OkFICE OFTHEAmORNN GENERALOFTEXAS 

QauoGmMn 

AUSTIN 

-aRma. f7\ 

Honorable IV. A. Morrison 

Orimi~l DintrIot Attorn 

Oamaron, T4x44 

Dear Sir: 

681 

opini0n HO. o-a9 

orriae i44uad an opinion 

llouanoe by the Comaloet aotual an4 aoousaw 

y *ervlng that county 

r air orrlof4l autf48 

rs* 

Thto opinion; . .~.,hblA 

court or Fal1.r aounty oouwnot 

rtriot Attornoj auoh aotwl ead,aeoeropinion is clearly a abrroot 4nmr 

wBut~oplnlon oannot apply to nilam Oottaty, 

Xilam Oountp alone oompores the 80th Judlofal Dintriet. 

The oti'ic4 ~of Orlmlnal Dlrtrfet Attorney or Mllam Qounty 

exile8 by rlrtue 0r the t4rm 0r Articrle 986q. As origi1x411~ anaoted this statute amated the offLo &bg4t& 

the powem, dutisr (uhloh Vopuirs thr CrimfMi Dlrtriot 

Attorn4r to perffw%i the dutim of both.4 Diatrlot Attorney 

ana 4 county miormq), and prlvilegor of the erriao. 
EOR. W. A. Morrison, pago t 

The enactment provided for the oftloer'a oompauaatlon 

upon a ree basis. Subsequent legielatlon of courne haa 

rapaaled, ii not dlreotly teen by neooasary lmpllO4tlon, 

the prorlslont~ of the statute with rsfarenoe to oompan84- 

tlon by fees; and now the Criminal Xetrict AttornSy la 

componaatod on 4 8alary baaia, such 8414137 baing zet by 

the Coamla8ioner4* Court, and paid out or the oirla0r*8 

salary r-d or said aounty. 

*It la readily 4pparmt on the faos of the oplnlon 

that It ~88 not l&tended to apply to Criminal Di8triet 

Attorneys, but only to Dlatrlot Attorney4 in judicial 

diatrlota oomprlmd of more than one oounty. Az aaid 

In tha opinion, *t-ha atatutea do 4ot apportion tha 

expense8 of Diatrlet Attorneys aaumg the Countla8 in 

ju61c141 eistrlota oompoaed of more th4n on4 oounty, 

but apaolrioally provldo that auoh 4xp4naea 4hal.l bs 

paid by the Stats upon the aworn 4M itemized aocount 

of saoh Dlrtrtot ludgo or Attorney entitled therato, 

rhowing such expenzaa.*p 

“A portion of raid Artlqlo 3220~ provld~a th4t the 

Crlztinal Dlatrlat Attorney shall multe *at the okme OS 

oaoh month OS the tmire of said oftloa* the report 

roqulred of 411 oounty~offlolals by Art1010 8899, aa 

ammdod. 

Wald ArtiOh S899 la the &enrrsl statute allowing 

county oftlol4la *raaaomble expenses necessary in tha 

propor and 14& oonduct of* their oftioaa. Seotfon B 

thereof provide8 that saoh offiaer marred in the aot, 

where he reoslrem 4 salary a# oompenaation for his aeroLoe8, *shall be s&powered and permitted to purohaae and 

have charged to his oounty 411 roaaon4ble expmao8 aeo48- 

aary in the proper and leg41 oonduot of hi4 offloe, auoh 

expenasa to be parred on, pre-doterniin~d and allowO& in 

kind 41~3 4nxxauta as nearly as po4albia by the ConaPiartoneral 

Court ono~ eaoh month for the enauiz@ aonth upon the applecation of eaoh officer dating the kind, probable amount 

of expenditures, and the neoeaalty for the expense8 oi his 

0fri00 r 0f l uoh ensuing month.' 
Hon. W. A. Morrl804, p*ge S 

“Aa corroatly stated In the opinion above meaitlonmd, 

'Artlole SS99 provides and authorize8 oortaln expenaer 

only for those oiffoera wheme oalarlea arm set, or racy 

bo 8ot, by the Coamiaalonera~ Court.' 

*There OM be no queatlon but that Soetlon S of 

uld ArtiOle applies to the Criminal Dl8trlet Attorzay 

of Yll4m County ainoo hi8 salary f4 8ot by the Cozmi@- 

alonara~ Court. 

"It 8aena to us that it It appe4red to the Coamieaionara* Court th4t such l x p a na sm were reasonable a04 

n40088ary In the propar and lee1 oonduet 0r this 0rri00 

then they would be permitted 48 '4 matter or law to pa88 

upon and allow the Criminal Di8trlot Attorney rearooable 

expense8 inaurred by htm in operating ap automobile in 

oonneetlon with the duties 0r hi8 orriae. 

Vurther, yooo will note In Section A of Artlalo 3SQ9 

t&t an otfloer ooapen8ated on 4 fer baa18 18 entitled 

to aotlul 4nd neoe8ury expenaea lngurre4 by him in the 

oonduot oi his orfio6 @such a8 stationary, atampa, telophone....... 

arpenas8*, 

trawilng expsnaea, and other neosrsary 

whioh would x&e it appear th4t in the emItemplatlon or the Le~ialature, traveling expen808 am neoem8ary l x p o n8*8 . Again In 8eotlOn B it 18 old 'if ruoh 

l xpuimoa be lneurred in oonneetion with 4ny partiouiar 

oCae auoh report 8hall naBtb auoh oaao*, wbloh phra84ology 

tight aontemplata traveling exponrea. 

Va~Zthr baaim or the above I submit for your opinion 

the r0li0iag pusryt 

*I%y the Cozzaiaalonera* Court of Mllmu County fm Its 

dlaoretion allow the Orlmlml Dlatriot Attorney of 

aaid County reasonable expmn8en lnourred by hi&in 

opsmtjn@ 421 automobile within or without Mlbm 

County dn:laOuueation with the autisa of his offiee.n 

Seotion8. (.a) and (b) , 0r Art1010 8599, Vernon** 

Aanotated civil Statutes, reaa, In part, 48 rolla-t 
684 

Bon. iv. A. Morrison, psge 4 

=(a) At tha aloae of eaah month of his tenure of 

olfias aaoh ofiioer named hsrsin who Is compsnsatsd on 

a fee basis shall irake as part of the report now required 

by lar, an itsmired and sworn statement ot all the aotual 

and neoassary arpansas fncu.rrsd by him in tha conduot or 

his office, such aa stationery, stamps, telephone, prsmiums 

on orrloiala' bonds, ino~udii~g tha oost or surety bonds r0r 

his Daputies, ~retium on fire, burglsry, theft, robbery 

insuranoe proteotlng publio tunds, traveling axpensss and 

other neasssary axpsnsas.: . .* 

"lb) Each offiaar W in this Aot, whara he toosirs 

a salsry as compensation tar his ssrvioos, 8halL be smpowarsQ 

end permittad to purohasa sd hare ohsrgsd to hLs oounty all 

rassonable ~onsss neoetisary in the proper and legal oondwt 0r his 0rri08, prsmiuar 032 0rrioid.s~ bonds, prtirrm 

on fire, burglary, theft, robbery insuranos protooting publio 

runas and lnoludintr the oost or surety bonus Sor his Psputlas, 

suoh sxpadsds to be pssss4 on, pro-dstswinad and aLlowed in 

dad and alaounta, as nsarlr as posslblr, by the Com~&sslons~s* 

Court onoa each month for the ensuing month, upon the appliaatlon by saoh oiflasr, stating the kind, probable amount 

0f expenditurs md the necessity ror the axpsnses 0r hfs 

orfioa ror suoh ensulne month, whj.ah application shall, 

before presentation to said court, first be snborsed.by 

the County Auditor, If any, otherwise the County Tmamrer, 

only as to whether funds are ara1labl.a tor payment oi auoh 

expensea. . . ,* 

Saotion 1 of Artlola 39lSa, Vsrnon~s Annotated Clril 

Statutes, reads; In part, a.8 follows: 

90 aistrlot orrloer shell be pal4 by the Stats ot 

Texas any tees or ovmmisalon ror any ssnitm p%rfommd 

by hinq nar shall the State or any oounty pay to any Qounty 

0rfi04r in any aounty oontalning a population 0r twenty 

thousand (SO,OOO) inhabitants or more according to ths 

last praoading Federal Census any fee or oommlssion iOr 

any service by hia perrormed aa auah Olriosr; ,. . .* 

Under the provisions of brtiole 39lS0, Ssotion 1, supra, 

the Criminal Dlstrlat Attornay of Nilam County fs a salaried 

orrloer, and It naoasssrily follows,thet Saotion (b) of Art&ole 

$899, aupra, is applicable to your Question. 
Bon. w. A. Y0rrlsOn, psgs 6 

Sootions (a) and (b) of Artlole be99, supra, bsoame 

SrrMtiV4 on January 1, 1936, and were a part oi S4nate BiU. 

lo. 8, 44th ~gls14turs, 1st and Sad Called S4ssions, Ohapter 

465, pago WM. It is to bs noted that Motion (a) oi mid 

art1014 sp4oirioally prwldre that re4 orrioers may be r&abursbd for trareling expenses, It 18 8igniriew the 8e0ti0n 

(b) of said artiol4, although 4naoted at the sarm tIma as 

S4otion (a), does not provld4 that salaried ofifoarr shsll 

be r4lmbursed for tra.rsllng 4xp4ns40 or 4xp4nscH inourmd by 

tham in opmating an aubom4bIls in oomection with th4lr 

oSSloia1 duties. Seotlon (b) or Artfole S699, suprn, protides 

that said otfioor Qhall be 4mpoworud and pormitt46 t0 puso~se 

and h474 ebarg4d to his county all nasonebl4 4xpms4s n4048- 

spry in the proper a06 14gal aonduot or his oftlo8, .*.." 

lo are u&abla, und4r any ral.Id rule ot oonstru4tlon, 

to say that th4 l bwe quot4d language of 84oticm (b) provldes 

tor th4 a11owanoe or traroling oxp4ns4s or the 4xp48844 inourred in opsrsting sn aatouPobile or any county or dlstriot 

orrioer subj44t to the prwlsions or said 84otlon Q) or 

ArtIol4 -99, supra. Wo think that our position 18 support4d 

by HOUSS I3211 Bo. 57, AOtS 4btWLegIslatur4, 18t and 8&l Ca114d 

&;;lons, Chapter 57, page ls19, whlah b4oama etisoti+o ?uly E, 

Said not was oodiiled as Seation (0) of Artiole 5899, 

Ver&*s Aanotated Civil Statutes, and reads as followsr 

*(o) Providsd thst in all oountles of thts Stat4 ' 

having a population of not 1ess than thirty thousand, 

nine hunQr4d (30,900) and not Ior4 than thlrty.thousand, 

nine hundrad and rlity (SOi9aO) aooordiag to the last 

preoedingl F4dsral C4ssus wh4rrln there is no Dlstttot 

AttOI%ey and th8 Crilafnal Distrlot Attorney performing 

the duties of a Dlstrlat Attorn4y, suoh Orilaiaal Dlstrlot 

Attorney psrrormlng the duties of a Dlstriat Attorney 

shall bs empowered and p4rmitt4d to lnour reasonable and 

n444sssry srg4n848 in inrsstlgatlng arilae and~s40Usmlatlng 

4rldenoe in orlnilnal oasesy and shall be allowed Thrw (5) 

Csnts a ml14 for each mile %rclYeldl by him ln,an sutorobilr 

iurnleheil by hipG In the dieaharg4 or oifloial bosia488, 

whioh sum shall oover all expenses ot th4 mnintenanoe, 

d4pr4olatlon, and operation of suah automobile; 8uOh 4Xp4nses shall be reported to the Conmlasionsrs Court Or 

4aoh oounty affsat4d by tbi8 Aot a8 other expense8 ar4 

reported and ehall b4 paid by @aid Commi.48~on4rs Court 

aa suoh other srpensas are paid.* 
686 

Eon. w. A. MorTlson, pags 6 

If the crlmlnal dlatrlat attorney of any cowt~ 

wlthln.fhe above population bra&at was alraady cntitld to 

traveling l xpermer or upearor lnourred by oporatlng Ed 

l utomcbllc under Saotion (b) ot rstlole S8899, there would 

hare boon no need or the leglslaturc cnaottg Saotion (0). 

which 8peolflcally provides for rrald l xpemae. T&at the 

loglrlature maa aware of thl8, ir borne out br the 1-0 

of the omcr@noy Cba8e of Em80 Bllllo. 89, mapra, (Artio%e 

5899, 8~otlon (o)), whloh 18 as r0110w8 

~otlon 8. The fact that 8hcre 18 aet am say 

p~~vi8hi rOr Orimbal di8triot l ttOr IIp8Y8 Sr iO~6 

the dutler of dl8trlot l ttoram~r in 8aid countie8 

aUthOl’iZi~ thblll t0 inbW CXwIi8C8 in inT~8ti6atin(l OdRC 

.and aOctmmlat~ niaan00 in erlmhal CCD.8, and that 

thC?e am wny Cal08 VheN it $8 nCoC8C~zy hr mob 

ori8inal dlctrlct attorney8 to orpond moriiss~in order 

tc prcporly tnrortl@c crime ana arewulato erlduzoc~ 

la orlmlacl oa808 Croat0 an cmorgwoy and agi Japeratlvo 

public MCa8iit~ that the OO?A8titUt%OXiC~ X’d.0 TCqUiriiy 

bill8 to be road ior r~vCn1 day8 be, ad ,2]1e 8aw 18 

hrroby 8Wpendd, and thl8 AOt ball take atie& UUI 

ba in for00 fMw and -eP th. Oaf0 ob it8 Q188a&&, 

and it i8 80 cRactod.* 

Our opinion No, 043lUS holao in offoot fhat thorn i8 

no authority ?or the allcwanoa of trard.ling to the Uriainal 

~Dirtriat kttorney of ihy8OI3 Cowtr tor wking a trip to Okrahoma City, Oklahom, in lQVe8tigting a cti~al o,alcr to br 

triad in ths District Cotirt of braynoon Qounty, Tua8. In our 

Op$UiOR SO. O-1134, it U88 hold that the Criminal Dl8trlct 

Attorney of Fall8 County~oould not inour maaonablc and nCOC8- 

8ary expCn8C8 to be paid by the count7 In kVO8ti&dRg crime 

and aooumlabing eridoncc in criminal oaccc.~.~~:~Wo are oaoloclng 

sopie oi the two opinion8 last wntionod for your oo~7e~iulca. 

MUam Counta ha8 a population of SS,iS8 &&habitant8 

aocording to the last pmoedinp; Federal Oencuo. Tbe~efore raid 

oounty does Rot ooam within the population bracket8 aa 88t out 

in 8aid Saotian (a) or firtloLe SSOQ, rupra. 
lion. Ii. A. BtOlTiaOn, pa68 7 

Section 18 of ;irticle 3912 (a), supr'e, provides in 

effect that eeoh Crircinei Ijistrict Attorney in this State 

serving 9 District con.prinlng two or more counties, the po>ulation of wi.lch exceed6 lLiO,OOC ichabltante aooording to the last 

proacdir,&, Federal Census, shall be allowed a a~ not to uoeed 

&COG. for tho necessary expense of such office, eald mm to be 

paId only upor, the itemized 8worn statement of such offioer, 

shouing the neosssity therefor and approved by the State Auditor. 

From the reason8 above etated It is obvloue that the 

legislature did not i!;tend.cto allow any expense in lnvastlgatlng 

orflue and aooumulating evlderme in oriainei Oasa8 or any upenrw 

lnourred by the Criminal Dfstrlct Attorney in ogeratirrg an automblie axoept under the prorlelons above mentioned whloh do not 

apply to Nilam County. Therefore, your question is respeottullg 

~awwered in the negative. 

Trustlnf; thet the foregoing fully amwem your inquiry, 

we are 

Tours rory truly 

@&tluzlBY 

kl-d.ii w11tiapD8 

AII8i8tant 

ApVECaCT 3, 1940 

ATTORNEY GEbTERAL OF TEXAS