. 

OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

GROVER SELLERS 

ATTORNEY GLNLRAL 

Hmorabls C. H. cavmsr 

stuto Auditor. 

Ar;Btin, Taxa* 

and/or ohnrgeb dollooto~foll utioertlfled 00pl06 

Of oplnloA6, 6$o.,\ooc6t$tutje 'fee6 OS osffoe' and 

are &hi' 

9 

aoominbqbl6,,aosuph by the olorico or stber 

oourt 05p 9yeO8 w&o ou1196t the59* ..' : ../ ‘qj L.0f ! : *a. zi”ypU 4LBW4r qUW3tiOA #O. L iA !ihO 4f- 

~flrmabl~s,'@iase state tha efrootive dater. 

l\. 'h ~, \ ) 

I$‘-yOWr OIU3iBi t0 qU4StiJA 110. 1 ‘iS 1A 

tbe’urfirgetlv.6~ OhOuld 8uoh fear be deposited in 

the state Trrr$sury to the oredlt of the 3tate Gonorul iieT4mao .4ulld? 

-4. If your answer to qutistlan h'0. 1 Lo in 

tho afflriatlvo, and it la found that a olork, 

2oputg olsr~, eterxw-taphor or any other er?ployoo 

cf the Zaurt or Civil &?;ealo ims retahod suoh 

fC03, &ol;ld mch cc;ployoe r&zburse the State by 

cm depof5itlLy: ~11 such feae 12 t;te ,tata Tmosury 
687 

aal what stat0 agraoy should tallow throu@ la the 

QOlhOtlOA Of WCh"SOe8 SrOol SUOh COW ~plOy?087 

-5; aa~ a alerk et the Court 0s Cltll up 

aools legally rllo ~.!i l fildavlt nlth tbr 3t.t. 

Comptroller ra .A 08pla~o or the court, otbrrr 

t&an htiaolf, uadar the law requiring tba riling 

or arr~~wa by oourt anploy... a. to saoe .olleOt.d? (l’l..iOUad iA.t.AO.8 UiI.m the olmrk OS 

the oourt Sllod an affldavlt rrhloh l tatod t t aa 

aaalatant, a Deputy clerk, h.d not 

taoa). 

rstalmd $nt 

"6. zihould auraty bond. Surnlahed~by clorka 

and/or i2th.r .mploy.aa of the roapeotlro Court8 OS 

Cloll klq4~ala, olther ~~60~1 Wnda or othor type8 

of porfcirLuisoe bonda,. be roA6wed opoa Faoh appolntrat to tona OS oSSloo or eawa bond Surnlahed upon 

the 0riglDaL ap lntment 8urri.. for ssoo~aalro 

appolatarnt? 4r .o, who should b. boadod aad to 

BhOin rhoulsl the bonds bo p.#.bla?. Yurthor, in wh.t 

aMOUAt8 .hould the.. bond. be, and should tho I%- 

qwotlw employoea pcrp ttle Qreallle~ 011. mluh bcnda, 

or can auoh ~remluam bo lomlly paldYrom tba maint0wAOO apgroprlatlon U1ott.d to th. rerpeotivo 

'Court. OS ClTil kppoalat, 

Cndor tho approprlatlon bllla for th. 

throo$ar erlod l tied aumat 3lat 1944 Sor the 

Court4 of CYtll Agpeala ena 8Wh dirt* legalf 

expend nawys dlr*otly fr othalr m l pproprlatlona 

Sor booka, Sor other thlngr (a. t.lephOn. aonloe, 

poatagi, repairs t.~ l puipwnt) and for the purohaao 

o f l qulpment? 

W.b ii8 iound iA O&B Of the OOWtS tbst th0 

Clerk of the court had ptuobawd two $.500.00 0. 3. 

3ofena. soads out OS a speolal bank amount whloh 

ropressnteu foas rooairod by the court Clark for 

sn5ertffl.d oO~1.a Of O~iiIiOA.,..tO. 

aoour;ul~tion cf 5uch fsss over. par i od or r*vorql 

and was an 

yaarh ~tsse feea were balrr;; oarrlod IA tha npooial bank ocaount SUY thy olerk waa AOt 9Ur0 whether 

3Uoh foes **reuld sts~tually. balom to bin or to t!m 

.:ta te of "exas. TIM bonds were mnde papablo to 
688 

.'a;;orable C. !I. Cavnesa, Page 3 

tbo olerk ot the Court and/or his uli'e. --tlestlonr 

can any employee or a court 0r ciivll APQO~ 

gaily invest suoh rund0, held in e8orow rOr rhd 

* determination aa to ownership, in shy type lnveat- 

.aoat or should auoh funda remain in ths rorm or 

oaah (or on daposlt lh a bank)? 

:' 

"9. Ye r00nb ln sfferal or the oourts that 

. the ~elerlc~ orsuch oourts are aolhating !portago* 

money iron attorneya and othera, to cover the ooat 

0r afilliq papsra to the 3upreme Court, eto. 30 

find that in.aome courts this mohey is not made a 

part oi the oourt'a oaah reoelpts but is retained 

by the Olerk or the court aqd aa he malls auoh 

papers h6 pays the postage out oi hla pocket, all 

or tiloh means that ho aoourate reoord la malntalned or the oash reoeipta and 6labur;;menn~o~Yerlng thle postage money. -uest1on: 

legal authorlzatlon.tor the-to make thesepostage oolleotiona aad should they be aoaounted 

rot in the 6ame maaner~'aa other iaea or orfloe, 

whether ?r not legally authorized?* 

yor the sake or ola&ty, 910 ~111 anauer~your gueetlons separately and in numsrloal order. 

. : 

To qmBtlon tJ0. 1 we answer al iOilOwat 

&iole 3924, v. A. C. 3., reads in part; 

*me olerka or the Gourta or ~1~11 Appeals 

ahall Yeoelre the r0ii0ning r008: ..* xakhg 

oopiespf any papers or reoords in their OrrlOse, 

lnoludi'bg oertlfloate and seal, for eaoh 100 

nerds . . . . . . . . :. . . . . . . . .lO 

. . .L vor oertirloate and seal, where aaas le 

neoeaaary . . , . . . . . . . . . . . 6 .50 

. . .n; 

Said Article 3924 vraa enaoted ln its present-form 

in 1893, and the herein quoted provlalons of aam oonstltute 

the only statement within said ..irtlole that oonoelvably Gould 

be construed as providing ror the colleotlon or reea for uncertified copies or oplnlons delivered out of the office of 

the clerk of ?.he Court OS civil h~geals. In 1929, by opinion 
689 

:io. 27t7, this 3epnrtaent h$d t+at au&h provIsIons as ooktalned 

iA sold .atlcle 3924 wore *l&ended to inelude only aoh oozier 

c&at are OertItIOd*. w bellote that thlr opinion 18 sound ana 

truly expreues the law lu regard to uld titlola 5934 in queet:on,. but In re@rd to other oatter8 rrlmraby.:ho holdIn;J In 

;uld opl~lon MY seaa oontlIotlm dth the holding haroln, rre 

;iolnt wit that ths ‘Aat ci the Iaglrlature lmolved lo sJd opinion I8 80 

eh” 

t4 and Urtlnet rr0m the l otr henia oonsIdere6. 

2 borewl 

lace 875). 

OAalOae a oopy ar said oginion x0* SW37 (Book bs, 

lWwever, lo 1933, thm 4Srd LegIalatum emoted a statute (page SO, Oonorai Law4 or Toxu, 1933) ~rotI4Ing that the 

-1arlao of alL state orrloers .and employees, l zoept ju&:es of 

certain oourte, eto. should be ior the period beglnniag 9epl &ber 1, 1933, aad endhg August 31, 1935, suoh OUEU or amounts 

;1a day be prorlded ror by the bglrrhture In the eonoral ,approi 

;rlatlon bIl1, and that all lsas.and garts or laws. rlxIna the 

salarleo ot suoh state oKIorrs a&l employees ware thereby speolfloally repealad, In so far a4 they canillotad with ouch xot. 

Then In, aotlgn 3 of the eeneral apptoprlatlan bill emoted by 

said Leglel+ure, the r0ir0dng l.angua~ appeared: 

*AU roe8 

eaployeea, or a E 

aid to clerks or orrioera. or other 

1 apgpellate oourts namd herein, 

either ror ofYIola1 or unortloial co~les or oplniOM, Ol' r0r oth4r 44nlos4 or dOWiWJAt8, shall M 

dagOOit4d MOAthly iA tht3 akte ‘Pna4UI’y, Md AOne 

or 4wh re0a 4hall be rotebad by aaId orrloer8 or 

0lerke.a 

The oublsrt aattor oi the abon quoted provld oaa wea 

a4OiiUatOly oontainrd in the osptioa or raid geluraL appropriatiOA bill, :- 

.iOte subatantlally the same ai that found at page 59 

iA the General Laws ol' Texa8, 1933, seperate an4 apart frog the 

general wpropriatlon eots, ware enacted by eaoh suooeedinq 

L@ahtWe,~hiOludlr~ the ourrent OAe.. (i\Otr 1938, ~a 1241 

Acts 1937, p. 1539; AOtS 1939, pa 619) AOtS 1941 p.~E13; ;,Otl 

1343, p* 4Wl. Ailso, eaoh euoh suooeedlng Le~js~ature l neotad 

;rro*iaions In their genanl appropriation bills ragardlng the 

dirr;oaltIon of such reas reoolred by said oler?cs and other 

eqloyoos for otflolal or UAJffiOiui ooples of oplnlons, *to., 

slmllar to the hsrelaabove goted protlslon~. Boaring this 
In Jnd, 5ro bellaT@ that the aboym uotea ro~laiona or ~11 

Cl:8 appropriation aot8, bugbnlng w 1 tb &Qd to the pnmnt 

:.3 50 vntja and aubaiatioa, aa th8 only 18~ aontrolllxg tit-4 

Llsposltlon of euoh r008. In this view, wo ara auppcrtea by 

-in o~lnlon or this a9partaUAt r;rittm lo 19S9, wharoin sitihr ~roVioiOna aontalnmd in the ganaral ap roprlatlona got 

sr 1937 non auatalfm4. 30 am (~~iaaia& 1 smrlth a aopy OS 

:hla opinion It& 0416, nith th. aktwauat that when mmh 

opinion oonillatto with our riawa rxprorrd homln, aala oplnloa x0. c-318 la ovorrui*d to that axtent. vo as0 owrrulm 

il letter. 0pLni0n of bat0 October 17, lOSSI by S&et aalnra 

2nd 2. B. Andaraoni Aaalataat Attom 8 i3enara1, to 3. A* 

; nlllqulat, clerk of thu Oourb 0s tit1 I Appeals, a .aog or 

.hlah was arbaittsd to UI with your request for an OQ I nloa 

son %Isae subjeota, a8 wa bellow tha writers ot that letter 

opinion ralled~ to aonalbar the indrpmdant ~0% or 1933, paw 

53. 

~z5lt05lzins th0 rorclgolng, x0 hold that ma atgust 

31, 1933, to the jiroesnt tlae, all such fees ardor charges 

colloatod 113 th8 orilou or tha ciork or tha cant of cltll 

-+pals ror welri0d aoplea of opltiona oonatltute *Ibaa 

o f o fflo e* a nti lhoul6 be aaoounted for aa emoh, 

The a&bore fully an&wore your quaatlon tfor 2, 

%a answer your cuuatlon lie. ,3 as Zallowsr AU. 8ueh 

caaa 50 aollaatod Srom Ayuat 31, 1933, w the prssrnt 8hhouia 

be asposited in the +ate Tmaaurp to tha oredit 6f the Conera1 iieYuUa fund. 

Cur anaww to your quoatlon X3. 4 lo that all 2Wh 

r448 00 00114atwl should be aaaounts8 tar ma ai8poma of aa 

direst46 ln our anawur to your question x0. 3. A* to ths 

aeaoad part of rwh +satlon, YPS quote fma irtioh ~rJer, 

V. x0 c. ch, 88 roU,rrras _? z 

*AmpDn(: other butlrs the COmptmllat Shall1 

“8. Raqulre all parsons who hzwa ~0OlW.I 

ad not aaoDunted ror any mmoy belonging to the 

3tato to settle their aooouttaee 

Cur answer to your queutlon Eo. 5 is a8 rollma: 

3OOtiOA s Or th0 ~PAOXX). ~r~viama sf the ourrent JadoiarY 

a~prOpri&,iOn (p.qO 1336, wmral ad ‘~pdnl ha of To=*, 

1943) prOVla8~ Cha,t OtlCh 4OtCt ~llpiO340 Whose %hrY 1s Provldod itxtrolu, ox0a,pt +rtaru, 3hll rib with the cosptrollor 
the arsldarlt gmrlded SOr theSal& Like provlalona BIY 

round In the reapeotlie app prlatloaa mmlo r0r tha judiola~ 

IA 1335, 1937, 1339, and 1 P 41. %e ballovw thew grovlalona 

;-oqylra a poraonal 8r’tlaatit Srom aaob tuaployea. 

Our anawr to your r;uestloa no. 6 la a8 rollourat 

.stlole lfw, V. ‘A* a. ~3. prwldoa ror tba appolatnant 0s a 

clerk SOr a-aah Court OS oft11 APpMlS tor a tua of two youa. 

.rtlole 1333, V. he 4. 3.. pror idet&t s l aoh auoh olark any 

irigolnt OIMB ohlrS deputy aad, srlth tha approval or the oourt, 

ha may apFolnt additional daputlea, and l aah daputr &all 

::lve bond to tha alerk Sor thr SaithSul alaaharga or his duty. 

.;lao, artlolo 1698, V. A* C. 3.. provlAoa Sor a bond to be 

ado by the olark Sbr rive thousand dollars payable to the 

^rDwraor, aondltlmtd ror the ralthiul perrormame or tha duLies oS his OSSlaa, to be apprwed by any Judge oS hla aourt. 

xtiole 1036, V. A. c4 se, grovlbea for t&a a?golatmant by 

fho court OS 0110 atanographer, who shall be awora and who 

rrmll &a’ bond for two thousand dollua pagPbl@ to tha atate 

Or To2~~~,cOautiO~a iOr the fdthf~l prtOrmAO0 Of his &Aties, to be ap2roveA by tho Chief ~uatloa or raid court. The 

Cleric la the Only ouo for whlah ,a daSlnlta term of oSSlaa la 

grwiaoa. 

rh 34 Toxaa fWiSpNa~nO0 on page, 604, the r0ii0rin(l la ssld it regard to torzw or oSSlaa or Aeputlea gonerally: 

"The OOABtitUtiOMl pl’OYiSiOA ihitiIZ$ %hO 

term or os!l cue to two yaua applka to deputloa 

uho are thozmolvoa orSlasra, but not to daputloa 

who are aot 0rri0ero. The appolntmant or a asputy who la not wIthin the ooAatltutloMl provlslon, and whloh is not for a4 ~artloular duration 

or time, la aoortenalw in duration ulth tha tourd or tho orflou appointing hln, aab, unless 

8oonor removed, ho ho&da until tho axplratlon OS 

the orrlaer*s tom, et%l oeaaea to hold at that 

tlma unless he la reappointed.* 

In regard ts tto *orri00* or *goaitlonn OS atanog~ 

rapher, aa croatod by aald Artiolr l&36, no quote Srm t%o 

aase OS ilobutson v, “;llfa bounty, 61 3. s* 1097, (clr. zap.-- 

::o spp.) in which the court dlspoaod Or the CUOatlOn ns to 

Aothor or not t!!o $osltlon oS ofSlola1 stenographer 3: tho 

district aourt, created by Aiots of 1003, p. C54, whlo!~ provldod that suah ~tono~:repSer should SO a sworn OfZlOor of the 
co&t and hold offlao during the learum ,of t!m oourt, 1s 

ali *~tSlae* aa that term 18 used f n the Coootltutio~l grofilbltfon againrt Amy oltlC@ timlog a ter m lxoeidl 

7 

two year8 

‘hers not flxrd by the Coartltution~ The holting A this 

XS~6Ot 18 a8 ftJlkW8f 

=m COAOlUd@ th a t wh ile the QOlliti~OA o f l 

tteAo(lrapher, tuder t&e statute IA this State, 

MY be, 1A a HA(W, mA offlab, UAd the tenr them- 

;:t% 

a~atiaw .ror a longer per106 than two yeam, 

XW 143 A0 sUOh 807Odgn fUAOtiOA Or 607OtA- 

-At embraced iA th0 Powers OOIbfOrl'Od llpOA th6 indlvldUS1 perSoralng it8 dutlee a6 brirrga It dthln 

the manlAg of the word *oifloe* a@ uwd la tha 

SSStiOA Of tbs COAStitUtiOA quoted." 

xlso 800 the Oaw or Be-r Count, T* cazl?y, 192 S. a. (2) 

702 (clv. Arqh-wo apjh). 

In vler Cz tba SoregaL~, 7m 80fioiuae that me clerks 

Jr. the courtn Of Cltll i5ppSls, their deputlsa, and t&a ilteaoeraphera, aaah, 8h0uia ~170 bondrb The olerkv a bond &mild be 

In the aGl0uat or tl~s thouaaad a0iwa payable to the ooveraor. 

‘The degutles~ bmds should be IA a raSeor;able SAOUA~ a8 set by 

tie clerft cd payable to tha olork. The stsaogrmher8* bonds 

should be IA the acmunt of two thousnnd~dollaru p&able to the 

stats OS ~exaa~ Th8 alork aid hle d6putles. saoh, should glra 

A@JW bonds UpOA ttieir appOiAtA8At to 6aQh tOr@l Of Offhe--th. 

deputleu' term8 oxplrl~g with the clerk’s term. rho rtenwgra>her, belagan employee of the,aourt; may be appolntod ior 

ae long d term a8 ths court nay see fit, tenxbatlve at asqr 

tlrm at th ~111 or the-aaurt, and the orlglnal bon4 would 

surfloe tor the duration or such term, u~lesa otherulw litited by lta term& %a rind AA proolslo~ of the Atatuto or 

speolflo I$onr la the appropriation biU allowlng t& premium8 

OA aaJT of ‘iiuoh bonds t0 bs paid themfrOm. Thlr depart&oat 

has ruled lr siinilar SitUStiOAs ttmt mch bond prual~qs MAnot be re,garded a8 a ContiAgant iteA of eXWAEI0 lawfully to 

be lriourred onaer the epproprlatlon, and, thereion, such 

bona gmnluuia my not be pala out jr tha 0ontlAvmt sxponse 

fund of ouch approprlntlon. xe are herewith enclosing a oopy 

of our opialon Ho. O-2092, holdip? to this OffeOt. 

Cur kwswer to your ~;,ueotlon Ko. 9, 1s t&i& unjer the 

~;oceml ;ro~lofonn or em last, two appropriation bills, r,Uoh 
:imorable c. A. Umnese, kage 0 

ime similar and oowm the period of time in ~;ueet.loA, the 

Courts of Civil ~ppsole ara allowed to have transfers or 

~~ii;uet=leAte Aude between appropriated amounts for books, 

c:~ulpmbnt ,maintenance, aa oontlnfgnt 1 terns. Yle believe 

:..e Le;:lslature oontexplated thnt upon the request or order 

or tke Court ,0r Clvll A;)peals such tranersr8 or tBdjU8tUMtS 

.tiould be mado between the accounts OA the records 1A the 

2fqce or the state Ccwptroller and then a warmAt drawn OA 

tt.e proper l c a o ua bo t whloh such transfer or adjustment was 

.:ade. These protlelone appear QA pa80 1057 of Cenaral and 

;peolal ~WS Or TOXM, 1943, and page 214 Of Celaral and 

:peolal Laws.or TI~JIS, 1941. 

Regardlag your queetioA blo. 8, we rater you to our 

.i~swer to qxietlon Bo. 3, wherein we spealrlcally point oti 

t30 proper dleposltlon 0r auoh~rteee. any other dlspoaltion 

of ssix) 1s mauthorlzad by law. 

In reegeot to your qusetion No. 9, we assume tho 

*postage ,ocUeotlone* referred to by you, to be the sums 

surtiolent to pay the expreeea6~ or carriage or the record 

colloated by the clerk rroa partlee applylng to the Suprese 

Gsurt ror a writ or error. Fhle he is authorlaed to do by 

3FUi93, s~i4313 0r c;ivii h9300aur0, k0g3 1939, 46th LegisFrlor to the enactment of this Rule, the identical 

provisions or earn were oontaiaed in Lrtlale 1943, aev+md 

civil Statutes or Texas, 1925. The provielone of eeld Rule 

493 are as roiiotlr84 

"The QOtitiOA with the original reoord ln 

the ct38e, ana the oplnlons 0r the court or civil 

,$ppoale, and the OIOtiOA.fiha therein, ard oertlflea aoplse .or tim judgments and orders of the 

court or ~1~11 iippeale arrci copy Or the agpeal or 

euperaedetia bond shall be filed with the Suprezne 

Court. Then party applylncl, for the wrl t or error 

ahal deposit with th6. olerk of the Court of Civil 

r\ppeal.s asum suffiaient to pay the expr~SeW3e or 

oarrlags or ths reoord to and from the clerk of 

the 3upreffie court, rhich sum shall be charged as 

00st8 0r suit.” 

“:s belisvc that both the statute ad ths yule aonterplote that the Clerk collect s mm no 'more und 110 less 

than the exact acmunt moessary to pay for the transportation 

sl the record as provided. Therefore, us 0 Qatter oi’ law, 
. 

694 

iixcr~~blo G. H. CQVMSS, rage 9 

:Irtor the transportation cixir.;es are paid by the Clerk there 

:.ould be no balunoe on hand nor a deflolt In re(iard to suoh 

SKII colleoted; however, as a praotloal matter, -<here 1s bound 

to be eicess amounts in some lnstanoes and insufrlolenoea in 

Ahers,. due to human errors of mlsoaloulatlon of the trans- 

;ortation rates, as such caloulations arm mde in adtanooe by 

;!~ceseity. Mhen an 1ntWfiolent emount is colleoted by the 

Aerk, we believe he is empowered to oollsot an addltlonal de- 

>oslt from the litigant, sufflolent to gay for the transporta- 

-ion or the woord. Likewise, when an afoess remains in tbs 

:lcrk*s tanda, arter all suoh transportation charger are paid, 

:ie believe he la authorized to, and by right should, return 

r-uch exoess to ‘the lltlgant w&o deposited same, am the clerk 

is not authorized to reoelre more than the sum 8wri0itbnt~ to 

:sy for such transportation. Tany oaae, we believe the 

law requires that an accurate aOOOUBt be kept of suoh reoelpts 

i;nd disbursements, as of other ooats. 

Trusting the to&going fully answers your questions, 

*:;e are returning herewith the various instruments in writing 

:~lch you submitted with your request for an opinion. 

YOUr8 very truly 

Robert L. Lattlmore, Z?. 

Aaalstant