_: 

### 436

**OFFICE OF**  **THE ATTORNEY**  **GENERAL OF**  **TEXAS AUSTIN** 

Honorable Joe c. Olndn6y Criminal Dlatciot **Attorwy** Robkcounty **ti41Xd4rMAI** Toznr

Dear Sir8

opinion of this b part; aa fol 1944, requestlug the on8 rtated therein 18,

**pour statement**  **over** the hereby **rrqusstlng an**  neral’s Office relative he Offloe a$ Crlmlnal Dirrrisu ot the faot that this

o be boundby the d4014ion rendered ourt againat Hill **County**Tuesday of impoitant that w4 have aruling on

Do48 the person whowas aerving au Criminal Dlrtriot Attorney **automatloally** Broome **County** Attornrp

“II. Whatii hia salary, and fi eet **by** tho Coamiasionera **Court between**  what limits?

“ISIWBowmar17asrletantr are nowpermitted
ana what maytheir salaries be?Donorablr Jo4 0. Cladney, prig42

4Th4 **aeseessd**valuation of th4 **county** 1s slightly less than $90,000,000.00; andthe lataat Federal Census glvea the oounty **about 51,000**  **popu lation.w** 

In th4 oas4 or Dill County, T4xa8, p4tltloa4r. v. C4o. H. Sh4ppard, Comptrol.l4r, rmspondent (notyetreported) ttm ihapreae Court hrld Art1014 3269, Vdrhon*s Annotated Civil **Statutes,.** invalid. Art1014 $26~ was orlglnally 4naot4d by the 42nd L4glslatur4, R4gular S4sslon, 1931, as S4nat4 Bill 

### Ho.220,**Chapter** 

### 354,**Page** 

### 044,GeneralLawsofT4xas. Th4 original Aot was appllcablo to oountlds in this Stat4 having

apopulation of not less than 33,200 andnot sor4 than 75,000 inhabitants and **not** oontainlng a oity of **more**than 20,000 **in** habitants as d4terralned by the last pr4oedlng Bsderal C4nsus **and**4aoh suooe4dlng Pedrral C4nsus thsr4after. and in whloh oouhtles ther4 wet4 on4 or mor4Judicial Dlatrlats. The42nd Lagislatur4 at the lrlrst Call46 

### Seasion,1931, as4nded Seation 1 of **S4nat4** Bill 220, **supra,** so.as to mak4said Aot applIoabl4 to oouutiss having a population oi not less than 32,000 andnot mor4 than 75 000 lhhabltauts and not containing a olty of mor4than SO.000 fnhabltants as detersine by the laet preceding federal 04nsus, **and**4aeh suoosrdlng V4drral C4nsus thereafter. (Thr azwtndmentto said 

### Beatlon1 her4totor4 wntloned is 9. B. No. CO, Ch. 3.S. p. SO, 42nd Leg., First C. S.)

Vernon’s ¬ated Civil **Btatutas** do **not** oontals th4 

### amendment

toSsotlon 1 heretororcr mentlowd, how4ver, w4 **must**
assum that th4 **Suprae** Court kn4wof sald am4ndimnt andoonsldered th4 Statute as am4ndsdin th4 oasr ot 8111 County 1. Qeo. H. Sh4ppard, supra. Therefor4, Axtlole 320q, supra, a8 amended, 1s lnvalid under th4 holding **of** th4 **Suprwm Court**  in

### thesaid ease of Xl11 County v. 040. Ii. Sheppard, suprae

811104Artiolo 3269 has been hrld Invalid **by**the **Supreme** Court, it nsosssarfly follovvs. that th4 ofilor purportedly areated “Criminal Distrl4t Attorney,” doernot 4xlet in those **counties** Coiningwithin th4 provlslons of said artlol4. W4donot think that Itoan be said that where aperson runs for and 184leoted to the oiflc4 of 4Crlnlnal Dlstrlot Attorney” undar th4 provisions OfUtiol4 326q, that suoh pereon is nowthe County Attorney after said statuts h.88b44nheld invalid. Thsrefore, w4rssgeotiully
answer **your first**  question, as stated abovr, in thr nrgativ4.

### 438

nonorabl4 Jo0 C. Oltidney, p1g4 3

fn r14w or th4 for4golng, andour Opinion No. O3158, it 1s our opinion that Mr, Oladmy fs sow a d4fa0t0 oounty **attorn4y.** It 18 **our** turthrr opinion **that** th4 lr al tit14 to the oowty &torwy*s Offi04 Oodld Only be roWred L on4 or two **W~YS~** by 414otion, or by appointvmt to that offi M~F. Ol.a&ey has n4ith4r hem l lrotrd tior appointed to the offi Of county Attors4y, l

o hs never had lrgal tit14 *Oth4 OOWtYattorn4y's offfoe. It rhmld b4 born4 in t&d that ths dr faoto

0rii04r iwst surrend4r poso4sslon of his **offio4** as 800B**as** a 94rsos is duly 4lsotrd OTagpointrd to th4 off104 ad ha* putiiflwl as **provided by**  **law.** Equity will not lrnd him its aid to r44traln a~dulyappolnt4d 90x80s fms rntering uponthe disoharg4 of the duties of **the** offfo4, **BOOr** will it rOStrain 

### the payment of 

### thesalary 

### tohim. (B4e DhrT*DmWn, 191 2. D. 379, andTex. Jur., Vol. 34, Q. Sea)

**Rusk** County ha4 a population 32,484 lnhabltants aooordlng to thr 1930 Fsd4ral **C4nsu8 aad**  said **Ooanty has**  **a popula**  tion or 81,023 inhabitants aooording to the 1940 federal Cewus. As **Busk County**  hada pcqmlatlon of 58,464 inhabitants aooording to th4 1930 Fodrral **C4neu8,** under the applioable prorlslons 

### of Art1014 SW3 andArt1014 3891 th4 naxlnum oom4nration of th0 County **Attorney** 

### ofRusk County cannot rxoeed **1**3300 **p4f year.**  **In vi4w**  **or th4**  **for4golng statute4**  and Seation 13 

### ofArt1014 39l&, VBrnon*s Ahuotateb Civil **Statutes,** th4 **County Attorney**  **of** Roik County whoperforms th4 dutlss of Dlstrlat Attorn4y **must** b4paid is **mon4y** as annual salary **in** tw4lv4 **squal** lnstallm4nts 0rnot 144s than the total sua sarndd as ooapsnsatlon **by** himin his orrioial 0aEaOity for the fisoal y4ar 1935 and **not mop4** than th4 nuixiaum allowed suoh **0ffl04r** under laws @XlStlng onAugust 24, 1935. **AS** hsr4toror4 statrd, th4 maximus salary or tha County **Attorwy** or Rusk Cowty, under **A~10108** 3083 and 3891 18 $SM)Op4r ysar, how4V4r, under th4 prorlslons 0f SeOtiOB 13 of Art1014 39124 the mXknOaawount allowed 

### theCountyAttorney as salary 0rrased on4 **p4r** oent for 0aoh one million dollars ~a!

### uation 0r I my b infraotional part 

### thereof1n 4x0488 

### oftwenty million dollar* talusUos **o ’** **l4r** and **above** th4 pn~uioonallow46 suoh offlO4r under laws **4XistiBg On**  **Augu4t 24,**  **1958, (944**  th4 oasas **or** Ha0ogQohes County x* ~4Bklas 140 8. 111. (26) 901, and Daoogdoohes Coanty v. wiBa4r, **140 9.**  **w. fad)**  **978)**Honorable Jo4 C. Gladney, perge4

WInow consider **your** third question. Artlo 331, V4rnon’e Annotated Civil **Statutes,** provides, in effect, th3t county attorneys, by oons4nt or th4 oo;amiosloners* oourt, shall hzve power to appoint in writing one or aOr aesietants, not to 4roeed three, ror their respeotive Countlea, whoshall havr the I samepowers, nuthorlty and gualliiOation8 as their prinolpals, at whose will th4y ehall hold oifice. **Article 331,**  **was**enacted in 1891, and applied only **to** the appointsent 0s aaiistant OountY attorneys. Art1014 $908, Vernon’a Annotat4d Civil **3tntutaa.** as am4nd46, is 8 later statute, r4g.rding the appoint-Wnt Ofdeputias, assistants or olerks by dlatriot oounty 

### orpr4OinOt orriosrs. Articles 331 and 3902 **must** be oonsldsr46 and oonstrued together, In view **oi** 

### Mese **statutes,** it ls~our ODinion, that a4slstaBts **of the**  County Attorney or **Rusk** OouBtYmust be appointed ln oomplianoe with said statutes, Considering th4 two **statutes** together, it is our opinion that it is within the dleoretion of the oommissioners* oourt to determine ths numberOfassistants to br appoint,&, as in th4 disor4tion **of** said **oourt** mayb4 properStat4d another way, that portion of Art1014 331 limiting the uumber of assistants that mnybe appointed is no longer applioable, however, the other portions of Art1014 331 ar4 applioabl4 and the assistants **must** oonply with th4 provisions of said **statuts.** Seotlon 2 of Article 3902 is appllcabl4 to Rusk County andwill govern the.oompsnsatlon to **be** paid the **assistant county**  **attorney.** The comp4nsatlon or the first aeeistant oounty attorney oemnot 4xe44d $2,000 per aMUQand th4 oomp4nsation of other assistants of the oounty attorn4y oannot 4x0446 41,700 p4r annum4soh. Ths oomp4nsation of said assistants to **b4** flxsd **by** the comml4sioners* oourt in oomplianoa with Section 2 Of **i&i014** 3802.

W4hsv4 oareiully oonsldrrsd **your** letter of Uaroh 1, 1944, supplemsntlng **your** letter of yebruery 24, 1944, whioh is **quoted** in part **above.** hrter oar4fu!.ly oonsidering Artlcle 326n, VBrnon’s Annotet4d Civil **Statutes,** olted in **your** letter of Sarah 1, x4 are of the opinion that said statut4 has no applioation whatso**4Per** to the questions under oonelderation.

W4h~iv4also oaretully oonsid4red th4 **various** Acts orsating ths dlfrarent District Courts in **Rusk** County, and it is OUTopinion that theo4 AOtS do not airsot **our** answers to your W44tions as her4toror4 stated, Art1014 V, i%otlon 21 or the Stat4 Constitution, amongother things, provides, 1B;rfect, that the bgislature mayprovldr for the eleotion of district attorneys in said districts as maybe deemedneoessary and make provtsion for the comp4nsation or said district attornrys, Aft4r car4- rullY r4Vi4Wlng krtiol4 322, Vernon's Annotated Cl*11 **Statutes** It is noted that said **statute** does not authoris4 th4 eleotion &
a di4trict attorney for any of the Judicial Districts or Rusk County. Therefor4, there is no **statutory** authority authorizing the oleotlon Ora distriot attorney for said oounty or the Judicial Dirtriots thereor.EC---- !



### 440 Iionorable Jo8 C. Oladney, pago 5

Youoteto In **your** lottetr of Yaroh lrtthat yooo
**ara anxious**  **to know** what ofi oxfat In Ruekoomty at thla tine, that is, lf it i8 County Attorney, Criminal District Attorney or Dirtriot Attorney. In via* of the forsgolng, you are reepeotiully advised that it 18our opinion that the oon**etitutlonal** 0rri08 0r **County Attorney**  **rxiatr in**  **m8k** cotrnty at thlr tlao, and that tha offloe oi Criminal District **Attorney**
or Di8triot **Attorney** do88 not 8xi8t.

Your8very truly

AT!l'ORNEY

GENERAL

OF TEXAS

AW:EP Ardrll William8 **Ao8istant**