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 Comalo**et** aotual **an4 aoousaw**  **y** ***ervlng that**  **county r**  **air orrlof4l**  **autf48**

**rs*** Thto **opinion;**

**. .~.,hblA**  **court** or Fal1.raounty 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

~ofOrlmlnal Dlrtrfet Attorney or Mllam Qounty exile8 **by** rlrtue 0r the t4rm 

### 0r Articrle986q. As origi1x411~anaoted this statute amated the offLo &bg4t& the powem, dutisr (uhloh 

### Vopuirs thr CrimfMi Dlrtriot Attorn4r to perffw%ithe 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-haatatutea 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.lbs 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 CrlztinalDlatrlat **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 marredin 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** 41~34nxxautaas nearly as po4albia by the ConaPiartoneral Court ono~ eaoh month for the enauiz@ aonth upon the apple**cation of**  eaoh officer **dating** the **kind, probable**  **amount** of expenditures, and the neoeaalty for the expense8 oi his 0fri00 r0f

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 xpanasm

were reasonable a04 n40088ary In the propar and lee1 oonduet 0r this 

### 0rri00 then they would be permitted 48 '4matter 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, yooowill 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

xp on8*8

.Again In 8eotlOn B it 18 old 'if ruoh l xpuimoa be lneurred in oonneetion with 4ny partiouiar oCae auoh report 8hall naBtbauoh **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@ 421automobile 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~gtha 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 lnoludintrthe 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.ahapplication shall, before presentation to 

### said court, first be 

### snborsed.by the County 

### Auditor, If 

### any, otherwise the 

### CountyTmamrer, 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.8follows:

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.Idrule ot oonstru4tlon, to say that th4 l bwe quot4d language of 84oticm (b) provldes tor th4 a11owanoe or traroling oxp4ns4s or the 

### 4xp48844 in

### ourred in opsrsting sn aatouPobileor any county or dlstriot orrioer subj44t to the prwlsions or said 84otlon Q) or ArtIol4 -99, supra. Wothink that our position 18 support4d by HOUSS I3211Bo. 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 preoedinglF4dsral C4ssus wh4rrln there is no Dlstttot AttOI%ey and th8 CrilafnalDistrlot 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 arilaeand~s40Usmlatlng 4rldenoe in orlnilnaloasesy and shall be allowed Thrw (5) Csnts a ml14 for each mile %rclYeldlby him ln,an sutorobilr iurnleheilby hipGIn 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 

### dlatrlatattorneyof any cowt~ wlthln.fhe above population bra&at was 

### alraadycntitld 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 

### 18aet 

### am say p~~vi8hi rOr Orimbal di8triot 

### l ttOrII8Y8

pSriO~6 the dutler of dl8trlot 

### l ttoram~r in **8aid** 

### countie8 **aUthOl ’** **iZi~** thblllt0 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 orpondmoriiss~in 

### order tc prcporly 

### tnrortl@c crime ana arewulato erlduzoc~ la orlmlacl 

### oa808Croat0 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]1e8aw 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.*


### OuropinionNo, 043lUSholao in offootfhat thorni8
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,alcrto br triad in ths District Cotirtof 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 

### lastwntionod 

### for your oo~7e~iulca.

MUam 

### Countaha8 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 firtloLeSSOQ, rupra.lion. Ii. 

### A.BtOlTiaOn, pa68 7

Section18 of ;irticle 3912 (a),supr'e,

providesin effectthateeohCrircinei Ijistrict

**Attorney** 

### in thisState serving9Districtcon.prinlng two ormorecounties,thepo>ulationofwi.lch

exceed6lLiO,OOC

ichabltante

aooordingto the last proacdir,&,

FederalCensus,shallbealloweda a~ not to uoeed 

### &COG.for thonecessaryexpenseof suchoffice,ealdmm tobe paIdonlyupor,

the itemized8wornstatementof suchoffioer, shouingtheneosssitythereforandapprovedby the StateAuditor.

From thereason8aboveetatedIt is obvlouethatthe legislaturedidnot i!;tend.cto allowanyexpensein lnvastlgatlng orflue andaooumulatingevldermein oriainei 

### Oasa8or anyupenrw lnourredby theCriminalDfstrlctAttorneyin ogeratirrg an automblie axoeptundertheprorlelonsabove

### mentionedwhlohdonot applytoNilamCounty. 

### Therefore,yourquestionisrespeottullg ~awweredin thenegative.

Trustlnf;

thetthe foregoingfullyamwem yourinquiry,
we are Tours rory truly



### @&tluzlBY kl-d.ii

w11tiapD8 AII8i8tant

ApVECaCT 3, 1940

ATTORNEYGEbTERAL

OFTEXAS