OFFICEOFTHEA~ORNEYGENERALOFTEXAS
AUSTIN

Eon. Thomas A. :;hsat 

## county Attoraoy Liberty CQunty **Liborby,** Toxas

**Deer sir:** 

**la this**  lat, whera 

### mpeawktien

**fer ,hls**  **red aau**  **1 amltted**  **’ geutaPEm?unty**  neeosaary Is the at hIA6 off~oo,preB premlus OR fire, r&bbery .aw~no. gaw.eotI: and iimludZ~ the aost of t hie deputies, cluehe*ge&teee * OR, pre-detmwlaed aad elIewe amouzits,w nearl.9an poerrlble,. by k+e,&miseiooclre* o@wt mmb cwah month for t6e emming pponth upon the aypliaation,, of eaah affioer, 

## ata& the kisd, probe aaiountof expeadltwe 8, 7 Ye the expea8eiOf trisorri the neaeaslty fo' .; a for UWh easu%n& month, whloh ap sentat5oan to P

liootiorr crhall,~ before pmaa d oowt, first be eadarsed byHon. Thomas A. Wheat, Pa6e S!

the county auditor, lf my, otherwisethe **oounty treasurer,**  **only** as **to** whether funds
am arallabls for palms& of suoh expensse. **The oomls~lon~rs** **’ court**  **of** the oouaty or the sherIif*sresldsnoesay, upon the written and sworn applicationor the sheriff stating the necessitytheretorpurobsse eqgipasrit for a bureau of orlmInal Idoatlfloation, sush as osmeras, finger print oards, Inks, ahemloals, ~orosoopos, radio and **laborstory** oqulp**ment,** tiling carda, flllng cabinets,tear gas and other equlpmsnt in keeplngwith the systsm In use by ths Departmsntof Publlo Safety of this State, or the United Statom Dspartment or Justloe and/or Bursau of Cr~ninal IdentIrIoatlon. 

### *&ohpurchases shall be mdo by eaoh offloor,when allowed, only by requisition in men&or provided by the 

### eopnty auditor, If any, othsrwlsoby the oom~I88Icmers* ooart. Eaoh ortloer shall, at ths oloss of seoh month of hI8 tsnurs or Offlae, rake an Itsmlsedaad sworn report of all approved expenses Iaourred by him and charged to his oooMty. 

### l ooonpanylng nuoh report with in~oloosoerering suoh pm?- ahases a&d requisitionsIssued **by him**  **in** support or such report. 

## Ii such oxpensesbe tin- ~ourred

In aonneation

with any psrtlwlar oaso, auoh report shall nares suoh aaseb auoh report, Inroloesand repulsltionsshell be subjest to the audit of the **sounty** auditok, If **aw,** othsrwise bp the tmmmlssIonorsl oourt, and If'lt appears that any item was not Inaurrodby such officer, or that such itern was not a necessary or legal expsase oi **sUC$i** OfiiOS; **or plrobsaed**  upon pm&cti requisition,suoh Itrn she+11 be by said oounty auditor or oourt rejeoted,bn wbloh ease the paymsnt of such itan my be adJubioated In any oourt OS **oompstent** jurladlotlon. AU suoh approved olaine and **account8** &all be pa%d from the **Orrfoere ’**  Salary Fonfl unless othemlse providedherein...."Eon. Thoaas A..Viheat, Page 3

Artlole 26 of the Code of CrlnlnalProcedure reads as rollows:

*The 

### countyattorneys shallattend ths terms of all ccurts In his oounty below the gM40 of dlstrlot court., and shall represect the Stats in 

### all orlmrnal oaee8 

### urderoxaaIn&Ion or prosecution In said 

### oarnty;

and 

### la the abaenee 

### of the dI8trIOt attorney

he shallrepresent

the Statealone,or 

### when requelrted, 

### shallaid the dI8trIot attorney

In tho proseotitIon-of

any oaeo in behalf0r the 

### St&e In the dlatrlot oourt, mad 1.n mol., oamoshe shall ~oolfe all ~.onbbair 0r the rees allowedby law to 

### 018trIot l ttoraeym, 

### rooordIai&

as hs aotodalone.or Jolatly. fn suoh oases 

### he shallreoelvo al.l or ome4U.f or the rees alloued by law to the dirtriot attorney whose Uutles 

### he perfOrms, or assIs8e ln porrorniing, **but** 

### shallreoelm 

### no part Q? the ocnstltutlomal

salaryallowed 

### to 8oeh dlstrlat

attorney,

acoordl~ o#.hsaOted ,x&me or *JoIntly$

provided that feoa oolleotbd by the ooonty.attorney fron tho 

### statsfor suoh nnlaes shallbe deduoted 

### by tho Camptroller 0% Public AQOOUDtS imrtho.fees whioh otherwisewculd have been paI tc the 

### dIstr?ot attorneyhad he representedthe State alone; provldsd further this article shall not be ooastrued as InhlbItIng any OaUnty 

### l

ttoraey from voluntkrlly,

with the 

### otmeent0r ths diatrlot attorney,

asalst1n.g the 

### district attorney

In the performmoo of his 

### reapeotlve duties, tithout comp0nsatIon.~
nrtfols 

### 6 section 

### 21 of the 

### stateCOnstI~tIOn reausi fn pert, ao kcllcws:

*

....The ccunty 

### attormeys shallmpnrnntHon. Thomas A. Fheat, Page 4

the State in all cases lo the dlstrlotend Znferlorcourts in their respectiveoounties; but ii any county shall be inoiua0din a dietr:ct In whloh there shall be a distrlotattorney, the rO8peCtIve duties Of districtattolc neya and county attorney* shall In such ocunties be ragdated by ths 4gislature. Ths Legi8hiture IMP,provide ror the eleotloa 

## or districtattorneys In suoh dlstrlotr,as ray be dewed neoesssry,and sake pxwIsIons for the aompensstlon or aistriot uttorneya, and county attortiys; prorIde4,dlstrlot attorners shall rsosltean amual salary of fire hum&red dollars,to be paid .by tha State, as4 such 

### foes oomlsrdoar 

### and perqulmltas as'auu bo prodded by law, 

### Coumty l ttorrwp ahaLl toosl~s aa~o’oapsnsatIon en4 rueh fess, oaw4lrrlau and perpulsltes as may **be** prsaorIba8 by lsw.*

Se are infonredby the Comptroller% offlee that Liberty coumty 1s ln the aerenty-fifth judlelil tllatrfut rhloh 18 oomposed 

## 0r rour ocunties,an4 that srroh jmllolal dirtriot has e duly eleotod, qualltledand actlo dlrttlot attoqwy.

In the &se or VO$M tar 3heppard;M Sr Bad 856, It was held that ths county attorney ,$.JP judicial

dI8trIota oompooed of two or more oountieswas wt entitledto fee8 rorassistlcg alstr~otattorney in4 obtainiagfinal eoomloflon ror felonlerr In dietriot oourt, nor for represeatIng state,d,uring

districtattoraey's absence, In habeas oorpus prooseillngs.
Artlole es, Coda or Crlmlnal Prooedme, reads a0 follows:
*Each districtatterPay shall repressnt the State In all criminal asses In the dietrlot ocurts of his district, exoept In cases I where he has been, before his eleotion,employed adversely. T&en any ariralaalprooeodIng IS had before an examiningocurt in hla dlstrfotor before a **judge** upon **habeas oorpue,** Hon. Thomaa A. Wheat, Pap 5

and he 18 notitledor the 88m*. and 16 St the t:me had, within the OouAty rzlem &oh prooeodlngin

18SS ho Shall reprmemt the 3tato therein,unpreventedby otimsr 0rri0m dutls8."

8Upr8, aa 

## ~0 quote 

## rr0t74 th0 01~8 0f v0ge8 **~8.** shbppafd, 

## r0il0r8:

*It 113 at on00 lrgpmmt that a purpoao Or ml010 1026 ~8 t0 Terrpond k, the OdLi or Artlol* 66 rw oolopeMatlon to the ooulbty attorney for the **8OtilriOO8 m8OrfbOd**  by tb. latter 8tatutSa8 a **mbjoot for**  86qmmatloa. There **18** little doubt t&t IJI mmlng that oiilom, along with the d18triot

### l ttfmm~, 1 

## 88 a 

## b0nerioiut or the rm0 pmrib0a in ~UMolo 10s. 

### the Loglalature ha* in irrdleto .oontomplatlon

~thapmvl8l6n8 of the othor.rr- !

**tloh ragqrding**  the **ompmmation** 

### 0r **th8** oounty

**_ attorn8y**  **le** 

## m0sf tXiit8, ma whloh, ln **8x0 p-88**  **tOZ4I8, ibit**  **8UOh OGii2@@~a~O~**  **t0~ ‘** **fM8** allowedby law to dlotrlot attome a.* 1t.b thue.i*onthat th8 right as the m L 

### t6r **to** r000 In oas88 of 

## ia04 ~aomiotloa, ~rupsoribra **IQ .mlO18**  **io~m,** dtJpMa8 **00 V&,&U**  **SW&h fw8**  are allow& to the dlStrl& attorney of the dlstrlotrrhioh

bmbraoesW118on aounty. That 8ald districtattommy **18 not**  .allcmSd Said **fOe8 18**  **Qhilll.y d180108di**  by the ~OVi8iOM Of AeiOi8 loa; rOr th6 b8t-iidSa titiOie **pI ’** **OVldO8;iIl 8Ub8tWlO8,**  that dl **di8triOt O&OX**  **’ -**  **my, in**  **a** 

## dldriot **OOm$mPOd** 

## or **l%m w**  **arosO** oauntleS,~ball reoelrs a per dlas oompenaatlon, dopmdln& upon h1S atteabana. upon tha seesionor the sourt In the ~SQSSSS~;J perfoaLLaoa 

## of hi8 Orffolal duty.....

**peq8atiOZI** rar that 

## 0rri0er lo 8 habear, 

### oorpue4**Hon. Thonras**  **A. %oat,**  **Page** 6

**on.50** inVOlViE!J a **rt310ng, ala,**  **R8 w4**  have **eKi8G,** the **8tatUte mefitionsd**  **r8bltO8 ~SXOlUS&V+**  ly to MrV1008 for wMoh the dI8triOtattcWLISP, If he, Imtead of the oounty attorney, perf'ormed

them,would 

### be entltl8d to rooelva the rM8 them provldod.*

On Jun8 17th qd 26, 1936, thi8 drpartment'i&d in OpiniOM wrltten,<by fiOflr JO0.J. fi8w, A88i8tat AttOW Uey Geix8ra1,

addraasrd

~to L. ,0. oreborn, County AttorMy **CtUltOA, TeXE8,**  that a oounty attorneywho WQI 

# OompoMd

**on an**  **anaua1** salary ba8Ir oould not alaimtraveliag exp8risa **a8 a**  legti **expea8e** 0r auoh 0rri00.

"The OrfiOeP **18 Mtitibd**  **plo Oredit**  **for**

- aotual trna

neoes8aryoxpsn888

## iAOWrja'In the **OOndUOt Of**  **hi8 OffiO8.**  Th8 tiau88 *other **neOO88R~ 9~ll8.6** **’** m8A8 other 4#waZUB88 **Sitii~ t0**  

## thO88 **8XpPMd.Y 8pMiifea;**  **$t 6008**  **not** Inolud0 IlOAOy

expentlea

ror the **88rYlO88** Or an a8818t+t,,though **8UOh 8WViO.8**  am **n0043888ry** to 0aabla the ormar tha Bmer L to dlsohargehi8 dut1a8;...." .:,

**&hO 800**  **the OMW3**  **Or aWri8**  **cOWby** V& **~~II~Lo&,** go3 Sff 445; CankTm County **v8.** FOX, 46 &Vi l?nd 6%. **tia8.y** vs. State, 289,syF

4I?&!.

In view or tho rorrgoIngauthoritio8you are respeottully

**advised** that **it** 18 the opinion Of thi8 dOpal%- mUnt that the 0OWt.y aOtiUg thrOIle;h its OOti88iOatkn,' 0-t would not have the authorityto rsiabur86 tho oountg attorney who Is OOrqpsn8~tOd On an annual scilatry bfmi8 tOr OX&'8Ma8 Inourredwhile InVaetIgatIrig orlninal talOnfr

oas88*

L 

## T~tin@, that the rorogolng fulJ.y answersyOU2 Inquiry,we romfs1.n
Vary truly **~OUI ’** **8**Ho& ThOmas A. :%eat, Page 7