Boa. Bgd Bapjepbruch 

County Attorney 

mntegw county 

Xontagw, Texw 

Dear Sirr 

Reo Valtdity oS a oma-. 

ra ’ ccurt war 

tingwv justlao 

vlthout correaponaingly obangiq 

the boundmieo of eleotlon prealnota. 

“On January 10, 1949, t& Ccamlesionera Court or Montague County, Texad, cntered an order ol?e8ting 4 Imv Jostloe 

Preolnots ia.xon~~conn~,.-. in 

lieu 0f the a p3Oti0t8 ~hbh .VIW in OXisteoce at that time. 

9ix croatbag ths 1) ww~ Jwtioe Pro-. 

cinata, the~Camiseicme2?e,Corrrt omsred 

cartab Xlectlon Precinct llws, thereby 

plac%ng said eleotion preclnots m parte 

thereof intwdiffersatJuet~8e Preallots. 

“In the elesatf0aa or 1950, sJwtl& Of 

the Petage rrrrm elected ioPt& bm MMII 

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And there were aorutable~ eleatea fa 

Jwtiae PrecXadte Roe. I, 2, -3 anh”k!mmi 

uaa no candidate for tlm offiae of oamtable 

ln molnct Ho. 4. 

%a Croat the 4 m Jwtlce PreolnctI3, tha c 2x esioww Court failed 30 

oreate ney eletition preoinc$8 tc oorrespdnd 

with the boawWlerr of aili 4 JurOlos ?ra - 

ai.aats,ana h8ve the eleotica pmol.&ats ent%?ely within the bouuU8rtrr cf nWl Jxytloe. 

mclnatr.o* 

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!!ou. BE@ &4r~enWocb, page 2 (V-1218) 

pOl#CFB OOtiWXQ4a~%8t&. VheAtRlb 6OU'tWa8 

onoe established, no legislation ‘vas wedoa. ,... 

to enable It to e%ePafu m ptnfem g%ven w 

the above p~ovlslolr, to tlI.vUs the ooulity ia- . 

to preolnctfi, The clipeotion is plsin and 

sMple, and wl.thout oandltion w restriction 

exoept that a8 to the nmfber of pmcticts, ft 

$6 said fast no p.WaedkaW IS prescribe by 

which the power is to be ereroieetl.~ Z! any 

wad needed the statute supplfed it, when Al3 

required ti$at the prooeedfigs of’ the 0-b 

should be recorded in it8 tinutS book. Rev, 

at* l%gfj, art. 1554. This vai3 all that var3 

neoesaaw. The power to divide the county 

into jwtioese ppeoinota is also given by the 

statute, but not fa terms do explfclt as thy ’ 

used &n t&s conetitutlo% Rev,+ SL a, u-t. 

7 

There oan be no doubt that both constitut Cm alad statute oonSer the paver, dnU the 

zmly question fs au to it8 extent. ft ia cork 

tended that a limitation upon the power ,%s 

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roturd in th0 0wdmuti0w pti810n feag 

the terma of office of proofnot offlaers f sml 

b that, sinoe.they are to hold for tramsm, 

it r0n0vs tat the poDs0inot8 #tlmot by 0-a 

.durIrgthe terms, bssmme ths powsbtoalter 

thsn woukl practfoally enable tba ooyrt to destroy the affIae. The lgaguage oft& oanstitatIcy exgrsssos no.sush 1ImItatioxl. Ths ai- 

.lrIsIcuaIstobsmds vrpllt&ms totIm.' Ths 

W&8011 for the avI8Ioh Is toiiw th* oamveni8n88 of tbrr peO$lp; mna the Jud@ both as to 

tima and oouvenlenoo, 18 tb 00uA Ths lirnitatibo 0twmd0ra * b y l p p x ld (IQowquir8 ld 

t&k3 lnseptlon In ths 0onstitutItm of a proviso 

uhIoh ths 0ouPt seanot r08a into it. ms only 

lidtat%QU I-00@ 80-l: t0 Mi0&S t& SC- 

‘, qe ths power. Bat lImitet1w nqullwJ u may 

M $a~, ,and a008 not allw xp thah eight, 

$LP8d.Wt8r Rlt fw it 'the aoanty algIlt hew 

been 0Ut Up intO MI’ m ~OlEAdk 88 tb OOUl’t 

MY mQjk3P t0 .8~bl%Ob:o m it th8 intOlktiOUIs maa0 ,mQke malfert t&it rtbbin ths uats, 

tbrsf+lla%IstOeetemlao&ldrr\lbrra Ash’ 

th sy em ~tlm a wee 

me& a r t o i ~a me,ëwaa O bawler%88 betmen 

Worn sbmgfbaapd~dsiiar~ lsaviagall o? 

the, etbsla uus~d, tas &at is the 8sDs 

a8~ If en amWr, trek entamd rotting out aww 

thb baw&e~ss or ths 'tmsmhbmd prsalncts, as 

Wll8i those bharyrda 

tlal objootfca to 806h e:: '- of Face 

&IF’S 18 ~80dbSd, tkH 0OUl.d bs n0 SUbSfiXb 

(L Tlu pmmr to 
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IQ* BQya arjslabruch, psgp 4 0J-l239)x 

:. 

ThOOQIU?toIll 

ll& 1145 fTex.cIvoApp*' 

136 8.W. 

*ft appears ta be the unacubted dght 

‘~Q?ooesafQwPs~o~tto~:the 

‘wea Qf jwt%ae*s mOi?%8t8 at v&l&, 

ptrd it hU b0.a hOld thpt. 8Uch OOWts my 

eb&IshagrwainstaMcrraatsamvpmm 

aIwtaupwet3 of the ow mbolfshe4aMa 

e 

~anothw,~tbatftuasiraakr?el 

t tbo oewt did not at ths tIms ml&s@ 

mot the VkbQla ooun 0 state vo, Rlgmby, 

17 Texc.cIrdppo 171, bT 3 sew, 27l*. 

The Supreme Court 

112 W. 193* 247 SOW. 263 (1 

oa808 and made ths hollowing obsematlfm, at page 267: 

*It Is thw aeon that them is no lidlatica CQ the time vhen the COrmi88%owrs’ 

oourt luay divide a coumty into Qwtiss pmclncts , and that, aside fra the mxlmw akd 

mlnlmm gslssarlbed In the CW~ltutIc& thoz’8 

18 PLO i%IIt%t&iQU iBE t0 mbo The’.cOWtitU- 

.tion @sfJ not State’ lww the povur or aIYIsIcsl 

by the otmals8lsms~8* oowt shall be exercised, 

w &3es the statute* lhai the quotaticmr *aa 

: 'ths oplnioa by Jmlge Wl.Uams, suplp, it is 

alwr tgtiyor slatlve aotloe was amoesrurJa Ai In that, ia the *bsowe or 

mmambls 1eglslatSve aotlon, tbs ccamissiamesse.oourtmsyperf&stheduty e%wdupau 

thW in theIF Crm yO7o 80 104 tit #al’- 

rwmwoe da8 pot mount to a guess &me of 

aoticm by the aco19pfssions~e a-t Is not 

made bpsnasnt on state legislative astlod, 

It is Inaoncelvablo that It should beg msde 

dependeat upon te&eml aotfon, la the r088t 

of tbr Dnitea States oewus, uuless Bbs Oabn- 

~8tLtUtiCU~SrpPs8Sf~ SO stated, l&&oh i8 Wt 

tbs awe. 

%ere is no part of ths dut7 snjainea 

W seotiim 18, et. 5, ae the adp~lss%owrs" 
f 

x%au. Boyd Ihrgeubruoh, page 5 (V-12i8f 

court Whiah may be perfumed wltkiout oo.nai&m 

ing the QOQU~tiOll, OONQYIti@ll5, aad i;lBttp1.' 

tries,. not only of the ooimty, but of elncb 

oontsmQlatetI 8llbdz0l8ion of the county: and 

to say that the com&safcmers court must 

fOllC3a the E.?lIIBUS ZV3QOl'tR, WhiCh aZT$ifHI~b: 

only every 10 foam, is to destsoy the very 

QUPQOSe Of the QOlfsP oonZ=eI'red On the dOi%- 

. missloner8' court to Qivlda the county fPO& 

time to ti8m Pnto a etiflcieat number of 

just320 prrcknats fm the aonmzienae of tbs 

psoppe+ 

'It i8 QlRill i-l'& 8~~tiCil~ 18, EUJt. 5, Of' 

the f%ZM5titUt~~ that kt8 Ql-fme QUPQOSO t.XI net 

fixing daiiMta1~ tha number of justice prealnat in any aounty, aad the aumBer of jas- 

.tic6s In any ~tioular ps?eainct was, y it 

. stat'la, * th6 aonvenienos of the 

nmy b8 made to m6et tbs ~&iaiqlng needa of 9 

P-W l 

iS th’, 8816 88 t&It &O&Pbd in the pM1tOU8 

pal%graQb of the dam8 uation-4aat is, for 

the aonwmien~e of the people. ?Jo method of 

@te~%I@ the QO#tl~tlOn.iS &VIIIl in thL8 

sectFoll or elsewhllrn in the Coin3titutioil. 

The &ts~tion Of the QOQUlatiOn'by ~UUS? ~ 

authoz’Zty is llt?C0813W$ to 8et tn motion the 

QPm68tI by which two~juutiaes -8 tP:bs ePeat-i 

,@d, or a'vaaanay ln.the office filled by ap 

QOiUtlWlXt . The COmWtUtionamta%n8 2merpIxm3 

dh8action, either to the ek4mrate'm~ to the 

to how w when thie ques18 t0 be Uetemsiued, nor IS 

in the statutes therefor. 

statUtS8; arts. 2241, 

-'. not neW88EW7 t0 

eXEtbii9 fhe aolai88iOnW8 ’ BOu& to 6xeroi8e 

w ti th6 QaPara &VW-in tail QFO98iOn Of 

the 0on8wttltlon.” 

In At$orgey &‘IMWB1’8 ,opini~ v-1032 (1950), it 

18. kitedi. 
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Heat. Floyd Barjenbruch, page 6 (V-1218) 

"In view of the foregoing you are advised 

that the Cc4mnlseloner8~ Court of SabLne County 

had the authepity t4 redi8trlOt ths jU8thX 

K 

eOinOt8 in the OOUllt~ 80 a8 t0 QFOVidO that 

e oounty would aensiet of four .jwtiag precincta rather than el * 

‘96 SiW.2cl839 (Ter.Clo.A~. 1936 

,_ 

In view of the foi%going, it ir our oplaion 

that the Order Of the OOltUIli88iolXir8s a$NA't al-eat&~ new 

jWt%oe QPeCinOtS i8 a nilid dXePai8e Of it8 pOWor exgranted by the pr~l8lom of Seotion 18 of ArOo'mtitu~ion Of Texas. 

The aonaluaion we have pea&d ~abwe n&&es 

unne,cessary an.an8wer to your remaining questiana. 

48'S~.W.2tl3l5 (TexaOir.Agp. 1932) and 

214 S.W.2d 473 (Te~.Civ.App. l&S), 

.nOt aigplic&bl,a t0 th6 ~qLIO8tiOI8' QXWSellted. 

These cases involved the validlt of OrdoSS Of the aas- 

~;;~~rs3cet$r; ;POati"fi new &oti~~preoli&ok under 

of the aon&alGn&~~ 

Wai 0. jO&P l'ItqUO8t ?niWOlVO8 all Ol'dOr 

clncta .udeF Section 

k8. ;In this .ooanectiqm, say futaFe Opder~defXnln new, 

slaation pmalncts dRI8t C&fcaDa to the &sly mea &d 

tiae ppecinat8 a8 prorfded in Ilrticle 29%. 

d ijua- 

. 

Seatfen 18 oi Artiale V of the CtinstftUtiOn Of Texas aUthOPf~e8 t&O WWBl&d8fO12@~8D 

court ~$0 abolish eristfnS~ju8tlas peainats~ ' 

and create new jwtiw'~Qlwcfwta at any tfme. 

for the conveniqoa of the,peo~le, regardless' 

~i!'f& tex=HtoPj to be ldaluded fn the preThe CdJ liIiI%trtiOn 011 thi8 QOWer is 

that &ems must be at least four zmd not aore 
I 

~H&r.+eyd Eurjenbruch, page 7. (V-1218) 

.8X.% 639 (T8xSi~dUm 

;.Att't 2.n. OQ. v-1032 

APPROVED: 

J. 0. Davcris, Jr. 

County AfYairs Mvislan 

Jesse P. Luten, Jr. 

Revieving Assistemt 

Oharles 0. Mathews 

pest &88iBtZlllt 

JRtml? 

Toura very truly, 

PRICE DAriIllL 

Attorney General 

A88i8tant 

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