Bon, &A. Hodges 

County Auditaxw1111zaM0n county 

cmrgetolm, lkxaa 

Dear slrr 

A&L/& 

opinion Ho. O-1510 

Rer Does the mmlirrslana / 6’ court have 

the legal authority to enact a law 

egel.n~t rspemling and the overlondl.n$ of tntok6 when traveling the 

hlgbmayb In the oounty and appoint 

an ofiiaer to enforae 8eme or make 

awe&s when violations occur? 

(And refited queritlcmts.) 

Your reqwnt for our opinion on the questiona as are 

herein stated ha8 been maalved by th4.a depfmtment, 

"1. he8 thaCm~WslonemCowthavethelaga1 

atat&rity to enaot a Zarr 8gainst '8p8ed%.ngt and the ovwloadlngeit~~eksuhm &avelingthehigbwrys tithe 

County and appoint an offioa to enfarar stem, or make 

arrwts when vlelatlons 0ocurT 

"2. Bail the law permit the O~~llioaar~ Court 

to appoint an otffa8c to operate under Article 827-A, P.C.; 

and the sections la bowmotIon with th%r artlele? 

*3. Does the City Council have the legal authority to enact an ordinance and umk8 appointments as 8& out in 

my questlonb HoO'n. 1 and 2?' 

r011om: 

Baction 2 of Artlala 3 of the St&to Cermtitution reed88 as 

of thls Nate Bhsll be . __ 

vested Ln a senate ma hw~e or repr8sent8tzPd8, *wan 

together shall be utyled the Leglslafure of the 8tate of 

Texas.” 

The above quoted reotian of' the ConatltI&.lon vestn in the 

Legirlrature all legislstlve powera whioh the people pfm8c8s unlew lialted 

by sime other pnwiaion 0r the instramtentr he the me08 of Brown vrh 

City of Qalva ton 55 g,V, 488; ZWexwtate Pomarctlng Co. VI. Vineyard, 

8 8.U. (Sa) $71 &xl Eoui% Merage Co. vs. Bow&e Badepwdent gahool 

Mstriat, 63 8.W. (2d) 108&. 
Hon. B.A. Hedges, Page2 O-1510 

as fo2lowst 

We quota Srum Texan Jurisprudehoe, Volunte 11, ,psge f&, 

"CommlssIon*rs aourts are 'oourts of lifnlted 

jurlsdictlon, In thst their authority extends only to 

matt.iW% pert%InIng to the general usifare OS their 

respeative oountles, and, that theIxpouer6 are only 

those expressly OP Inplledly aonSe??xtd upon them by 

lau, that is, by the Constltutton Urd mtetutes of ths 

state.” 

Artiale 2351, 13ernonfs Civil HMmtes, astttng forth $he 

.@imr% and dUtle6 OS the ~~dt1810~a-6 +ut?tS, does not authorlxd such 

~apz@t to enaat laws. 

mereSore, you are resp&Uully YadvIsed that 'It Is $he 

~Sq4nian.pf this departqnt that the ~omnlSnicmerls~ Court does mot,:hstib the 

@ouar: op lags1 authority to enact a law %&sitiat BpaedImg and .theopsir;- 

::loscting OS trucks wh&n travelIn% the hI@ways In the aountyand ap&+Int 

ul OfSl~er td-eniorm! such la!t%, or 1~8ke SrreSe% when'Vf~2atl0ti @+ri 

RagaxWng ywr seaond question, We quota Article 669,~W 

Jk#mmn's Civil statutes: 

"' uplza CopanlSrri~ne~s~.aour~~'i'~S each county, 

a;gi”g in oonjunat oa.kIth the sherlft, xay enpLoy 

than larg 

~lilfe ~&dWf 

t 2)~ rb@8r~dQpu@os ilOP alwe then 

onal dsputles Ser sp(tuIa~ aswgsney t6 

,'aid .mld r&ula~ deputies to be kt&p &it@: sounW.: traiila 

offfs~s to enSwee theh&wsy laW+S thS.6 Nate 

.~ul&p4 the ul;e~ oi.tb publIe l@hitsy?s:by 6wt.v 

Ssld dsputIes~sball be~~$ihsMver praaticabls, 

mOt&oysie riders and shall be as%.&ied tO~w4rk~under 

th8 dfPQotion ox $h8 .dhmfr, lbe~?4@iail give bsnd 

and take oath OS ofSIee a6 othsr demsWe%, !Shey a%y 

b~.diSaipned l!ram servioe on Mqu~fWoS the 6herl.H 

uhenevecr.approved by the coaPnisalofi~re aourt, or by aSId 

court on..Zt;s#n lnlt~lat We, ~whmaeva~ .thelp ser~icos .ea. no 

1omge.r needed or had not been 8at18Saaatoraq Ths ami- 1 

~is8ieners wurt 8hall fix tlwti e~mtlen prior t6 

~thels selestlon,, and xay prwtde a$Y$he eafjmm of WIfb 

eciuntyi heaesnsarg equipment .for 88id:~T0fra6iP8. lche psy. 

OS said deputies shall tit be Inaluded Im ths 6ettWmt 

of the sherltf in aceount~~ Sor SW* oS~oSSica. lkw :: 

Ehe puPpose as th3.a hq, the ouQlais*iorrcEM Emart or 

0ountIes whose Sunds Srom tha'motor~re~latration Sees 

videdhQlm.namount toThIrtyTh~d*llars 

p" $30,000,00) or Over:,, may use not creeds Sliw 

peg amt 

($$6) 

c#%e"hau: 9 

S na~d~f’urdq paid no+ to::~oeWseven'olid 

7s) pqlP oaat~r susb Sun&:InwJuncIss 

PQclbiQiag a. leSSOr Bpwynf ficw &U&:.~&$8tiR@iOn~ Baid 

deputies shall at all times coepsratq,vIth he p6llae 

depaHiqent oi eaoh city er temn w&thkmthe county, 'In 

the enfopaement 0S 8atd traSSI0 l&M8Tiher@n and all 

other paPti3 OS the ooua$y, al@ Ihall~;:~~:hwe tko srrru 

and duty to arrest vltaators of 511.&tue as &tar &mu T*u 

ShOrlfS8 hsve." 
ISon. %A. ltodges, Page 3 

The courts 0S 

Artiole 821s, Vernon'8 Penal 

and *el.ght~Inspeo~ors o< th? _ _ 

O-Q310 

this State have held that Section 6 6s 

Code, aoniarrlng authcwlty upon license 

Sta+-B-$#mfw p6pgp*qt + y+ 

dz?;svem ana operatolrs or lossoF venxoles to nave mew mmcs ena aon- 

.oonstables,and 

nharlrr; manoy 

See the asses 

OS Head vd Pkeight Llnea, 

In VI- OS the above holding, the pcmew given oountiy 

tm.SSla ofricers ti ditlcle f5699, Vernon~s Annotsted Clvll Statutes, 

as amended to enSorae the hIghway laws OS this StsCe regul%tQag &he use 

.oS publlo kigkuays by motozvahfales, oamot be ex$ended to Inaluda the 

authority to w&Q91 loaded vehialeel when they have ra8sou to believe that 

the gross uelght of suah vshlalss ls unlaWuli In our QpInlotr Ho. O-757, 

Written by Hon. DIek Stout; AsslsBant Attorney benersl, th%s depwtnqnt 

held that a county traSSio ofiioer, employed under Article 6699, T&~rnon~s 

Civil StatuEM, does not p~use&s tbe legs1 right tc# weigh truolm for 

purpo8e8 OS ascertaining Jfbetber they are aosded in excess of 7,000 

pounds In vidlatlon OS .&t&lo 82& Ve~non~s Anno@ted Pens1 Code. 

You are reapebtftilly ~tiiWl6ed that &he fA$amSsslO~ 

Oourt may appoint county trafrlc o;triaers waler Mt;isle 66% Vernon's 

Civil Statutes,~but suoh traSSio offiuaru ha- ne%&ho.&ty 60 weigh 

trucks or othq motor vehlCrle6. 

Your thtrd QUQS~~O~, ~~@wdl,ng the mhtWty or a city 

oounsllta ens&h Wdlrwmoe andlwske&ppo$i~tmz&$~ ass& sut in, 

your Questioru zalmwed 1 and 2, doas,aC$'re'l~te,~ thq QSfiOiax duties 

uf any county oSSloisl. 

third QuestIon, 

The$Pesolw, it Ifi llnnwQn&8py to answr y@lP 

8terana.W 

Trust~thatths ?wol.r@ Sully %muersyour Inqulq, . 

Youm very truly 

ATTOSWEY fBt'WU% qF !CSXAS 

BY a/ &dell WSllmiB 

&de21 Wtlliuao 

Assistant 

AWtpbprwe 

AppRoIoH)ocT13,1939 

:/ a(rrsld C, Wnn 

'cpoIIHIzpe~oFTflgAs 

~ApproMd oplni~n &mnIttee By n/6118 t3halha