### .

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OFFlCE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN

### 893

_’

.

-pro-tampor@Je.” For the puFpo888 Of uua oplnlonu* asSW0 **that 7%**  h8Y8 **refecsnao** to **a Ppeaial**  **OountJ Judge.**  **we karr**  bw **ua8bla** to Sin4 8ay authoritq vhatsoeru authoritlng th 8mOiatovllt 'Of8 ~O-tWJQOF84 O-t7 j-0. -Of&? 88 lf8 hsve been 8ble to drtumiae, t&a p8iUOn Or ottlO*ofprotel3JKiPe

OOUIit7judgO dOU8 ~OtUbtMdUth8IlilV8 Ofthi stota l .

368tiCCI 16,Artiela'v Ot tha state Coimtf~atioa,pro- . yidm In -#t 88 fOuW81

Artfolaa 1930, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1934 VernaQ1rAnrtotated ClVU %ltUt98,, ana Artloles 554, 555, 5,d and 537,vsr20n*s cod8d caah8.l Pracmdure, putain to the seleotian, -&3CtiOll

Or 8~OfiltMllt Of 'I&%'Sial OOUlltyj-8. we h8Ve ;uotd jnd &isoua8ed the80 artioler in our OplaSsns Bob O-3991 .ad O-457a rektive to qumrtiona involoed in u;Ld op;htar~.. lie are encloring oopio¶ of these opinion8 for yaw ooaT8niano0. 22ersscreIre&em it unMorsrsry to qUOt8 t&88e arbiolea at k@& in thi8 opiniO%

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!cnor6bb W. P. a-8, Jr., w 3

Weqwtefurt~r frooT&xar :sae8**306-308,. ar**  **Sollwsr** 

### 894

JuHsprudoaoe, **Yoluao 25,** 

1

. . . . '%m od8atiOn Or 8ppofntMnt Of 8 apudQ1 jaQa .lspropu anly qon thm conditiona apeclaed 22ltba corutitution Qnd atatuto8. Acoordlq 

### to suahcaaldltiarua speolaloolult~or dl8triOt judge aep.be selected **by** consent of the **parties** vhen the 28aUbr jUd&S i% disquplffiedj &ZldM Cl8OtiCU Of : a spus0l8ZL,juQ8 bjattoamys is proper si%olrlda district.judge 'fail or rstuse to hold ths **court, ’**  or, in tha care OS oouiltyJudgss, is the judge 'falks to sppmar 8t the tinrsappointed far holding the court or shod he be abrent dur2z.gthe tua or *unsbla~r'uwi~ 

## tc hold t& oourt.' Tao faregofag ai-8tie only EL-oumstaaasr In weh'tki aelaotiOn Of 8 SpC%+ OOUZlty Or d.btriCt j-8 is BUti3cri.sad.
. 4

. With refermae te tha pavers **and duties**  **of a**  **speelti** j'ud@ 8hOtd bg th 8fiOrIIOpSof th8bS.r,~tMLQra~l~ apou ~;c 15 8t8t8d iX&%%USS ~UriS~~mdmaCS, ~O~SZU 25, pWm 3258

Qrfng the contltud absenao ai the regular j-8, **or his**  **ooittlntaed tmVS1~88**  **to a8r08,**  **8 sptoi8l**  **fudga elacted**  **by ~#a**  8ttoPnsy, **is, vitun**  **the lm!lld.ZQ**  **Of t&3**  **cCtl%titUtim and**  **14V8, 8**  **jU&e** of the oowt l a41 hsa 811 tba autho rity of a **PeglllU jU@m**  l&i **k8pOt t0**  **Oa8@8** 

### tbilt **~O~Plp** 

### caw before bin, 

### or, at least, he ha8 suoh oi the regular judge’s pwus 88 8re nece38ary to ensbls 3.m to'tmnsaat the **buaisinars**OS t&i oourt. An elected speoial jtigemy prerldo - 8vmn Bt a speotal zens of court - in all ca%es lo vhlah ha ia not disijusltiied;

hl8 authority ir not llxultedto t3m trial al cases In vhlah ths rtmalu judge 1s not disquazFfied.. 30 may dtlS5lOS8 cift+ unfInirhedbusiness :r the r8&uldlrlnolmllbent or of Qnothu SpeC~Ql judw;. 

### 895

bacrablo Y. I?.

Hama, Jr., ~a 4

kwmayadjourn aowt irem day to day: vaudate aatr or hlzlsprodooessar. and ka may Lt **aecns,** hav**ever,** that **a** special Judgehas no authoritybeyond the ~tioular court **Vhlch** he is ci1ootod to hold.*
“A judge amointod spoolally~totry one aatme zay not trJ any othar uause ,mndl.aaIn tho aourt unlera he be appointed for that purpose by tbagu-tiaa to t&l4slat. Hcmevor, s-h a Judgehaa ml1 authority to hear and d&e-, not only the @articuUu suit pendiq, but alao any litigation bstveen #a aama parties miq out of the suit. A JLlOgb appointed to try a oaueevhich haa been consobia~~d nith othera ha8jurlsdlation ovez eaahof t&3consoIKda%wd

Causes, but hanray not oonsolid8te the **cnse** thathe **haa** been **emlooted** to **try witi**  **o?kue'~** per&q oasesi” (Texas

### Sudsprudence, ?olmsc 25,’ ;jazs32d, 

### fazr~-)bericti milvay **co.** Y. cabill,. 3, v. 2321 Dsa~~i **vi** i?ridga~,32 a. if.qx; %rfki

_ v. **:.1wgrave,** 3 5. Y. 90) ds hazetofore otaied tha ‘ielectfcn or agcolntzent of **3-pal.Shl County.**  **jUd43d ’**  **1.a pr** **’ mer**  **Oe. UNB**  **tb COllhitiCIU**  **33e-** ;i’izd **c.0 thw**  C4Jurtltutlon **and statutwr..**  **Ii0 fail**  **to ‘** **and &y**  tokit suth3rira tlia, elaetioq or appointxbmt of a 3geaial
‘;uty fudge to.

prealda o~gr-or aat as .azhimber~ OS ‘the**aami3-** Lacers’ court.. Therefore, it~1s’ our c@.nhn, thatno spalal x&y ;udge caa be wleoted OP appointad to pszlars suchdutlw.

‘denori’

a~nsldar YOW bacond &rtiou. hrtlcles 2354 r.ci 7045, Vernon’s A;motatvd Civil 3tatutev;‘read ar Sollovlr: “Art. 2554. Bo county-tax’shai~ h levied wxcegi nt a reguUz term ot the oourt, and vhen all t;embers of said c0m.t are pwsont.~ *Art. 7045. The c&arlanePr oourts OS t&J several counties, all the mqmbers thereof being 3ressnt, at withor 0 re@ar or **sjHalal** se8sicm, say at any tism aStar the tax **aa8essors** of their respective countloa,havoSorvardbd to the Comptroller thw said 

### certfficate ad prior to the tfG4 ulna 20 tux collootor 0:’ suoh aounty shallhave begtg ta nak4 outhi3 rb08ipta, calculate rh4 rat.4 and zajeast the taxes lovlwd In their reapwotivs cormties far gwnoral purpose8 to the taxable valuas 3&m 3~ th4 asressmnt f011s.”. . d

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.

lIoAor8ble

Statutes, 167 s. W.
that

.W. P. Henna, Jp., pS84 5

**Yerno~~a**AMotated Civil **aaao**OS Cramer v. Sheppard,

'To ourmfnd2, It Is illo&al to cont4Ad tho aonatruotion 484 have give43th4ae3- conati-

. . -_ tutlonalprovlslonaVoUld malm It lmpoaaible for a co*uutyoam4ia~io~43rs~ oourt to Six tax rates, **if a**  **menber** th4reoS shouldbo absent for th4 aanm reason Judge f)iron'vaa ahrent, **because**Artlola 7045 of our Civil Ytatut48 requlras all au&era of **auob** courts to bw present uhaa oounty tax rates are fired. **Certaidlg** a **Statute cazmot**  ovwrrida the Constitutioll. **#hSrW the**  **COilStitUtiOl3 FWllXitS**  **8 nomber** **to be**  absent, **a atatirta**  **Cannot require**  **him** to be present. It **follova** that in **auoh** inatauoe Article **7045, aupra,**  **camotbe** appliwd a3 to th4 member absent by aoaatitutLana1 authority."

& tha case af~Broocka v. State, 41 3. W. (2d) 714, it is said that:

.

'The 0caiaai0ners~ cmrt ~y~lwvy taxes c~ly at a regular term with all nembera prwaent." !I%wSuprenw CoUrt of Toxaa LI ccnstmlng tiLlale 1517 (which isAoy Artiole 2354, supra), said:

'Art3014 1515 gave **a** power to **levy** taxas for cmnty purposes, and Aotlole 1517 imposed limita**tiOA8** as to themode of fJapoafng **taxes** as iolloliar Xo county tax shall be levied except at a regular term or the oou.rt,,ti vhen all the mmbera of such court are **Fl ’** **WS4At.** OnqUeatloMbly, the lagfalatur4 had the povor to r&m this rule. The limitation admits of no ooAatr.uut.ioo. The iaeanfng is clear; **courts** cannot altar it or dlapenae vitb it. **A** tax' lwviwd at a called seesian oi!the aourt, or witkout the prwawnoe a? the full nemberahlp, ir not leviwd accomk?sg to lea, and ournot authorlao tba tax colleotor to **441x4 and**  **S4Ll prop4rt.y**  **to enf033e**  **its colleatian.** **”** 5. w. 430) (Free et al. v. 3carborough, 3
In **th&matter** under **ocmsidwration** the county judge is .A **absent** by **&waiasion** of.the COAatitUtiDA. Thwrwlorw, it is kw OpiAicA of this departmwnt that the aase-of Craznwr x. +ep- .nzd,aUpra, ia AOt applicable to thW quWatiOA pzssented iA. - a.

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### 897

Honorable W. ?. Hems, Jr., page 6

your Lnqulry. St is our further opinion that Broocks v. State, and the care of Free et al. --. __ .. the 0880 of v. Soarborough, undw mu&derasupa, are oontrolllng regarding tna quertlon tfon, which is the levying of a t&x. Therefore, the four county commIssionera o&mot levy a taz In the absence of the county JuaSe. In oonneotion vith the lOregOing statementsYe dlreot your attentbn to SenateBill So. 245,Bats 48thLegislature, Regular Sebrlon, 1943, vhioh reads as iollovrr

"SeQtlnn 1. The pr0viriOna of **Artiole** 7045 and Artiole 2354, Revised Civil Statutes ot Texas, 1925, relative to the levying of taxha bg the County Ccmmisalone~s’

Court are’

hereby suspended until M3Y 1, 1945. 'Sea. 2. So county taX shall 3s **lirvied** exoept 

## at a regular term of

## thecourt, tiead vhen ~21 nemberr of said court ard present. ?rbvided,hovevep, that if my ussaberarme&mm of the CcmnZrai~nors Court or the County judge is In aotlvsmilitary or naval sffrvic4,

county taxeamay be levted at a.njr ogulat ten of the Co=lmi8slonsrs Courtwhen a quorum o? it3 nerabersare prsaenti Thla section shallbe effective until the dar;eset out l.E Section 1. “380. 3. The Commisaionnrs Court of the stvtral ’ countLea, all the ntembersthereofbe- present at either a regular or ~peoial session,map at an& tica after the Tax Asaearors of their rerpective counties have iomuded to t’he Comptroller the eaid **cerrtiricate,** and pior to the time when the Tax Collactor 0: such oountf shallhave begun to make out his receipts, oaloulate the rate and adjust the t-8 Isvie& ln their i’eepeative count&es for general **D,,WDO~e.** to the table **ValuS** shown by the ae8eseL zent rolls; **DrOVlaUCi,** however, that if aup member or memberr,of the Comalsrioners Sourt or the County J&ge IS Ln aotivemLUtary **or** naval service, cou&y taxes~**may** be levied at any regular tern of the **Commissioners Court**  when **a qaor-um**  **ai** lta nwaberr ax ,present

. TMs Seotlon shall be offootive until the date set out in Bectlon 1 **of** this bill.. -

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### 898

iionorable W. P. Rernu, Jr., page 7

‘Sea. 4. The’crowded condition of the calendar oreater M ,emargenoy and an imperative pub110 neeeseit;r that the Constitutional Rule requiring billa to be read on three several dayr In each Rouse be suspended, and said Rule Is **hereby** suepended, arid that thlr Aat ahall take efreot and be In force frola and after its paseage, and it ia so enaoted.” Thin Aot.Osa approved Ihy 7, 1943, and becomes eifea**tive** 90 d&m after the date or adjournaent of the Legislature. **Thhi** Act is not nov ei’feotive aad wads? the faotr presented Ft vi.11 have no applloation to the quartfan **umier** canaidersfion as the county judge ia not in active militag or naval service. I **Your3 very**  truly ATTmRY OEemAL OP%Lxk3

AW:db

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