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

8onorablo C. Woodrow Laugblln CoUty **httol%iey** Ji@ **?;a118** County Alfae, Texas

ve date OS Brtlcles **b, and**  **20020, Ro**  sfltutas? If 110, any dfIitin0tiOBbeosed **and** aurront 0atm87

rollowlng reg 1959, aoatafaa the thie Xmpcdmeat : HJOEb and 200&o OS with regard to the Iwould llkw to 

### bare owing puestloar:

ok say pleadd prior to

Article mOea, Eerimd Civil Statutes, be- Seat1on r 0r ziourrs

Bill H.0.105, Cdth Legllrlstw, Aota lQS9, prorldr8: *%ezswer aiy party files a pleading **of** any aharaoter, he shall ut the same tins &tit&r **do** liver t3 tflaadverse party, 

### or deSjosltwith theHonorable c. ';ioodrow Lau(jhlIn,Page 8

Clerk for tho adveree party, a copy 0r suoh pleading,which copy shall not be illed by the Clerk. **Al.1** riled pleadings shall remain at all tImea in the **Clark*e** oftioe or $5 th8 **court** or IA custody of the Clerk, except that the Courtmay by order entered on the **Chutes** allow 

### a filed pleadlag 

### to be witSdrawn for 

### a lImIted **time whenever**  **neoe88aryJ, on**  **leaving** a certified copy on tile. The party wlthdrewlng suoh pleading shall pay the oost8 of such order end oertlfled copy.*

**Sectiona 2**  and 3, **of** the **Aot, incorporated**  **ln** 

### vernon*a nevlsea civil Statutes, as Articles 3@02b anb lKKS!a pertaln odly to thenumber 0r ooples or pleadin require& tobe filed aAd fur~1she.dtoadveroe parties and further, that any parties tailiag to'oo&ply with the **Aot,** upon notloe shall be subjeot to contscipt.

The above iuentioned**etatutes,** being prooedural fn 

### theirnature,provide**rules and**  

### regulationinthe**matter** 

### of filing and withdrawing pleadIng In dIEtriOt and oounty courts. Cn exanilningthe captloh of the till,we **tlad** that rame reud8, in part, EiSfOuOW8:

"An **Aot** to preserve .pleadingebymaking just-and FoAvenient regulation to suoh endg* * ** The word lng in the past as **, pI** **’ e8Upp8e8**  **CL**COAditiOA **eXht.-** undangerlag the safe keeping and preeervatlon Or-8UOh 

### reoords.

*Irpe 

### word 'preserve' Iceaaato keep; to proCUrei to Uphold; aAq:when used IA a statute la

### tendedto prbsarie thi public peace, itmean8 to saoure that **quiet** order and **freedom** r~romagltation or dieturbanoe which **is guaranteed**  **by the**  **laws.** Neuendorff v. **DUryea (E.**  **Y.) 32,**  **How. 3raO~.**  267, 69." -

### rordsand Phrases. Vol. 6, F. 5533.

**; ‘** **:ebatsr*s** New 1nterAat:oAal Unabridged Diotloaary, FeOOAd Edition, defines thewordWpreserve,na8 "to keep In eXhiteAOe 

### or IAtaOt; aa, t0 preserve rQCOrds, old **oU8tOmS or**  **oae ’** **s** good name."

.‘ZtwIl1 be noted that the language In the latter pOrtiOA **of iirtfole**  **200?+, supra,**  with rererenoe to all **plead** 1~66, is used ti&.thiiChd.:pastGteAse, providing "All filed

## 464

Honorable C. **Woodrow**La-In, Page 3

pleading8 shall remain at all tIme8 in the Clerk's offloe **or** in **the** 

### Court **or la**  

### the **OustocIy of**  **the Clerk,**  exoept that the Court may by order entered on the Elnutes hllow a riled pleading tobewithdrawn **for** a linited timewhenever asces8ary, on leaving 

### a certified copy on file.* It 18 evident by the foregolug language that the Leglelature did 

### not intend todraw any dlatlnotlon **between** Olo8ed and current oase8. Fro~l8Ion:~lsmade forwithdrawing such 

### ploadlngsin either case.

It is, therefore, t&a opfnlon 

### of thle department that 

### the olerk Of **a di8triot**  **or OOUXbty**  **0OUrt 18**  **not allOW**  ed to oheok any pleading8 oiitofh18 offloe, regardlea of the data samewere filed orwhether oloaed or **ourrent aa8e8,**  exoept in compllaaoe with the prcvlelon8 of 2002a, 2002b and 2002o,,Vernon's Annotated Revised Civil **Statutee, 19e8.** 

**Trustins** the **above answore**  **JOW request,**  **we are** 

**ATTOREX GXFiiP?L**  **OF TXXA8**  

# 3 ATTORNEYGEN