r 

OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

AUSTIN 

Dear Blr: 

thoutm janftom, 

atom and nimllar 

Othar related 

department upon 

our attention, 

in6 an opinion of this 

ersin hae modred 

iona mbmlttedt 

No. 0.2219, 4aeo the 

%herift have the right 

r 0~ aonrmi~i01~3r~* court 

Fe an4 to fire jail guarde an4 

onnected with the operation of 

he gherffi or Co&esioner8' Oburt 

o dire&, in detail, the dutiee of 

ay patrol appointed un4sr the authority OS Axtlols 6699B, oS the Rerised Civil 

statute6 or 1928, as emen4e4?* 

With refermoe to your Sir& question in our oplnion No. O-2219 approved May 11, 1910, we wish to aflviee that 

this 4epartment did not pesa epaaLfioal.ly on the question of 

the right to hire end Sire oourthouss janitors, elevator 

operators and similar emplopeser 
,Honorable John R. shook, Pa@ a 

Artiale 3351, Rav3.554 Civil Statutes, provides 

that Ccxwalzuioners' Oouxttr ahall *psovi45 and kee in repair oourthcusee, jalle and all neoeeeary publio & ulldi~,s~" 

dwme 6072, riisvik154 omi sttdwbtt, pr0viatm 

that *htrifrit shall have chargO ma oontrol of the oourthmmx~ OP tholr reepeotlve counties, subjsot to euoh regulatioae ae the Cemi.aaioners* Court my primarlbe.* 

It ;;iuat be e4zitt54 that these stotut55 15avs it 

rather uncertain .snd var;us a5 to where net5 th5 5uthOrity 

to maploy janitora for the oourthbou5er Wa have roaohed the 

oxkclurioa, towsratr, that the authority te in the &~&artonars* Court. On the whole, it Se-8 to uu thet;.tho maintsaenas OS jenicor aorvlar is more in 11~5 with tM oharaoter 

or buelnese oxxlinarily &ven to the Ocxiadseion5rr~ 0’3urt 

rather than t3 the sh@fS. The latter 0rri05r is 1115iniy 

a conocrvator of thep#cs, and we balleve that Article 

6872 wita i35wt large&y b0 21305 the sh5rifr in ohargo 0r 

the oourt?iouoe for the",+purgoee OSmaintaining geaoe en4 

a eoorum+ iYe hold thst‘thcl requlremOnt ror th& ‘&umiht~on5rst 

Court to*grovide an4 keep in repair a aourthoueg* mee~B a 

habitable oourthoume. For one to be habitable it muat 

moeive a oertaln amount or janitor uexvfoe. Duty to perrorm the service oarrles~w%.th lt the tiplie& euthorlty to 

employ a janitor as a neoeaaary incident thenCei he 

Pl mea county 9, lzlals, Lob fs, B. (M!a) 

801). County, 115 9. W. 4791 Commissionerr' 

County v. Qtkllaco, 15 8. BY, (241 S& 

we beLleve that the ruaat;lon OS egplo ng janitors 

and like eqloyees has been ars t3slmF esion5rr' 

Courte most generally ovbr the our opknion Pa 

in acoord with rulini:ta of prior a athA Or this 

depsrrt:%ont, viz+ Honorable See 8. ALfwp,~.~ssistant, to 

Charltss ,T. Leelle, Jr,, Octunty Auditor, IEdinburgh, Texee, 

Pebrunry 12, 19335; 9oaorabks 8, E. Gray, Assistant, to 

Mr. Burl Brlttain, County Au&ftor, Sen Patrfoio County, 

Au&ust 12, 193s. 

Anewsrf~ your rirst Guceetlon, thurefere, Pt 1s 

the oginfon or this ~crpartmmt that the bmaiasloner6t 

Court he& the authority to employ and diaohaxge aourthouae 

janitors, eLevator operators aa sislilar 5q3lopsrr~ 

Axtfcle 61371, Vexmnte Rev2sad Civil Etntutorr, provises 88 ro11ows: 

Whenever In any 

t0 -PLOY ~148 for the 

an4 the aeouxity of 

the approvnl aE the i ornnimtici~artt Court, OS in 
Xunomble John R. Eihook, Fete 3 

a8see of emergemy, with the approval of the County 

J&&e, employ cuoh number of gufirdrds as my be 

b4aeoeary~ and.&3 acaount therefor, duly iteziired 

and sworn W, shall bo allowed by raid Court, and 

paid out of the County Treeeury. fiovided further, 

that in all oountise in this ;Jtate, hrnvfne a impulatfou of Lore thea one hundrbd ma tortyi:,thousend (140,CCO) ishabitants end lees than two hundred 

and nindty th:.usand (~QC,~oOj inhtsbitatxba, aQCOrdin;= t;, the b28t &J&W,e8in,~ ~‘ede~8,. cblt6\11, 

no gwa, metron 

iaoro than a&$& hours in oaia day, 

oountlas oolstnc; undsr the provisions or this 

Aot, at lenaat one mea shall be on guard an eaoh 

floor of said jail where male primnere are 

kagt, ail at least on4 lsatron oball be on guerd 

on eaoh floor uhers f~ezale riemers fsre k4pt 

end that not lea8 then two P 2) enqloyeoa shal i 

be on sun: d in the laaia oPfia4 of mid jail at 

one the. In case of emer~enay, those aodag 

under the provPsfone of t&4 Aot shell be eubjeat 

to the oall of the= Bheriff.” 

Articla $116, Vernon*8 Revised Lltatutes, provider: 

*Eaah sheriff ia the ka5pr of the jail of 

us eourIt7, Be shit11 safely keep theeroiq all 

prtronert3 oowdttsd these%4 by lawful authority, 

aubjaet to tir ordsr of the proper oourt, and 

Bball be xeepoad.bZe for the care keeping of 

such prieeners. The sheriff eiay eppolat a 

jailer to barks charge of ths jail, a&d supply 

the wanta of those therein eonfined~ but in all 

oas44 the eherift rhall 4xwoiee a ruperviaion 

and control ,over the Jail..” 

Artiole Bll5, Veraon*e Bevteed Glvil. StWutes, provides in part as fallowsr 

Mm them is 110 jell. in the aountp, 

the eii&ifi aray rent a euiliebL6 house a&d em$loy 

guards, the or,pense to be pair2 by the proper county,* 

The lanipq5 or tZls above Article ELWl, *upre& euthoriaee tire eheriff %&Vi %lus approval of ~th4 ‘k&R?&arEiazl4r4~ 

Court k, employ guard0 necessary for the aaf4kko4ping of th4 

prisomra and Cha cacurfty of jafle. 

Se think the language OS? thie etotuto ie olear on 

the queiltion that suoh ri;;ht of au%ht.rity to SnrplOy~ j@il 

~ruards, mctrone, jailers end other authoris& #qlegee~s 

neaaeaerp to thsr aafetoeplnj~ of prisoners and l (Mwlty of the 

Jail, ia vested in the sheriii. The only authority With rc 

ferenco to t&eir eziqloyrusat gLaaed by etatute ix,-%34 007a- 
Konorablo John R. Shook, Page 4 

m.lselonerel Court is that suoh oourt, holding the purse strings 

of the county and oharged with looking after its financial 

affairs, la to approve euoh employibant. The sheriff, being 

oharged with the duty of ererolsing supervision and control 

over the Jail, being keeper of the jail. and the prisoners 

oonfined therein with his offioial bond covering the faithful 

performance of suoh duties required of him by law, is prlmadly the person to determine the qualifications or those 

whom he desirer to plaoe in suoh positions or employment. 

The eherifr 16 doubtless in a better position then the Oommissioners* Oourt to detarmlne such question. The authority 

to employ gener6lly oarrfee with it the right to discharge. 

It will be noted that oompensation allowed by 

statute aor servloes of guarda and matrons, prior to the 

enaotaent 0r the salary law, were allowed to the aooount 0r 

the sharlfr from whom these persons reoeive their pay. The 

enaotment of the salary law would not In any wlae have the 

effeot of ehe.&ng the status of their employment as to the 

employing and disoharging of such person8. 

Although Artlole 3902, Vernoh* s Olrll Statutes, is 

not applloable to the employees named herein,, we quote from 

the case of Neeper v. Stewart, 6d 3. W. (Sdf @lZ?, writ refused, the language of whloh is applioab2e, wherein the court, 

oonetruing Artlole 3908, said1 

“A public polioy is thereby manifested in 

the ease of aounty and preoinot officers generally 

to empower suoh offioers to seleot their deputies 

or assistants and to forbid the CoWasloners* 

Court, or any member thereof, from attempting to 

inrluenoe euoh officers in their seleotlon of 

assistants. The reason for thle polfoy is obvious. 

Officers sleeted to discharge pubZio trusts, and 

upon whom the rasponslbllity for the proper disoharge thereof resta, should be free to seleot 

persons of their own eholce to assist them In its 

discharge." 

In answer to your second queetlonk it in the opinion 

or this department that the shsrirr has the authority to employ and disoharge jail guards and other employee6 neoeesary 

for the safekeeping of prisoners an% the eoourlty of the 

jall.8. 

I 
Honorable John R. Shook, Page 6 

We will now 4ibouae your third question, relating to 

the oounty traffic offloera or Bexar County, In thie oonneotion, we aaknowledge receipt of your letter of June lOth, 

aoooi!;panfad by a copy of 8. 8. 278 Aota 1929, 4lst Leg., 

Chap. 150, providing for the ornation of a oounty polio(, foroe 

in ell.oountles having a population of 210,000 or more iuhabltnnts. ThUee particular ol"floera and their duties RN speoial 

patrolmen for patroling the aounty highway 4utalc;e the aorporate li?nita of the oounty aeat of euoh oountlea, can hardly be OonsiUer4d a separate class distinguishable from those 

mentioned ln Article MQQb'. 

ter etatute, vizr 

It being provided In this lat- 

"The rovieloge of this Aot shall apply 

to all 44untiee fn t,42s i tate hav%ng a population of more 

than one hundred and;twenty-five thousand (125,000) ~ooording to the preo4ding'Bederal C~D~U$,~ and being a latsr enaotment, euoh would supereeds 8. B. 278, Aote 1929, blurt 

Legislature, an&~ consequently, be$ng no longer In effeot, this 

law applying to oounti46 of %10,0,. 6r mor4 inhabitante will 

not be eoneidered in conneation w’th r your third quaatlon. 

Artlole BdQQb, Seotlone 1, 2 and 3, of Vernon'e 

Annotated Civil Statute@, provides: 

*S4otion 1. The Connaissionere Cou~?t of eaoh 

county, mating in oonjunotion with the, sheriff, 

may employ not more than eight (8) regular deputies nor tire than four IS) adaittonal Urputlerr 

ror epeoiel emergenoy to aid said regular deputiee, to be known a0 Gounty Trmfrio Ofrioer* to 

enforoe the Highway Earrr of tale Stat4 regulating 

the us4 of the publlo Bighweye by motor and other 

vehiolee. Said aeputies ahall. be, whenever wotioable motor oyole ridrrs and ehall be assi&eQ 

to work under the bireotion of the aherfff. They 

ehall give bond and take the oath of OffUs a8 

other deputies* They my be dimuiswd from 4ervice on request of the sherifr wheneve~r approved 

by the Oommisslonerrs Court, or by aald Court on’ 

its own inltlatlve whenever thalr servfoes are 

no longer needed or have not been mtiefaatorg. 

The Commiasionere Court ahall fix their oompeneation prior td their sel.eotion, and may pruvlde at 

the expense of the county neoesaary equ%pxWIt 

for said offiaere. The pay of said deputies shall 
HanarabLe Johu B, Shook, Page 6 

not be Inoluded II-I the settlerneots of the sheriff in a000unting for the fees or 0rri00. s8i4 

deputI%s shall 8t all times oooperate with th% 

POliOO dOp8hLWlt Or O8Ojl Oity Or tOWIl within 

the Oounty in the enroro%m%nt 0r TmrrI0 Laws 

therein 8nd in all other parts or the aounty, 

The said deputlee rh.811 h8ve mm% right and 

duty to arrest violators of ths law a8 other 

p%aa% oiYioer8 have, 

“Sea. 2. The 88larlefI of euoh d%putl%r ah811 

be the ssnm 86 that rixed by t&e Oeneral im 

in Article 9908 or the 19SS Wevie& Uivil Sta? 

tutes or Texas, as hsretofore %nd hereiriartsr~ 

8aended, for other tl%pUty sh%rIrfs, ~Suoh mlarf%s 

shall be paid monthly by the aounty out of th% 

Road and Bridge Pund. 

“800. 3. TOI’ the puTpOs%IiOf this A%t, thb 

Commissionara Oourtr m8y s%t,asld%, ankuss net 

to Ox000d riftdon (iat per oent 0r the motor vohi01% registrsltion f%%s apportioned co their reepeotlve counties. In the svent tunds in= motor 

~OhiOie rsgiatrati0n reO0 43x-0 inOuiri0hnt or 

not avalluble, then the CmmaIseioners Sourt may 

um other Road 8mI Brblge Funds&~ 

We 0811 your attention to the following 18nguage 

in the foregoinS statute wh&eh states that suah oouhty 

tr8ftIc officers *shall be assigned to wdrk under the dlreotion 0r the sherIft.= 

The above etntute cauthorixee not more than eight 

regular dsputie8 nor more thq four addltlonal Qeputlee for 

speaial smergenaies, to 8I.b said regular deputies not 

exoeeding sight In number, to be knorrn %s county trarfio 

orrioera ‘to enforoe the highway laws or this State regulating the use or the public highways by motor and other vehicles.” Whetav%r be *the special %aerg%noy* or sItu8tIons in 

counties intended to be t%ken oere or by the provIsIons or 

this aot, It is apparent the ~&Islatur% had two things In 

mind; that or enforoeaent or the traffic laws and the partioular duty to see that motor v%hIcl%s tr8veling 08x%, 

were not being operated witlrout proper lIcense6. There is 

no speoiflo statutory limit as to the tIms of service oi 

these deputies. It Is in the discretion or the Conads- 
a 

Honorable John R. Rhook, Pago 7 

sioners' Court to declare whether said Qmergenoy" ha8 

ceased end the Court on Its own Initietlve, may dismiss 

any or all or said deputies rroxn service when their servioes are unsatisfactory. So long es they are not dismissed 8s provided by statute, the Conmissloners~ Court has 

no 8uthOrity or right to regulate or~direot their dutioe 

whioh are to be perroraed solely under the direotion or 

the eherifr. Suoh duties directly relate to the law enforoement ohargs of the sheriff's offlo%. 

In answer to your third question, thbreforo, you 

8r6 advised that it is the o 

the sheriff and not the C olwal 

inion Of this'dspartaent that 

ssioners' Gourt has the right 

to dfreot, in detail, the duties of the county tr8ffIe 

patrol appointed under the authority of Artiol% .6699b, 

~%IlXUl'S Annotated civil St%tUtIWl 0r Texm. 

Yours very truly 

ATTORWE!C OlWERlu, OF TIEUS 

BY 

t 

APPBOVEDJUN 29, 1940: