**i,?-i 1** 

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

Honorable L. Y. V8nce C0u.nt.y AttOl’My Tit&rCoulU,J nt. Plearant, Texao
**Dear sir1** 

and **crrafull~** follover conaldered
.

audvrter bill.m an eleaLlveOffice, he city Camlrrlon.
eArt. 38orl

of the hlr ho1dingthlr poetother etatute,la p htr from boldot **Jutstlce** of QUJ
ticle 16, section rr0of the COML~L~L~~ of Texas reada, part,lo i01 10Vrr

*no person

l hell hold or exeralee, 8t the 8-e time, mre aihu~ one alvll otfice of eaolument, exaept t&t of Jwtlce of the ze, cyuaty **cd88loner, lotrry**  Public

. . .Honorable L. W. Vance - Page 2
Under the expre88 lenguage of thl8 aonsLituclonalprovision,a person msy hold and exerclae tho office of Ju8tice of the Peace and at the 8eme time anoLher clvll offlce of emolument. O-1 v. Tovnaend, '77 Tex. 64, 14 S.N. **355;** Luero **v.** State, **63 8.**  **Y. (2)**  **699,**

We can aonaelre of no ba818 upon which it may be maid tmt the office of Ju8tlce of thePeace 18 lncompatiblewith tb8 office or pooltlon, a8 the cane say be, of City Tu Collector. In **thl8** aonnectlon 800 Opinion **no. 0-2184**  **0r tbi8**  Dopartmont, a copy of whlah 18 onclosed herewith,wbiah bold8 that the office of Jurtlce of the Peace end City Rearetary 

### of the City of Nule8hoe are not lncompetlble. Al80, 800 Opinion lo. O-2055 of thlrDepartment, a **copy of**  vhiah 18 enalo8ed &rovlth, vhlah hold8 that Lhore 18 no lncompatlblllt~in the office8 of Justice of the Peace and 

### racorderof a corporation court.

Artlole 3608, **Vomon ’** **m** Ilnnotated Penal Code, 18 

### a partof R.B. **63,** vhich va8 onacted by the &let Leginlatureof

### texa8, Regular Re88lon. 1929, vhlch aridRouse Bill road8 a8 follov8r

"PRoHIBITINff

CNRTAIN OFPICHRS ?RoX AMINO AB COLLEcTIN(I

AQEms. "LB. lo. **63 Chwtor**  **227** "M aat to prolllbit Ju8tice8 of the Poaao, rherlffr, aon8trbleeand 

### other **paace** officer8 from taking for aolleatlon ury al&l= for debt exaept br the proaua of lav pre8crlbLng tho dutle8 of 8uoh offloora ti preroribing **a** panalty; provldlng for contlnguacy ln 

### ca8e any 8octlon 18 doalared unoon8tltutlonal doom not affect remdador of 8aldAat; and declaring an emerg-y. "BH fTlUIACTED~THELBDISLATURE OFTBB STATEOF TBXABr
"8ectlon 1. Any Jurtlao 

### of the Peace, **8herifr,** con8table **or** 

### othmrpoaao 

### officerin thl8 State, vho ah811 reaolvo for aolleatlon or undertake the aollactlon of w alaim for debt **for** other8 exceptunder and by v&rtue of tho proaermeo of 

### lav pre8criblng the duties of l uch offlaer8 or vho rhell receive aomponaatlon therefor exaeptHonorableL. U. Vance - page j

as premcrlbedby lav, shallbe guilty of a alademeanor and upon convlctlon thereof shell be punished by **a fine**  of not 1088 th8nTvo Hundred Dollars nor more than Five Hundred DollarI, and in addition to much fine may be 

### removedfrom office. Provided,

### hovever,thatnochlng herein abalibe construed to prohibit my JUStice of the Peace vho 18 authorlmedby lav to act for others in the collection of debts fma undmrtaklng SUCh collections vhom th8 amount 18 beyond the jUrl8dlCtlOnof Lhe JUStice Court.

"Sea. 2. **All** 18VS **8d wt.8**  Of 18VS in aonfllctherevlth 

### am hereby repealod.

*Sec. 28. If any meatlon or part of this **Act 18**  held t0 be UIXCOUStitUtlOti it Shall not effect the validity of thm reuulningportion **of** this **Act.** %ec. 3. The fact tiut there **is** nov no lav prohibiting peace officers from aatlng am COll.eOtiOZi 4CUkC108 &Ud Using thir OffiCid pO81- tiOA8 t0 OXtOrt l

ney On WljUSt daSnd8 and the crovded aondltlolr



### of tha~caleadarcr8at.o an **iBpOmtlV0** public nmCe88ity that the **COnStlLUtiOnd** Rule **mqulrlng that**  **bills** bo read on three several days be 8nd the same **is** hereby suspended,and that thisAat take effect frop and after its pa88age and it 18 SO onactod.

I

. . . "~~provodmarch 19, 1929. 'ltffectlve

$30 days **after** 8djournMnt.a **AS 8h0VX1** above, the title to the Blll 1s: 'PROMBITIUO CERTAIB OPFICERS FRON ACTIIO **AS**COLUCTSNO AOXNTS."

The c8ptlon states anong other **tbingsr** "AnAct to prohlblt JUSticOS Of the Peace, SheriffI, COn8t8ble8 and Other pO8Ce OfflCOrS fmm tekm for collection eny claim for debt, except by the uroaemm of lav Dremcribinn the dUtiO8 of suah Offi&rS, etc." (Uixdoracorl~ ours)HonorableL. W. Vance - Page 4
Section **3,** thm emergmncy clause of &he ACL, clearly l

hovm the intent of th8 Leglmlature and the evils which theLegirlature v88 lntendlng to curb, tovit, the lmpmper use of jwtlaem of the **peace and**  **peace** offLcor8 Of thO6ir

OfficialpOSitiOn in 8CtiIIg **as** COlleCtiOnagenCl08 t0 OXtOrt **mm07 on**  **Un&ASt demndm.** 

**IOU m**  **FO8pOl3tfldl~ tiVi8Od**  **th8t it**  **18** the opini0nofthi8 departaentr

1. The Jurtiae of the **Peace** can lawfully hold t& **offlae** or pomltlon (vhichever itYJ be, **a qu88tion**  **vhlah ve**  **am ROt**  **given 8UffiCiUht**  **fact8 in**  **your** letter to deolde uad one vbich ve also deem unnecessary to deoide for the **purp08e8** of **tihlm** opinion) of City Tu Colleator of Talco.

**2.** Xavlng deolded that theJustice may also lawfullybold the office or,pomltlon of City Tu Collector Of Talao, it 18 Our fUPthOr OpiniOn thBt hi8 8C.U in colleatlng taxes srrd **Vater** bills for the City of Talc0 vouldnot be ooatrary to the 8pirit and p&WpoSe of the **8alUt.q p~OVi8i0~**  Of E. B. 0, **mupm,** and vould IlOtbe in rlolatlon of Article ma, **VerItOIa ’** **S** Annotated Texas Penalcode.
**YOUPI** 

### VOFyt.l’lllJ

-.-2n ATTORHBY OERERAL OF TEXAS

By I **WiJ.Flnninp v** **’ ASSiStUXt**