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

**OROVER SELLERS**  **ATTORNEY QENCRAL** 

**Bonazablo** 

### LemlloD.Willlur **artriot** Atto?am~ 

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[on.Lo8110 D. Yllllams, P8.582

**Oi** SUCh depUti8S, asslrtants 8nd olerks arid fix tha OOmpansatiOn to b8 p8lQ themvlthln the llmitatlons harelu prerorlY=ed and determine the number to ba sppolnt8d

### aa in the dlsoretlon of said oourt mep be proper; provldod that In no oaae rhall the Commisrloners~ court Or 8nr membar ther8Of 8ttempt to influence th8 appointment of any person 88 **deputy,** assirt8at **or** olerk in any office. Upon the entry of ruoh Order the OffiCera a99lJiIIg **for #Uoh**  **8a8iat8Ut8,** deputies or clerks eh811 be authorized to sppoint them; provided that said conrp8nsatlon shall not exceed the maximum amount hereinafter set out.

. . .R
Artlola 

### 6869,V. **A.** C. 9. I8 aa follwr,:
"Sheriff8 8h811 have tha paver, by **writing,** to 8ppOiILtone ormore **dOpUti88** 

### ior their **rea** p,aotiveoountles, to oontlnue In 0frlc0 during the pleaaurs of the sheriff,vho shall h8t8 pwer and authority to pei'fWm 811 the 8CtS **aud** duties 0,"their prlMlpa1s; and every person 80 appointea shall, before he entera upon the fJutleaofhis offloe, take an3 aubsorl?e to the official oath, vhich shall be lndoraed onhis appointment, together vlth the oertlffcate of the officer edministering the same; and suoh appointment and~oath a:?311be recor3,edin the offlaecsf the County Clerk and deposited in s8ic'**offlca.** The number of deputies appointed **by** the sheriff of any one county shall be limited to not exceeding three in the Sustioe pseairictinwhich Ls located the county 3Lte of such county, and one In each Justlce greclnct, and a list of these appointments shellbc posted up in a conspicuous plaoe in the Clerk18 3Ffice. An indictment for a felony of any deputy zhorlff appolntod shall operatea revocation of hia cppointment aa such deputy sherifP. Provided further, that lf in the oplnlon of thn Commis3ionersl Court fees oi the sherlfffisof'f10b are not sufficient to justify the payment of salaries of such deputies, the Conmissionerst Court shall have the pw~r to pcy the same out sf theGeneral F.lr-d cp said cwnty.". I

Eon.Leslie D. Willlams, Page 3

Reusrdlng the a mole 3902 and Art1010 836 ointment of depkty shrrlfra, 

### 9 murt bo oons1dor.d end oonrtrued together. It haa been rapeat. held by thir offloe thatArtlole 3902 supersedesArtlole 68z9 insofar ea there 18 a oonfliot between auoh statutea. (300 our @I&a ~0. 042, s 00py of vhloh I8 8n0losed.) In the ease of Tl~mmel v. Shelton et al, 85 3,Y. 319, oonrtruillgArtiole 18% Revimd clvll Statutes, Court said, 1895, a atetuto similar to Artlolr 6&6g, the

“The statute::

does say thnt the sherifr rhall not appoint exoeeding three d,sputles in the justior~s prmirmt in vhloh Is looated.the oounty site. dlreatory,

. . ." Thla statute,ve think, 1s

In the 0850 of fleeperv. Btnart, 66 9.W. **(2d)** 812, lt 1s mid:
“Artlole 3902,R. 3. 1925, provldea for the appointment of tdsputlos or easistants’ ior oartaln oounty ofricers. The llrt of suoh offloors to vhloh that artiole 28 rpplioabls ie aa rollova; County judge, sherli?, oounty olerk, aounty attornsy, dlstriot attorney, distrlot olerk, tax oolleotor, tax assessor, justlam of the peooe, **and** oonstable. In that artlole Is found the follwing language: ‘Providedthat in no oesb shall seld oommlssloner~s oourt **or** eny member thereor attampt to Influence the eppolntrooatof any person 8s depu-1 ty or assistant la any offloe.@ A pub110 polloy 1s thereby manifested in oaae o? oounty and preclnot officers generally to **muparer** such officers to seleot their deputies or assistants and to So?bld the oommlssloner’s oourt, 

### or any member thereof, 

### from ottcmptlng to inflwnue suoh ofPlOer3 In their selection oi assistants. The re8son for thl8 policy is obvious. Offloors aleoted to discharge pub110 trusts, cod upon vhcm the x%sponsibllltg for the proper dlsaharge thereof rests, should be f-e to aeleot persona of their wn ohoice to assist them in ItsdlSObPrge.

. . .”

3.v. me oese of Tax-rant County et al II.Smith et al, al (rd) 537, among other things, holds,

. l .The COmTiBsioners1Court can limit the number and salary of sheriff dep’utizs, but they have no paver over the mm% 0: the individuals to be app0i5tea, and are especla lly prohibIted Srm atteWti% any suc;ilastnamad influenoe.

. a”Hon. Lerlie D. Yllllams, Page 4

In view of the foregoing authorities you are respeotfully advised that it 18 the oplnlon of this department that in no oaae may the Coaunlrslonorst Court 

### or any member thereoi attempt to lnfluenae the qppolntment of any porron aa deputy sheriff.

Yours very truly
**ATTORREYOElWtlAL** W l!XXAB

Arde12Ullllama 

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