OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OFTEXAS

AUSTIN

aonorakde 0. PEnctt Piorse SpcOkdr, %OU&eOf kpYEC?IJtat~VeS Austin, Tcxias

3y pxrletter 0 OS t&l6 depwtalcmt upon



### me parer of lrnp-ant tn the %ouse of liapreaentaLieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Treasurer, Gnm&3siotier of the ticneraxLand Oifiee, CoEPptrcller,audthe Jndges OP the %qwane Court, C-ourtof Appeals rendDletrict court shall be tried by the senate.

*set% 3. shea t&e Senate fo rtttl.ngue aCourt of Bnpeacbiueat,the Senatere4

### f&all be on oath, or affknx0ilon inqt*rtiaUy te

## 450

nonorable H. &mnettLiorse, June 10, l93ii. page 2

try theparty impeached, and no person shall be convicted aithout the coneurrenoe of tvothirds of the Senistorspresent.

.Seo. 4. Judgment In casea of Aupeaohment ahp11 extend only to rcanovalfrom offioe, and dzi.equalification from holding any offloe oi'honor trust or profit under this State. A party oonvloted on impeachment shall alsobe subjeat to indlotanenttrial and punishment acco-g to1aT.

*sea tb 41 omoers Pgaanst mm ortiales of hp8sebmnt may be preferred shall bs su~~enQedfromtheezeroiaeoS thedntiesof fbeir eSfie* ~tlurlngthe pandenw of maoh lmpeaokent. **lbe coverntw** **may make** **a pro+leaon**  3rppoinbnenttof3lltheraoa8xqocwsduaed trythe 8utfpen8ieaai 8n of?l.ooruntil t&oaeoielen on the 2nlpoae~ont.

iy laZ2 Ike trial an8 rmeiovalfrem offloo

me Logiarfam 8?mllplwla8

efaUofflw3rsof tU8StnY fbe~M6~for wid.id.me mt be8n pmwldad an tbls calstl-

~etWm~tis8hsmi@r~tobereso~taLP oxtrems ca888. state 7* autdag8. 011Ilema~ 68 I. v.~wh the oaumae centemplato8 as gram88 

### ser irrpoaohmemtcan .be nolthor trblal~nor 0aprMieug ask8 

### rust 8e re8trlotml b 

### 8amethlngof a mb8teatl.al n8taf-edirectly Ptiectlng the righta and intoro8ts~ of 

### the puhli4b -a they **mud be** **oaans 8ttoGhing**  to t&m ipsll.Slcat2on8

### of the etclcer, or hi8 pewSonnanoeoPhisdutiee, abow%ngthathei8not efltorpraper **person to**  **hold the**  0m0.8. **46** CoJop,JOeB ~oultoa v* ECUlly, 111Yaiaa, 42% 29 Afl.944. Mere neeilgexte or ox068s OS power rithout 

## ccmuptintentioa 10 net suoh an 

### offezme SOP uhich an officer OhDnld be mea&e+. State v. Basting% aqua.

The Conetitution contAapIates that ln thematter of Impeachment, the House shall sat mmewhat in the capac5t.y of a grand $my- It lnvestie;otes,hears ritnesae% and defelmines whether or not there are aufS&eienf grounda to juetify theprem3ntrPentof ohare* an& df so, It adopt.9 apprepriatc artioles and prePers 'tharIx&ore the Senate. ThekionorableR. Lixnett&orseb June 101 1930,~ page 3

Uousc, or Its duly autl~orisedreprcs~&totlves, likewise coriticts'theiizpcac&uentprooeeding6 in the capacity of prosecutor, before the Senate. Forguson v. Ct. OS I'%.) 2C3 S.u'.888. uawox, (sup.

In lmpeachmont proocedings, the Senate site as a court of &npeachmont, the senators being on oath or aSS%mat&on inpartially to try theparty'weached, and the Constltution requiring that a eonviation osnnot be had without the conourrence of two-thirds of the senators presenti nt Is, of cwlrsc, essential as umatter of due proccscl,that theperson against wImi~impeaobmont prooeedlngs are **prefer** red by the Houee shall be sufficfentl~ laWowed by therrtioleeof3mpeachmentwritteneutin the.Eouseandrefermd te the **Banate**of the

### natureof the oharges preferred against Mm, azd thathelm givenaneppertunlt~ to appear tmddefendhlnselfln tho Gemto, sndthathebe eonfmntedrith thedtne8sos egainet him. Howovor, It ismot a

### that theartielos of **impeaohnmt**pmferredby thenewe shsllbewrittenrith the te&nlcal preoisienof (0 imdiol mont.2

It is llkeei8e tobe observed that only these em

### eorsnmneclln thepmtfsionoof Article US, Sea. 2efthe Constitutian, sre subject to Ampesehment..&fpeaohueatis
an unusual and eup8Mive 

### prom and tho i%nstitut%en doe8 

### not c0nt~at.e that **it** My **be** sued aa ai~otli~~# for rfw wtiDg Srma offloe any uaspt the hi@ aad responmlble eSf& oomlos tJ.lestatea TheLegls38tuPe 14'efmBssilded~~ele l& 6ea 7, toproridebylawfir the frial sndraovsl fmm 

### cmoc of

### dnor oipi~lsls of the state, end this ithas &me.-

**A prlvatie**  **01tUen doee** mot have the right or pew to iastltute %tzpeacweat.preeeedUgs inthefloua~ Ubythe
use of the mmd@inetitute~ is aesnt the initiztlon OS pi'oooedlngs In suoh amannor es to ocmpsl the aMh3n of the liousether,eon.'~liowever, a ptivate citizen may&nstAtute~ pxmeodlnge Sor ImpeachMnt in the Bouoe In tie eense that the oltizen maJi)csnvey%.nSennotionti themenbaa OS the House upon uhioh the Hotme IteelS may deem It espedien~ to institute and prosecute %mpeacfarmt prooeedings against any of the offioers named in the Coaetftut*on.

Pe are of the opinion that impoaclPnentproaeedlngs in the liouscshould be begun by the intreduotion of a resolution by usx?of theumnbers OS the Uouse, setting out beSore the Uouso the charges, in general, agaiaet thepartiou-lar offioer or offiaern desired tobe impeacheil,and resolviag that the Uouee foam iteel? into a tksuittee o? the'l&ole for theparpose of invest%gating euoh aharges, bearing witnt%iieeEi,

nnd determining whether or not there is su?fcMut ground6 to juetl?y the Souse ln presenting articles of irnpeaahment to the **Senate.** If, after such Investigation and the hearing of ritnees,es,thekiousedetenninen that articles of lmpeaclaxentshould.be prePerred against **the otficer**  or offioers, such articles of impeaohsBnt should be drawn up In writing, and the charges should bemade in su?Slolent detail therelg and with su??loient oertalnty, to lnforrsthe aocased officer or officers of thenature o? the offense or offense alleged tohave been consulttedby him or thorn,and ooneidered by the Souse tobo of such gravity a6 towarrant thepreferment of such charges.

l? the Souse adopts lurtlclesa? inpeachment, it prefers them to the Senate - that iq it riles such articles 

### of *&aiieat with the Scnatc, the articles of impeaohment 

### thus sensltg the fun&ion of apleading 

### or lndlotment before the senate, s$ttlng a6 a wurt. The Senate, sitting as suah wart, hears the evldenoe adduced before it upon such articles of **laqaachment**by the House through its authoriaed rupresentatires, dealares the lax and renders Judgment. In $ts **?unati.on** as a court, the Senate therefore rill see that the accused is suffioiuntly S.nfUwed of the nature of the oharges preferred against h3m,.that ho has an opportunity to appear and defend himself, and that be Is confronted with the titnesses against him. The senate, of course, is the judge o? the oredIbility of the sitnessee produocd before It, **the** jddge o? the prooedure which it shall adopt in wnauottig such trial, and the judge'o? the question wbether such of the oharges rcferrud to it as arc, in its jurl~ent.,satisgactorily established by the o~tiencc, arc of sufficient gravity as to authorize or require it to render judgment impeaching such officer or officers.

Par u further discussion of the prooodarc tobe adopted tnmatters of Impeachment, xc refer you to tba authorfties above oitod, which contain amore extend& treatment of thematter.

Yours very truly

R. **1.** Fairchild AssistantEonorable IL l%mettMorm, Juue 30, sgge, pm 1)