OFFICE OF THE A‘lTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN

HonorableL. A. Bauer county AuLudltor Cansron **County** Ezuwnsville,

Texas Deer Girt

Cameron County‘?

of this Dapsrtm in part as $011 requestingthe oginlcn ed therein read8
iral Bistrlo

t il Bond was 

## r0r0r the derendsnt. me of the State st oertsin property. the rull amount 0r er with oosts or the Xstriat

eztain as to the proper dials rorreiture.

e r‘iotriot

Attorney entitled to 10% (Art. 950) end do we peg.hhn direot or **to the**  **%ete Treasurer?**  “Is the Clstrlot Clerk entitled to 5% (Art. 950) oommlsalal?DonorableL. A. Bauer, Page 2

"Is the Sherirr entitled to 5s (Art. 95.1)~ “Whnt dispasitionshculd be made of the balanceof this money?- Camron County has a populatim of apprsriuataly 81,227 knhabitants aaao?dlng to the 19!+0 Federal Census. The COUnty OfiiOiFdS Or said Musty ara sompensatedoa aa annual salary basis as authorisedby Ceotion 1) of krtiele 3912(e), Vernon'sAnnotatedCivil Satutes.

Artiole 322, Vernon's AnnotatedCivil Statutes, provide8in part:

n * * * Thsre shall alao be eleotod a Criznlnal

Distkt Attorney l'or * * *the aountles of tiueoes,

Klebarg, Bensdg, Wlllacy and Cameron.” The CriminalDistrlot Attorneywho is eleotedby virtue of this statute is eompeosatedby the State ss au-. thorisedby ~eotiun 18 d Artlsle 3912(e), Verncn*sAnnotated Civil Statutes.

Seotlon 1 of Artiole 3912(e), suura, provides: “No distriotoffioer ahall be paid by the Stats or Texas any tees or oommisaions for any servioesperlorosd by him; nor shall the State or any county payto,ady county orrioer in any oounty oontaininga populatlcaor twenty thousex (20,000)inhabitantaor sore aooording to the last preoedlng FederalCensus any ree of aommission ior say servioe by him perrormad aa such orrioer;provided,hunever, that the assessor and oolleotor of taxes shell continue to oolleot and retain ror the benerlt of the Orrfoers~Salary Fund or funds hsreinefter providedfor, ml1 tees and oonakisaions whioh ha is authorizedunder law to aolleot;and it ahallbe his duty to aooount ror and to pay allyoh monies rooelved ~~a~~o~tod$at&nd or r nds.@raatadand Prov pro sion~ or tNs Aot; provided further, that the provi3ions or thie 53otion shell nut afreot tte payment of coots in olvil oases by the State,gonorable L. A. Bauer, Page 3

but all such oosta so paid shall be aocounted ror by the ortloers oolleotlngthe same, as they are required under the prorieionsor this Aot to eooount

## rar rem, wmmis8ions and costs eolleotedfrom prlratepartias.w SeotIon 5 of Artiole 3912(e) prorldes In pert: *It shall be the duty or all orrioers to ohsrge and oolleot in the manner authorizedby law all tses and oommieaiona which are permitted by law to bs aeaoreed and oolleoted for all orrielals aerviees perrowed by them. As and when such roes are wlleoted they shell be deposited in the Oi:Ioers* Czltr$ fund, or funds provided in this Aot. The C3dWoi CriminalErooedure particularlaes eaoh Incident

in the oolleotion0r rorreltsdreoognlzanoes**wd** nil Zonds. Without quoting these statutes, we only refer w them, n~oly, drtlole 424-440, ino., Pornon's hnnotsted &de or Criminal yrooedure.

It Is stated in Texas Jurisprudenoe, Vol. 5, page 924: The undertakingof the ball is an original undertakingfor the appearenoeof the prinoipsl to answer the ohurge againsthim. If they do not have him In oourt aooordlngto the terma or their obligation,the undertaking stands forfeited, the prooeedlngto exaot iorfelture being presorlbedby statute.

In order to oompeneato the oounty In whioh a orImlns1

proseoutionis had, provIsionsIs made by the wde (~.rticle

949., Code of Criminal Frooedure) for the payment to tb::t oounty or the Bmount oolleoted from forreited ~11 3ondoi the sums are not requlrod to bs paid into the $teteTreasury for the benefit or the State at large.Honora

bls I. A. Baucr, Page 4

Artiole 949, supra, provide5 Ir. port: "Sowy oolleotedby an officer upon rowgnlzenoo8,Eell

Rends end other oblicqtions rooovered upon in the mm or the State * * * shell herewith bs paid over by the oiiioera ccllootlngthe same to the County Treaeurerof the proper county after rlrnt deduotiag thereiron the legal iQO3 and oomi~ai~n~ Por 00ile0ting the Lmne.~ Artiolae950 end 951, Vernon*8 AnnotatedCode CrinioelProoedure,read ee follows: 0r

"Artiole 950. The distriot ar oounty attorney shall be entitled to ten proent of all Pines, ParPeltures or noneye oclleotedPor the Ptote or oounty, upon judgmentsrecoosredby hln; end the Clerk or the Court in uhlch said judgments am rendered shell be entitled to Plve .psroent or the amounts or said judgm5nt5,to be paid out oP the amount v;han collected." *Art1 ale 951. The t%srlfi or other orrioer, exoept the Juotioe oP the I%808 or his Clerk, I&O oolleotsmoney Par the C-tats or county, eroept Jury foeo, under any pr~visloM~oP thin oode, shall be entitled to retain 

## rive peroent theroafwhen oolleoted.*

816: It in stated in Texas Jurlsprudenoe, Vol. 19, page

I "The Dlstriot or County Attorney in entitled tc

ten peroent or all Porieituresoolleotod Par the %x&e or oountp;upoa judgment5reooverodby him. The right to such oommlaeione hse been held to be subordinateto the right oP the governor to remit rim8 and rorteituree,and with them, nil olalme and oonr;~lsalons

for attemptingto oolleot the money. Cok~~isslons

on adjudged Porieitureebeomo due to the ettorneysrepresenting theYtate Only when the zoncy ie oclleoted,and they are to bc token out ot such money; they are oont and cannot be taxes sa suoh... Honorable L. A. Bauer, Page 5

“The statuteproviding that the Clerk or the Court aball bs entitled to tlve peroent

## on all -fInea, 

## rm feituree or moneys oolleotodrar the %ete or COUIty upOn Judgmentsreoovered in the Court epplls0 only to sotlona **over** whloh the **Ori.tdIl~l** OOUFtE hbV0 jUriEdiotion, and whiob 8hmld be proseauted,insuab oourto, and not the Judgments for money reowerod in olvil eotlonsproseoutedin' behalf of the s!Yiete. wPorfeiturea

map be oolleoted in lawful money rrom the United States only, and when oaaleotedthey munt be paid over to the County %waeumr~ after deduoting the legal feee end oollmlsalotls."

522: It la stated in Texas Jurisprudenoe, Vol. 34, pege

R * * * To entitle an airLeer to reoeive tee8 ar oomlaaiona, the **reoeigt** thereor must hwe been provided Por and the amount, Plred by 9ma; end he nust have perfornmd the servloes **Por** which oompeneatlcnhea bsen ageoifled. * * **
In view of the foregoing you are reo;?eotPully edvieed thtit, it Is the opinion of thie Cepastmentthnt the iiiotriot Attorney,

thu ListriOt Clerk and the Sheriff are not lsgelly atitled to personally reeoirr any oommiaslon wbataoever,but #uehoomnl6slon8

when oolleetedmist b@ plaoed in the Orrioers* &lary Fund ea required by **neotlon** 5 of Artiole 39l2(s), supra. you are further advised that no part oP the money **roaeirod** by drtue of the Pnrfeitwe of the Ball Bond Is paid to tha Stats, w **suoh** money lsaa the uomnisslonsauthorizedby law must k paldinto the County Weaaut-Yi.

It, will be noted that the Dietriot Attorxmy is entitled taten peroent ootaxla8lon and the DistriotClerk fs entitled to five peraeut oomlssion and the %sridf ib entitled to five proent carmfaelonby YLrtue of t!m above nentloned attiutis, haever, aa heretoforeateted, these oPPloiale are not pertitted orauthorizedby lea to pernonallyretsin these oonmi~tio~1~, but llust pay them lntc the Orfloers' Salary Fund. The balemoe renrinicg

eiter the deductionsoP the ao,mmieelona euthorlzed **by**j@uorable L. A. Sauer, Page 6

tro@ould be paid Into the Reed end BrSage mnd or the oounty byrfrtaaor drtiole 1626 ana 1628, ~ernon’~Annotated cirtl mtutea - Truetlngthat the foregoingfully ensvmm yam inquiry, m ara