Eonorablo Luther C. Johnrton 

Qountr Attorney 

AlaorBoa county 

Falortlnr, Taar 

Dear Sir+‘-- 

iroionerr* 

oon~uaolo, to l p - 

ii0 0r ti00f

e5gloy a ngular 

file oiricer to 

State regrlsting 

or vahlolir 

~LdSbldlOlt 

a54 Artlol*l~ 

'8 Annotated Civil Statutrcl, 

sr8 Court o? uah oountf, 

ction with the @,rriif, aa 

than two (8) regular depot i 88, 

vto (8) rbditional drputlrm ror 

r to db balb regular deputies, 

ounty trarrio ofiioerr to ony(;larn of thl8 State rogulet80 or tht rub% bijPlrrafr br notor 

rehiol88. Sal& dsputier rhall br, ‘MWiOr@t 

pnotloablo, aotorogole rfdsrr, 8ml 8hrll b8 

Th6y 8hal1 give bon6 rab t&k. Oath 

of oiflb as Other deputier, ThaY SW be 

dismirmd eoa arrvlor on rrgucrrt or th@ Shor1st wjenrvrr approved by thm C~Bdon~rg 

OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

AUSTIN 

i 1 

95 
Iionorablb Luther C. John&on, pag8 L 

OOott, Of by said Court On it8 OUQ ititibtit8, 

rhumver their l enlorr am no longor wodod 

or ha+8 not br8a ratlrfaotory. The oomnl88lonUS hUTt rhall tix t:;8ir OOEip8liMtiOZi prior to 

their 8.bOtiOn, and Say prorid. at th8 l Xp8n8, 

. Th@ WY Of Sbid dO~Uth8 8hdll irot 

br 1nOludOd in the 8cttlOment8 0t the Sharltt 

In l ooo untlfor 4 the ferr or offlae. For the 

PurQW5C, of thf8 law, the Con5i8rloner8 Court8 

oi oouotier whole iWId8 from the rotor reglotration tear provided heroin aumaunt to Thl,rtf 

Thou8and Dollara (#SC 000) or ov8r, MI ~88 

R iol t ~oeOdi4 fiV0 (6f POT OWtt Of raid fWid8t 

Utd IlOt t0 0X080& 8OV8a and one-half (9&) 

obnt Ot aoh fund8 in OOUBtiO8 rocrlrlng a 

per 

h88rr amoMt from ruoh rrgiatratlon. Said 

dOpUtir8 8hall at au time8 000 

P 

OTat8 with 

the 

tit J 

olioe drpartmnt oi @aoh o ty or town 

a th* eountr, in the enioroonmnt of raid 

tTJfi0 law8 therain &rid in all Oth@r part8 

of the County, and 8ha11 have thr 8am right 

an& duty to arrmt violator8 of all law8 a8 

other Deputy Sh@rlff@ hf~ve.~ (Underroorlng. 

Ow8) 

Artlola 6699a read8 a8 ronon: 

"Deputler 8hall bo peld a 8tiarr out of 

thr %*BOTd 8ouaty fund no t to l xo~od oa* huadlW6 l Bd tittt (t.lf#) dollar8 POT BiOBth, the 

raluy to ba fixsd br the 000PLi88iOnOr8’ oourt, 

u14 in l ddltlotheroto n the oommirrionerr’ 

oourt ia herobf l uthorlaod to,Tgrorldr at the 

l xQoa80 of thr oounty 8uoh nOO888Ur \111iiO&?Ii8, 

eap8 and badgrr, 8uOh badgO t0 be Dot 1088 

than two inoh. by thro. inoh. in d%iWWion8, 

and other neorrrar~ l qulpniont, to iBOlude a notoreyole and it8 msint~abnor, a8 i8 arOMMW iOr 

thm to birohmgo their dutle8, ThO 8tiRrl.8 

paid to said doputler aotlng as 8uoh bl@W 

offioer rhall be pal6 d~irsot to raid d*pUth8 

br tha oonml~elonorm’ oourt, and 8uoh mlarie8 

8htil be independent or any ralarr or ior paid 
I: . 

;- 

9 

I 

Eonor6blm Luther C. Johnrtoa, pago 5 

to the rhrrlf? and all O? hl8 dOpUtl@8 not 80 

l otlng a8 highwar orrloerr, and the rherlir 

rhall not be required to aooouat ior the ralui@S provldcd iOr herrin aa ?0@8 of oitloo or 

a8 SalarY to thr 8hOTii? of hi8 other demtlar. 

&oh 46titier UI are wovldrd for herelne8haU 

'be appointad by the oommlrelonmrr~~oourt md 6s 

dovutlrrd by oithu the rhari?? or any oonstabla 

of tha oounty in whloh thou are appointrdi and 

no other ofriaers ohall make arrelts ln thlr 

bate for vlolatioa of law8 rvlatlns to highway8 now in rffeot in thlr State. Such doputlrs 

a8 ~rovldrd ? h i fill t all tlma when 

in tho prr?o~fIatitr~?at~eIfr dttlcr wear e ?ull 

unlioriwlth 8 osp rnd badge, the bsd@ to bb 

di8Fhpd on the outride OS the uniiorm in a 

OOnlpiOUOU8 QhCO. Such O??lcerr 8kiall r6.zaln 

in Md UpoIl th6 highrar, 6ad 6t 6l.l t&l68 patrol the 8am while in the per?onriimor of their 

dutlO8, oaly 1~6~1~ the hl@mmy tc) purru6 64 

otisndrr who& ruch orrloer8 were unable to apprehend upon the highwar ltwl?. Fo arrest by 

any muoh oftloer rhall be binding or valid up 

on the porron apprehended it the o??loar mkiag 

suoh arrest waa la hiding or it h6 ret a trap 

to apprrhsad pU8OIi8 traveling upon thr hfkh100 ?eO8 OF OhU(r88 WhqteVU shell b8 

3 ror the sorvloa 0r ruoh O??iO6r8 Frovidsd 

for huola, nor Mmll my ime for the arrobts 

madr by ruoh OrriO4r8 br ohrged and taxed a8 

008tr or pal4 to 8wh 0rfi00m in any oaao in 

whioh ruoh otiiorrr rhall nnlcr en arrort. Suoh 

oftioerr Sh!bll per?om 611 their dutl.8 and 

make arrest8 for vlolrtloa of MI law o? thir 

State appertaining to the ooatrol and re8ule 

tloa o? vrhlole8 operating in and up~n~~~~~l~!hway, rtrret, or 6116y Of this Stat.. 

trlot l ngla6tr in wl:osO dlrtrlot the oountJ in 

which 8uoh offioero operats shdll advi80 with 

8ueh offlour a8 to the l a

?Or O~~BOt f the VaTfour state law8 ~utalalag to oontrol and regu 

lrtlon or tratflo upon thr hl6haa~8 and in 0666 

8uoh OfiiOU8 rhall aot pertona thrjr but108 in 

e&orolng muoh laW8, th@ di8tTiot eadka8* ml 

f F i 
Aonorablr Luther C. Johnrtoa, peg4 4 

ooaplaln to thr oommleeionere~ oourt, and upon the 

fIl%ng of euoh oomvlalnt In writing duly elgned by 

the dietrlot l ng lneethe r , oommIee;onere’ oourt 

@hall l ummone before them for a hearing the officer 

or offloere to oomplaIned of, e.na If euoh hearing 

derelope that euoh officer or offioere are not performing their dutiee at required of them, then 

l uoh offlosr or offiorre the11 lmnodlately be dleoharged from all of th4Ir dutlee and powrre et 

heroin provided for, end other offloere l hall 

forthwlth br l ppolntad. Should any portion or 

trotion of thle art1014 be held Invclld or unoonetltutional, euoh holding ehall not aff4ot the 

velldity or oonetItutIonellty of any other portion of thle ertlole, and 8.11 other portlone not 

held invalid or unoonetltutlonal ehall remain in 

full foror and effeot.’ (Undereoorlng ours) 

drtlolee 6699 and 6699a (Aote 1925, p. 2021 of Vernon’e 

Annotated Olvll Strtutee, oonetrued together teem to Indloate that 

the oommlttlOn@rt' oourt may act in OonJunotlon with either the 

eherlff of the county or P oonetable in appolntlng oounty trafflo 

offIorre. Let us exaslnr thr 1eglelatIve hletorp of thee8 artlolee 

and aetermlne vhbther or not thla It a proper oonetruotlon to be 

given them. 

1926 

ArtIole 6699 of the Revised Civil Btatuteb of Texae, 

flret beoame the law In thle Stat0 la 1919 by an l ot of 

the 56th LegIelatur4 (Aott 1919, oh; X2?, p. 228). Thle rot oonferrrd on the oommleeIoner~’ court the right ‘to employ one or 

more SpeoIal Deputy SherIfle* to be eateIgned to work under the 

dIreotIon of the l herlff of the County.’ Thhr purpoee vat to 

l Ineure the adequate rnforoement of the Srafflo Law8 of thle 

Stat., end rep4oIell~ the lare re latlng the uee of motor vehlolee and motoroyolee on the pub Y lo hlghwaje, . . . and alto 

the Act8 regulating the uee of the publio hlghwaye br motor 

vrhlolee. . .’ Sea. 1, Ch. 127, Aote 1919. 

Srotlon 3 of the Aot provided that, 

*The number of tald offIoere and the length of their 

l enIoe ehall be determined by the CommleeIonere~ Court, 

rotlng In OonJunotlon rlth the Bherlff of the County, 

ml ther ehall be required to give bond and take osth 

of offioe at other Deputlee. They may be dIemIeeed 

from l er r lo e on requeet of the Sheriff, whensver ap- 
. - 

91 

Honorable Luther C. Johnston, page 6 

proved by the CoewIe~lonere~ Court, or by the CommIeeIoneret Court upon their own lnltlatlve, whenever their etrvIoce are no longer net&e&, or hpve 

not been ertiefactory. . . .’ 

Rote that the act in lte entirety dealt with decrutr 

ehcrlff~ end dose not mention oonetsblee or deputy oonetablee. 

Sea. 4 of the Aot (and thle 3s Inportent) provided 

on17 for the mneetiog and gaulnmr& of euoh deputq sheriffs 

In the following language! 

‘Tht ooopeneetlon of e&Id deputlee shell be 

flxtd by the CommIeeIonere~ Court prior to their 

eeleotIon, nnd In edElt!on thereto raid Commleeionl ce~ Court shall be authoriced to provide, et the 

expense c? the County, necereer~ equipment for tale 

offloere to enable them to dleoherge their dutIee. 

The per of mid deputies ehfill not be lnoludea in 

the eettlemsnte of the Sheriff in eocountlng for 

the ices of offloe, but shell be Independent thereof.a 

In 1925 the L+glelature oodlfIed Chapter 127 In its entirety at Artlole 6699. Thle ertlole ee et the time of oodlfloatlnn eppearr on pegs8 1 ma 2 of thle oplnlon, with the trotp 

tlon of the portion undtreoortd, whloh u&e provided bv an anendmtnt oi’ 1947. . 

Then eeet eceelon of the Le .lele.ture 

ter 127 of tht Aote of 1919 ea I 

that codlfled Chep6699a. 

Artlo e:~6699,-enaoted Artlole 

Thle Aot wee ohrpter 52, p. 202, of the hots cf 1925. It 

beoatee effeotlve 90 days after adJourmenb (Yeroh 19, 1925) or 

June 16th. Until th*t dete Chapttr 127 elone vet the law. From 

that hate untll Beptenbw let, 1925, the effeotlve date of the 

Retlead Clrjl Btstutee, Chspter 127 and Chapter 56 (Art. 6599s) 

were both thr l&w l x o epinsofar t It the letter reoeeled the former. 

Under Chanter 104 of tht Aote of 1925, the eu~ervieor 

of the oodIfloe.tIon”wee req,uIred to lneert therein note of the 

SQth Ltglelature (1986) whioh modlfitd my artlole, ohapttr or 

title of the oode, but which were not express amendn4nte or rel nnotmente thereof. Consequently, Artlole 66991 rat atrely Inserted In the oodlfIoatIon after Art. 6699, l lthough the Act 

purports to emend Chsnter 127 of the Aote of the 36th Ltglelature, 

J 
Honorable Luther C. Johnston, oege 6 

vhloh broom8 Artlole 5699. 

According to lte o&ptIon hrtlclt 659Qa (Ch. 58, Act@, 

1925) vat *An eot amcndlng Ch. 127 of the 9entral Lava of the 

Regular BeeeIon of the Thirty-sixth Legleleture, r’olatlng to 

blahvaz pff IctrQ. ’ (Smpbosle eddta) It will be remembered that 

the only hlgbvay offloere ret forth In Ch. 127, however, were 

eoeolrl d~e3uty sherlffe oppolnted by the ooomIeeIonere~ court 

in oonjunotlnn with the l herlff. 

et 

The oaptlon l oeolfied the purposes of the amendment 

ktdiei; and req?lIrlng euoh offIoere to patrol the 

to at to require the veering of unlforeke and 

publio highways in the performanoe of their dutlee; 

flxlng and providing for the payment of l alarlee of 

euoh offloors, . . .’ 

In other words, the oaptlon of this enactment (I%. 58, 

Aote 1925) gave notice simply that the purpose of the aot was to 

provide unlforme, preecrlbe duties end flx oompeneatlon of the 

offloere deelgnated In the act amended, Ch. 127, Aote 1919. The 

body of the aot, bowever,, amended not Chepttr 127 in lte entirety 

but only eeotlon 4 thereof (vhloh we recall related Q& to oompeneatlon of epeolol deputy eherlffe.) 

In eddition to providing for uniforms, duties and oompenration, the body of the sot added the following matter, no mention of ‘vtrloh It wade In the onptlon; 

#Suoh deputlee at are provided for herein shall 

be ~epppaIntea by tht ooaaleeIonere’ oourt end br deputized by either the l b er lff 

oount 

t.da4a 1 

In vhiob they are app 

ft it our opinion that this prrtloular prorIeIon proridIng for the eppolntment of deputy oonetcblee at well aa deputy 

sheriffs It foreign to Chapter 127 of the rote of 1919 and notloe 

of this new eubJeot not having been given or expreeeed in the 

oaptlon of Chanter 58 of the rote of 1925, tht tame 13 void and 

of no foroe and effeot under Seotlon 35 of Artlole 5 of the 

Constitution of Texee, ororldlng In part: 
IO: 

Honoreblo Luther C. Johnston, pago 7 

‘No bill, . . . shell contain more then one 

eubJ4ot vhioh shell be l x p r eeeed In Its title. 

But if an7 eubJeot shell be l mbrroetl In an aot, 

vhloh shall not be exprtet4d In the title, euoh 

l 4t shell be void on17 et to to eiuoh thereof, at 

shall not be to expreeeed.D 

Under this etotlon of our Constitution It her born 

held that the oeptlon mutt give notloe of the nature of the 

amendment (Katz 1. State, 122 Cr. R. 231, 54 8. W. (2d) lSO), 

In Re: Amerloen Rio Orande Land & Irrigation Co., D. C., 21 

F. Sup?. 492, nodlf led, C.C.A., 103 F, t&l 1 509, oer. den. 

60 6. Ct. 88, SO8 U.S. 5731, r.nd where the oeption of en amendetorl act l peolfIee a partloular field of the amendment 

end states that~tht sot la to make oerteln ohengee In a prior 

etrtute, the amendment It llmlted to the making of the epeolflo ohenge deelgnatcd and @ny l ddltlonal, oontrar? or dlfftrent emendment it pr4oludea. Lendrum v. Centennlrrl Rural 

glgh Sohool Dletrlot #2, (C.C.A.) X54 8.Y. (2d) 55% 

This oonetruotlon la In accord&no@ with previous 

opInIone of this department. 

In opinion lo. O-2444 we held that et to oounty trefflo offIorre appointed under Artlole 6699b, Vernon’s Annotated 

Civil Statutes, the Eherlff end not the CommIeelonere~ Court 

hat the right to dlreot, in drtall, their duties. . 

In opinion No. O-1282 we held that euoh offloere are 

In feot drputy l herIffe, l e~lng~ 

Wuoh offloere are In faot deputIee, working 

under the dlreotlon of the eherIff. Hoverer’, l uoh 

offIo4re ere a roeolel oleee of deputies, knovn at 

oounty trefflo offloere , end prior to the amendment 

of Art. 6699 by the 45th Legleleture their dutler 

were oonflned eolel~ to enforoensnt of the highwar 

lava of thle state end to this field their authority 

vat mm4a. Slnoe the amendment by the 45th Leglelature, Art. 6699, eupra, the Legleleture hat been 

fit to broaden their field of operation by glrlng 

raid deputlee or oounty traffic officers the right 

and duty to errset vlolatore of 411 leve.* 

‘-- i CL
Ronorablr Luther C. Johnrton, pags 8 

and 

L 

Conrcqurntly, it 18 the opinion OS thla department 

you are adrirrd that the county trlilio offioor8 provided 

for in tiolr 6699 and 66QQa of Vornon'8 Annotated Civil 

8t8tUt88, 8hOUld be aPpOht8d by the OOUd88iOlWr8 OOUrt 

of a oounty, acting in oonjunotion with the rh8rlff of that 

oounty, and not noting In OonJunetion vith 8 oonrtable. 

D SAN 30, 1941 

FIRST 

ATTORNEY GEXERAL 

JDSIJS 

Very truly XOUCI, 

i ;