OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

AUSTIN 

-c.wurn 

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J&4 

Eonorcrble Pmnk B. xurmy 

oounty kttmwy 

0 -=J-q 

careon cmnty 

Panhadle, Texas 

Dear Sir: 

Under date or 939, you oubnllt ior 

the apini0~3 or this depe OWil3& QUWtiOll, UhiOh 

~0 quote rrom YQOU~ lstt0 

utomobile while 

tru8tee iTom 

tatutes, provlber , 

In mmlriaks 1. State es awl. iiokferra, 49 3. x. 

708, tha pueatlon lnvQlve4 +as uheth#r a P0.bo01 truatas +ga 

e aountp orr1oer. That court W&e& the fo~Unuirtg lWk#.ua&ea 
510 

Rozmrable lraak R. Xurray, Page 8 

'Each of thsa Is an ofiiobr in and r0r tllb 

pmolnot OS the oounty of uhioh his pmolnot is 

a part, and oonsequsntly of the oounty itself; 

and we think thsro should bs no dirrioulty in 

oonstruiag ths Constltutlonmd ths statutes as 

lnoladlng the oiiioers of the pmolnot and dlstriots of a oouaty in the gotma dssignation or 

00uty orriotm .- 

Ths Handrloks ease was approved by ths Supreme Court of 

Texas in the case 0i BoruiSr 7. Bslstsrling, 104 Tot. 432, 

and ths oourt us88 the iollowia(ll lasguags: "In that MS0 

(Efsadrloks v. stats) the dlstrlot we8 a SubdivislOn of a 

oounty and the trustss derlvsd his authority solely from 

the gsasral law which applied to the oounty. Be was thsrsfore an oitlosr in the oounty Lo the sass sansTTaZi6~ 

Jiimoo znxirp%aoe .* 

see FoWlOr st al vb ThO#S st al, E!76 S. w. 863, 

and authorities oltsd themln, holding that a. sohool trss~ 

tse 18 a oounty otilosr. 

ws oonelude that a sohool ttites is a ooasty 

otflosr within hrtlale bQ68, Rerlssd Civil Statutes, lOi%, 

Artfit 49. an41 cods, dotine a rdmy in ths 

iollowlng language: 

-'Aax offense whioh may - sot must - be ppurlshable by death or by oonflmaxmt la the paltentlary ls 6 felOw; * l l " 

wei also call yaw attention to tbs oplnfoh by 

Judge Hawkins in the aaue or 3. r. Oordon v. state, 185 -i-a. 

crlanlnal Reports 438, uhloh sets out the prorfslona OC Artl018 808, FuntU Cod%, 88 emon&d, an6 OOMtmlng sams. The 

opfnlon, in pekrt, reeds as fol$ows: 

"Artlols SOZ, ?. C., as ammdod, Acts 1989, 

45th Legislature, chap. 60, 0. 108, provldos: 

*Any psrsm uho drive% or Opsratss an automobile 

or any other Eotor rshlole upon any streot et 

alley, or any'othsr plaoe within ths limits 0r 

any lnoorporated city, town, er village or upon 

any pub].%0 road or hlgbway la tRisState while 

smh psrson is latoxicated, or in any degme 

under the influanos of intoriaatl~ liquor, shall 
511 

Honombls Fmnk E. Murray, ;age 5 

upon aonvfotlbn be uonflmd In the penltsntiarp 

for not mom than two (2) years or be aonflned 

in ths aountg jail for not less than iire (5) 

days nor more than alnsty (90) days and fined 

not less than Fifty Dollars ($SO) nor mm than 

Biro Iiundrsd Dollars ($500).* The punlshmbrrt 

psraltted may In the dlsomtlon of the court or 

jury bs oonflnemnt In the psnltsntlary and the 0rra0 IS th;smrom a rdollj. or by the ten38 

of the statuts ths jury Is at liberty to Inflict 

SOIIUB mllder punlshmsnt than irprlsonntsnt ln ths 

psnltsntlary that does not pmvent the offsnso 

rrop bslrrg arelony. csapboll v. State, ee ~exss 

Crlm. Rep. 262, & 5%. W. 6ZS; Smith v. State, US 

Texas Crlm. Rap. 88, 26; s. 1A. (ed) 350.” 

We also oall your attention to 95 A. L. R. 1116, 

and authorities cited themI& 

.WI oonuluds tram ths authorltles oited In thls 

opInlon,that the oonrlotlon. of a ash001 trustee for drlrins an automoblls while Intoxlsatsd wIl1 dIsaualIW suoh 

trikes rmfi said 

mowal themfrom. 

oftios and mnasr hia subjiot tdmrours very truly 

ATTORXBT C4EREEAL OF TEXAS 

By -5!iri&dd 

issIstant