OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN

Honorable Oallan Graham Dietricot

Attorney Junetion, Texas
Dear Sir;

Your letter of Fob opinion of tbiedagortmont in part am followat

“I would like to whether or no

h,of offios and it 'the Seoretary of e reelgned from the,' 1939, W. 0. Jaokrroh Judge Jaakeon'

ondtutlon, Art. 18, Si3otidn’2T(,‘&d Art. 6, Section 20; aa comkuad by the Court of, civil Appsals in the ~RDO of Niake ~0, Curl, **et** al, 86 **8.** IV, 368, provfdeo that the oleotlon of vi. c. Jaoknon in 1940 w.m to fill the unorplred term OS Judge Montague, and a8 I understand thatHonorable Callan Graham, Page 2

deoleion it will be neaeaearyat the Novspnbsr election 1942 to sleet a Judge of the 112th Judicial Dietriot,
*The above deolefon, 60 far aa I harr barn able to find, is the only one on thle questionand hae never **been** cited in any other aa6e.*

vidort ArticY.e19, Vernon’e Annotatsd Ulvil~Statuter,pro-

*All racanolee fn State or district offloes, -eereeptmembers of the Legislature, rhallb,q tilled unleee othemies provided by law by appointment of the Covsrnor, whioh appointment, if made during ite oession, shallbe with ths advios and OOtWOAt of two-third@of the Senata pr~eIdalAt.

Itmade duriw the reoclei of the' Senate, the said appointee, or 18omo otherper**BOA** to fill.

suoh vaoandy, shall bs nonhated to the Senate during the first ten days ,of ite rseeion. **,xr** rejsoted, said 0fri0e shall immedlatslp~beoomevaoant, and the 

### Owsrndr rhall, withoutdelay, make further nomfnatlk&s until a oonfirmationtakes pla6@. ~%ut,tahould there be no'oonfirmationduring thd see&on ai the Senate, tha, Governor shall Aot'thsreafter appoint aAy person to fill suohVaOanQp,, who hae been rejeoted by the Senatsl but may appoint some other psreon to fill the vuca~a~ until the next eeeslon of the SeAate, or until the regular election to said otfior, ahould lb aoonex ooour. AppOiAtmeAt8 t0 WIOanOisO 'in offlaes eleotlve by the $eopls shall only. oontinus until the first general alaotion there**arter.~**

tldert Artials 20,Vernon'8 Annatatqb. Civil $tatutrr.,

pro-

"All eleatlonrr

to iill vaoam;e8 in offlor e&all be to fill the WMSpiredteXlllonly," Seotion 12 of,Articls XV of the State Co?#tituMon prwidea in prtr-. i

Honorable Callan cirabm, Pagr 9



### “..., Eipgofntmentar to mccnciell i’A oiriar,eleatlvclby the pa6pfe ,ehall**only eon**  tinus~ until the firot general eleotion’theretrd%r.”
providest Section 38, Article V of the State Constitution

wl~auenclee

in the office of Judge8 of the Suprsme Court, the Court of CriminalApps~le, the Ctiurt

of Civil Appeals and Die*’ triat Gourte 8hal.l be filled by the Governor until the next mmaeedlng genard. election; 

### anavacancies in the offior of County **fUd@j** and justices of the peaoe mhall,be filledby the Comlsaionera Court until thenext gonera1 eleotion for eudh ofPlcee.*
previdm: Ssotion 21,Artiola XVI of the State ConrCftu%ion

“In all electiona to fill vhoanoiss **0r** +offiUe in thin ,Stat.s, it ahcAl be to fill : the unexpirad **term** only.* Artfcla 292&t,Vernon'rhnototsd Ci,vtl Sthtatam, provider:
‘From iid &fter tha sff&otivedate hrreof ,theterms **'0r office**  

### 0r all elsotivs State and Dletriot ofrioareof the State of Teacar, erocptingOovernor,Liautwant Governor, Members of the 0enste, and Uembere of th.e tiuss of Representatives,ahallb&n on the laf day of J~.pqq~,rsext following tke Cenaral’ ‘Eleotlon

at -&blobsaid respeotive‘Statsand District off%cerqwere elected.‘”
The case of fpiois v. Curl, et,al., eupra, in ooartrulng Artiole XVI, Section 27, ucd ArtioleV, &otion ze\; aupra, holda in effect that all elee,tionrr to’fill vaoenoisr fn an offloe shallbe to fill, the unexpdred term only; and that vacan&es in the offloels of Judge8 of the DLatrSot Court@ &all be filledby the Governor until the oert euooee&I electionand bhs Judge eleotodat the general eleo& $eheral ion in 1902 ia glace o? th,a

JudZo regularly elected in 1900,’ whase affloe bece.ms

vacant by death,wns eleoted for the unexpired tarni @i the dooeaeed Judge only, and not for the full, conrtltutiona~ term of 

### four yeara.

### Honorable Qallan Graham, Page 4

Whra 

### Sr, Joe Q,.Montagua ma l lrotrd Dirtriat Judge in Nwembrr 19%3,~the term 60s which hb’wal e2sotrb began on January i, 1939, em4weuld’~re s%pired on January 

### 1 1948. Whcm Mr. Montague xe~igaed and,Mr. Jackaoti we*~appolatcabDietriot fudge bi the Uovatrnor, he war appointed 

### to serve a8 

### Dirtriot Juclgs until 

### the nwit 

### rnca~edin6,genimil elsotion whfoh wa8 in Nwsmbsr of 1940 and unlemii slstlteb 0.t eaid general cllsotion hi8 tsxm e? of&e onhez”the appointmsnt Wuld hare expired January 1 

### 1941,. but Mr. ikiekro~wim bleated 

### at the $ewral alaation ia I.940‘ml by 

### virtur of thir elrotioa wa8 entitled to **h0ia** 

### the, offim of District Judge 

### for the unsxp&e& tens of Mr. FKo~tagus. l’hersfsss, in. view of the foregoing authorities we rsapsotfully am*or the ‘above 

### ltatod quortion 

### in the aifiamatits. 

# touA rcarf trul? ,,, A!PIQRNEf G&N~RAL OIF TIEAS