich z Department on certain a8 r0liow8: Attorney of Walhr County authorized retain lc$ of amount oolleoted by t mda aster the filing of but before 

### of euita 

### o~behalf of Wailer County en to ro@f and bridges in said county? aid county Attorney is ao authorized, should hewithhold his ooaaieeion or 

### gay same to oounty together with rest ofmoney collected end raoeive his commiseion back? 3. If tne County Attorney should retain or be gafd 10% of the amount SO oolleoted, then ehould the dleriff colleot or be paid 5$ of the mount, as

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donorable X. 1. il%rmv,Jr., yeG;e2

in oriminel 0osesY 4. 

### Aould th% Civil Docket show the entire amount oolleoted, including the commission of the County Attorhey, 'or in case he is allowed to retain or withhold his oomheion, should it just ehow the aotual sun peid into court? Xaller County is operating on a f%a baaia in regard to the oompensation of its county and preoinot offiocars.

Paragraph 3 ofArticle **6716,** V%rnon*s Annotated 05.~11 Ytatutes, providea:

"The ownere, operatora, driver8 or bmvore of' any vahiol%, objeot or oontrivanoe over a publie;. highway or bridge ahall be jointly and eeverally responsible for all damaga& whioh said highway or bridge may auetain aa the result of negligent driving, operating oraoving ,ofauoh vahiole, or aa a result of operating ease at a tima SorbLbden by eaid road offioiala. The amount of auoh daaaeaa may ,beraoovered in any aotlon at law,by the oounty 

### judge for the us8 of the oouuty, and such reoovery shall go to the beuetit of the damaged rood. Tho oounty ettorney ahall repreeenO the oounty in auoh suit.* Artiole 335, Vernon'6 Anaotated Civil Statutea, providee: 

### "Whenever a district or county attorney has

oolleoted money for the Stat.6or fox soy county, he shall within thirty days arter reoeiving the same, pay it into the traeeury of the Stat% or of the oouhty inwhioh it belonga, ufter deduoting thererrom and retaiuing tha oommierions allowed him ther%OA by law. L-&ohdi8triot or oauntg attornay shell be entitlad to ten 

### per oat commiaeions’on the first thoueend dollars oolleoted by him in any one 088% for theStste or oounty fro& my lndividual or cxqany, and five p%r cent on tll SUWJ over ONB t:ouaahd dollars, to be retained out of the 

### ~10Jle.Y when colleoted, and he shall also be entitled: 

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iIonorable:i.i;.bl6rM8,Jr., pege 3

to retain the aam oomiaaiona on all aolleotions mede for the State or for auy county, This article shall also apply tomoney realized for the State undsr the eecheet law."
It being the express duty of the County AttorEcy by authority of mid Art. 6716, Per. 3, eupra, to regreeant the oounty in suite of this nature, we a%4 no remon why he should not be entitled to hi4 oomniasionr &a provided ia said Art. 335, supre, This la true whether themoney is oolleoted by settlement of the oaaee or by judgment takm therein, ae asid statute doee uot specify themean4 of oolleotion. The foregoing enmfera your first @eetion in the affirmative. tieher4with enoloee a copy of our Opinion iio.O-5306 in aupport 

### or this anewer.

Art. 335, supra apeoifioally provides that euoh county Attorney, **after** reOeilkg suoh lPoney;shall "gay it iAt0 th4 treaeruryof the Stats or of the county In shloh it belongo, attsr dsduoting thsmfroa and mtaining the coaaimionr 

### rllowed him thereon by law." (undereooring added.) %4 beii't;ve the undsrrrooredportions of-4eid Article, a4 neit above iho&, 

### clearlyauthorize the oounty attorney towithhold his oomtllie410n4.This anmere your seoond queetion.

Art. 335, supra, doe4 not provide my oolnmiesionfor the Sheriff In oivil ruitr of thi8 nature. Therefore, the only ooapensation towhich hewould be entitled in the uritr in i;uertion,would be 51s rtatutory fe% for serving prooaaa, eta., whioh would be collected aa court ooats.

As we under&and the feat rituation aubaitted by iou, these oaaea in ,:ueetionwere dismi44ed without trial on the 

### agreementofderrendants toyhydemgerrineumacertain,ata the oivil docket of the oourt shows, This being 80, the oourt reoords would not ehow any amount collected, other than oourt coat4 shown by the 

### rcbe book or said oouxt. An th6 

### ma%8 were,dieaieeod aud settled out of court, the county attorney ie authorized to receive the amount of eettleluent,

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iionorsbleH. P. tlerms,Jr., Pa&Q r,

and, after deduct& therefrom his coamiaaion~s tillowed by lew, pey the balance into the county trooeury.

2 tlW0t tiNit the POlWgOiily, fully BIIBWBrB YOU <UOStions.
Youra very truly, n9!ORMiY or;pTJ;RALOP Ti;xAs 

# .%Y
. BY Mlelstmt

APPROVED OPINION 

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