The Attorney Gene~ral of Texas 

March 26, 1981 

MARK WHITE 

Attorney General 

Honorable Mike Driscoll 

County Attorney 

1001 Preston, Suite 634 

Houston, Texas ‘77002 

Dear Mr. Driscoll: 

Opinion No. MN- 3 15 

Re: Criminal District Courts 

Manager of Harris County 

You have requested our opinion as to whether the Harris County 

Commissioners Court is authorized to create or abolish, and to set the salary 

for, the position of criminal district courts manager. We are advised that 

said manager is responsible to the criminal district court judges, who appoint 

him, and that he is manager of all criminal district court coordinators. 

Statutory authority for a court coordinator system in counties with a 

population over 700,000 is conferred by article 1918a, V.T.C.S. That article 

provides as follows: 

The criminal district courts and the district courts 

of general jurisdiction giving oreference to criminal 

cases. . . ma y establ&h ;;lh maintain a court 

coordinator system. The district courts shall, by rule, 

designate the duties to be performed by the 

coordinators to improve crimmal justice and expedite 

the orocessine of criminal cases through the district 

courts. . . . T-he co1 Irt coordinators serve by appointment of the district courts and at the pleasure of the 

district courts, and shall receive reasonable compensation to be determined by the judges of those 

e, not to exceed 70 oercent of the salary paid by 

te to the judges of those courts. The district 

courts may appoint appropriate staff and supportmg 

personnel according to the needs of each local 

jurisdictton. The commissioners court of each county 

shall provide from the fines and fees collected by 

these courts the necessary funding for the court 

coordinator system on order and directive of the 

district courts to be served, provided that if said 

fines or fees are insufficient to provide the total 

funding for this program the county shall provide the 

additional funds needed. (Emphasis added). 

the sta 

P. 1003 
Honorable Mike Driscoll - Page Two (MW-315) 

We will assume for purposes of this opinion that the position of criminal district 

courts manager may validly be created as part of a court coordinator system. Article 

19l9a expressly provides that the responsibility for establishing and maintaining such a 

system is vested in the criminal district courts and the district courts of general 

jurisdiction which give preference to criminal cases. The judges of these courts also 

have express authority to determine salaries. Funding for the establishment and 

maintenance of such a system is likewise mandated by article 1918a. 

In view of these provisions, which clearly assign responsibility for a court 

coordinator system to certain district courts, we answer your questions in the 

negative. 

SUMMARY 

The Commissioners Court of Harris County is not authorized 

to create the position of or set the salary for a criminal district 

courts manager. 

m# 

Attorney General of Texas 

JOHN W. FAINTER, JR. 

First Assistant Attorney General 

RICHARD E. GRAY III 

Executive Assistant Attorney General 

Prepared by Jon Bible 

Assistant Attorney General 

APPROVED: 

OPINION COMMITTEE 

Susan L. Garrison, Chairman 

James Allison 

Jon Bible 

Rick Gilpin 

Bruce Youngblood 

PO 1004