OFFicE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL 01= TEXAS 

Eonoreblc Cen V. Jackson 

rJ1st.rict Attorney 

Houston, Tcras 

AUSTIN 

‘\ 

,i : : 

Altcentloll: Hr. John Snell, Jr. li -..- 

t.Ebr sir: O~llllOIl No. o-5621 

-\,, vhf* doflne peace officers?" 

\ 

Peace transferred this 

'1 have raaelvod yours of Ootober 28th; and, 

in reply, wlsb to olte you aortain section@ of the 

city Code of fioustoa, Taxasr 

"sec. 1643. Specie1 Offlccrr for tempor8ry 

aorvioe Sn ewgonoy. The mayor, in 0a8e of 8 riot, 

flood, fLre, or other public emsrgenoy, crhall have 

Power'to sppolat, for temporary 8eroloe only end 
i 

i 

j~cmreble Dan U. Jeoksoa, page 2 

not to excseC thirty days, any number of apeclal 

0fflCers and to Clsohargs the same at uill. salid 

specl.al off:cua shall be paid by the city for 

serrloe renduwd the olty in the dlsoharge of their 

dutlos at 8 salary rate to bo determlned bs the 

WjrOI-. 

"3~. 1280 (firor. and last parsgraphs) Po1100 Chief LO adopt rule8 and rqulatlona; publlcattan of rules; l uxlllarx pollco force; air raid 

vardon8. 

vhe ahlef of polioe. 8ubject to the approval 

of tba a8yor, 1s hsrsby l uthorl8etl, directed and 

sarpo~~ad to prepare aaa prom&ate such rule8 and 

regulations, l w.3 rarlslons and amabents thereof, 

as UT, Lo hi8 dlsaretloa, be neoesnry for tha 

oonduot oi puaau8 &wing air raid prlods, and la 

ordu td carry out tha expressed intent of this 

8rtlOlo; pmvidd, &VOV~F, that no much rule or 

rtgulatloa 8ball be aoatmry to the prorislons of 

this artlole. 

%a chief of poli4e, subject to the approval 

of the rye?, amy armto, tora and cODduct l g auxtilary pall48 fop08 or other orgaaaltatlon or appoint 

suchair ralav~~ or oth* peraoas vhomay, ln 

hia dlaorotfm, bs naosssary to our7 out the pro-. 

~1814~ of thla utlole anA the rub8 and rogulatlw adopted paau8mt tlwreto, 

"saa.1681. Aathorlt~ $0 appo1ntj pollee parers; 

Th4 myor of tha alty la h4r4by l uthc4?144d to appoint, from tin to tiw, l pwlal officer8 to 8crva 

4ad 4at at private pU4es of bu8lnea8, ln8titutlons 

or h wa far duty in a n4 at l u4h plaoea only, upon 

the requsat a& r*oma&atlon of the omu8, ten-. 

urta or peoprleter8 of s\rah plasma. Any 8pe4lcrl OS 

tiou *ho ha. kou rppo1at.d br tha ryo~ &all hsvc 

full authority of a pollae offloer to protmt life 

8n4 property at tha plsoa for whloh he hs8 bean sppplnred. 

n 

. . . . 
pnoratle Dan c'. Jackson, page 3 

“Sec. 1683. Salary. SpeCld OffiCel-8 ah411 

receive no salary from the city, but #ball be pal6 

uholly by the person employing them. 

"sea. 1664. Can4ellatlon of oomlas14.m. The 

o~S#iO,, of auy sjmli.1 0ffiO.r Sh4llbS Sub l 4 t 

to aanoellatlon st any time by the aym or o hi of of 

pOliCa, for Cmg WUSC that c&y or either of thw 

deea l uffialent. 

Yea. 1685. Explratloa OS 0orri881olr. All 

CwiSSiOnS Shall 4xpim 8UtwttmllJ 8t tidnlght 

on the thirty-flrrt by of Deoenbu IO any jeer. 

* 

. . . . 

'ho. 1694. Eight to l p p a lnt temp4rar~ a p a 4 la l 

offioers ln wrgewy uot rffooted. liow ln this 

artlale shall In any ulaa llmlt or abridge the rl@t 

oftheuy4rtoapp4lnt,atanytlrs,f4rup4aaae 

deem& l uffloient by hlm, la ease of an enrgauiy 

&:.;~~;&@$ such as fire, floods, riots or other eYrgenol48, 

saOh #peOl.al offiOer8 as my be r4Quir4d for a puiOd Of Pot t0 4X4eed thil'ty &yS. 

"soa.1695. bobjeot to -11 in 488e Oi pUbll0 

l nrgewyj arb4 p&o06 orrpelloe &ewtwrt psp 

roll aad given badge. It 18 8180 rurtbr expreaal~ 

gPOVib4d th.tti thO.4 hOktt* -SW SC SW- 

, ~::*!:j/j:j:. 8181 oifloara, a&n ba rubJ#t to the ~11 of the 

myor sad tha 4hlef of pollae ln ease of a Hot, 

r144d,rlre m other publl4a4rg4a4~. upcmth4 44- 

4 -e. Of Sa y l ueh l merguro3tb4 -JOI, alullSl.6~' 

km4 th4 pOWU t0 pba4 St&y Sp44ul OtfiOu ob the 

nwar pou44 deparwnt p~oii r- a puied not 

to @rood thirty days, aad lx muah l a a e &ha ohid 

of pelloe ahall laman to rauh spoolal 0iriur a 

regular polloemn*a badge t4 be wed by umh otti4Or tw tb8 p4riOd Of tin4 that ha t# 84wa a 

the pollee deputmat durm ruab wrgauar. 

>I::, 

Yhe auxiliary poll04 offioen of th4 citr of 

&UStOn Serve by r4aSOP of the l bove 84OtiW,8 l f the 

city Code. There la no executive or&r under vhloh 

the l u*illuy police foroc 18 operated.” 
Artlolt 995, Rarimtd dt8tutea. 1925, provides a8 

follow8: 

“uhoaever the M ar duu it Mco8sery, la 

order to l a ror a o tha L 18 of the atty. or to avert 

deagor, or to gwotoat life or property, la aeoe of 

riot or any outbreak or eelamity or publla dimturbelwx? #or when ho hee roe8011 to fsar euy 8orlous 

vlol~~lom of hu or or&r. or any outbrmk or my 

othsr Ua&pr to ~16 oity, or tbo lnb8bitant8 thorrof, he 8hall 8OIDIL Lnto l *rvloe 88 e aipealal POlice rorco, all or 88 mj or ths Cltl88as as in 

N8 jupewnt my be aeoo8ury. Such 8usmoas nmy 

ba by grr#lamtlaa or 0th.~ ardu eddre8scd to the 

c1tluae gsserally, or thou of ally ward of the 

a l& y, or l ubdi.risioa thereof, or my be by personl lmtL!x~tloa. swdh 8p0oiel pollao r0rctt while 

la 8OCVloe, shell be 8uhjut to the oders of the 

uly o r , eimll por fo m l uo h dutiee a 8 he r a y x wq llr e, 

cad ahell heve ttn eam~ pour vklla on duty aa the 

rogulu pollae tore0 0r 80id oity." 

maoh 36, a0d0 0r cr-1 ~OC~~UIW, protithe: 

"~8~3 rbiiaviog u+0 *p0800 0rflo0r88 1 8h0 

shorlff amlhi8 6opat%os,ooastabl~, the urnhal 

or polluM8 of aa lumrpomcod tolm or olty, the 

0m08~. db0+00u8~;0~d 0fri0ul8 ti pm8880 

0rtb0 stet0w sw0O,OeGuypmmt0 perOm 

ep eo ~lll p py a sa ted a uuuto o r iea p rel 00ue.~ 

&tiOlo uh7, &mtiO%.l, l'.Orl thd-0, prOrid* 

Aa l eeeult or b8ttuy hea a vs e@ p a maa vh o n 

conltted au4er a8y of the follovlq~ OirOOUOt8WO8z 

Nhen aamtCto0 up06 aa oftlaa ia t&a 

I.eALw ~8 oi a# dUCi08 Or hi8 OmOO, ir 

ituaehowaordular.dto&heorrwxlerthetthe 

mr ea m l 8uultod v8e 80 orf’i4r.r dLsoher&ng en orri0id du8y. 

” 

. . . . 

To oonatltute ths offeaoa of agSNvated l rtiult vten 

SQ sauult 18 oarittul upor 80 orricer there must be -- rlr8t 
~ofiorcbls Cam i;. Jackcon, page 5 

cn acccultt 8eaon6, the person 888aulted must ba en Officer In 

the d18Ohu‘gO Of hlc dUtl.Sj u&d, third, the l 88ault must be 

-de cc cn lnterruptloa or ths ofricer’s offlolrl dutlsc. The 

foregoing prOpO8itioXl 18 sUpparted by our OYII Court Of Crl~llncl A9peClS. See Blrdctto v. stata, 150 3. Y. (2d) 1035, and 

the cuthorltlcc oltod tharmfa6er. 

Under th8 d140ru410a ar Pub110 ofri00rO In 22 Ruling a80 tru, 90~~ 397, ~0 rm the r0ii0ving ~u~rgr; 

* 

on the grouadth8ttba prlnolp8lduty 

Or polio; &riOOrS 18 tkh0 prO8OWStlW Or tb pub110 peaa*, VhiOh 18 8 Utter Or public CWQOIP, it 

ha. boon held that poll II We Dub110 OfriOOrS‘;- 

. . . hcabcmahcld tk mombars of ttn dotectlvo dbputmut 0r 8 dictrlct pollee foroc, orgsni~d t,UXior St&t0 8tauto uhlch OOniorrd an them 

tho ponrs or pollee otilccr8 end constables, cre 

pub110 oflloors end not wrcly Olrp1OyUOS of- the 

conccrmmlth." (tkld.~SOCWilrg OlU-8) 

h the MM Of XiOaiUS V. HUtChiruOn CO., 55 A.L.R. 

1191, ow Beacon ns ca erployoe or the Portland Thwtor snd 

won the urtttea requert or his employer he vaa 8ppointed cpecl81 pollcorm by the City Cowicll of Portland a8 8uthorlzed 

bY fba h8 Or thy Stat0 oi Jkw. 818 sorrlau nro pcld by 

the thutor end la the aarw ho oloaued up about the thectcr 

wN10 ct or- end dnrlng cbvv tlr hc wore his unlfcwm end 

Yam stationed in tha lobby amI kloomy md kept ardor, quletn-4, kqt the 81810s aloar la keopiog rlth the flro rub8 Sd 

1 0 l ~WUl -8 ~SOE’Vd th0 

tht sata held that: 

Officer. 

“AS a ~orr~~r~“~~c~~toO~.Cd 

Thor. 18 l ver y able d180u881arr 0r l l 1tuat1on rlal-' 

1 ~ to the 005 uuler l a a #ldmtiOhm r 0 hood in the Uh4 tley 

Cc40 raporto4 In 3 S. Y. (W) 174 rhoroin Juotloe Wsrtln 

VWking r0c 0~ court 0r c~irlrui Appeals, bra th0 r0ii0hg 

to My: 

“&p.lbnt -8 00U~iOt.d Of l ggnv0t.d l SSaLlIt upon oar J. II. Ohuts, ‘ths uld J. H. Chocte 

them and thoro bclng 8 cpealcl p01loo offlaw of 

the oity al Big Spria&'I poaalt~, rim of $25. 
“A l Uff~Ol8Ut St.tO..nt Of thS fOOt8 -OS- 

~8l.y CO lllU8tXSte th0 bV FilltS d1IlOlUS~d 10 

briefly 88 fO11OVS: 

#The procaoutfng rltnws, Choate, on the 15th 

day or nay, 1926, received rrcm the maym of Bi,.g 

Spring the following vrlttoo oppolntmntt 

“‘st8t0 or T-S, c0tay 0f ri~nrd, city 0r Big 

Sprlag. 

"2%8 18 to oortlfy that by vlrtw or rrtiCl0 9% af the RMiCd StikUtOS Of tbs %&ta Of 

TeLPS, 1925, 3. n. ChMte 18 busby 8ppolntsd 8pdclcl polioemul r0r the olty of B& 8prlag, Texas, 

vlth all and full paver glvon him under the uld 

crtlole and for the purpose of enforolng any and 

811 the hV8 Or th0 8tate Or TOWS Uithin th0 8ity 

liPit Or BlgS)prlllgCadth0 OFdiProoW8 Or t!MJ Uld 

c1r.y. 

“‘ThiS OO~SSlOSl 18 t0 r#la ia fWC0 Ulltil 

the olty oounoll oi the olty of Big Sprlag chcll 

meet in Fugular 808~1oCL. 

**Oivoa under tho haad and seal or the olty 

of Ba Spd.n& thic the 15th4q or IU3,A.D. 

1926, 8t m s-f&& 8OVU’d OOWtJ, ?OlUC. 

“‘al* u. -8, 

“‘(SskL.) ~YW, city 0r m8 SW-. 

"'Attoct: Loulu Hlddlotoa, S&Wry, City of Big 

Spring, by V. M.' 

He th o r ur tor l 8t.d l 8 8Wti1 pollSomu uatii cttor a at0 OS th 0rr0M0 0t *hioh amilax& ~88 ooarlrtod. Xemmroaoplisod88a pellos 

ofriwr by the 0th.u OrflOOt8 or Bourd aouuty and 

the city of Bl.g Spring, l S -11 88 by the publlo. 

He UdO fTaQWltt WMCtS, OOlbCting fiae8, l Pd 

exerolsing t!xc dutloc tuually ~rforrd by 8 pallcs 

ofrioar. on tho date la qUCStiOll, chute arrested 

rI:pelhnt cm l pub110 l treot la the olcy of Big 
fi;onoreblc Can *I. Jnck8on. page 7 

Spring for diaturblng the pcaaa and for belag drunk 

in a public place. Be further tertiflod th8t appliant at the time was drlrlne a aar vhlle lntoxloated and uas clrunk and curslug on a pub118 street, 

and that this happened in hi8 pre8eaoe and ulthln 

hia rleu. Appellant ma8 arrested without a uarrant. 

Choate teotlfled tkat appellant knwv he ~88 an officer prior to and at the tlmo of his arrest. 

Irosecutlng vltnem8. Choate, apparently aever qUrr1lfled by takl~ o8th or giving bond, 8n8 he sated 

at all tlme# by virtue of the appointment above at 

811 tlma, but vlth the l a q uleso enand c e oomaent of 

the mayor of Big Spring and the city council thereof. 

88 

. . . . 

-A de hoto offleer vam cleflnsd by the court 

in his charge a8 follovsr 

“‘A de facto offleer 18 one vho 18 in po88a8- 

alOll Of U OffiOe &Id d18Ohrgm it8 dUtle8 under 

color of l uthorlty, by vhlsh 18 meaPt authority derived from an l lootlon or qpolntmeut, hoverer lrregular or informl, 80 tbt the lnaabent be not 

a mere roltmteer.' 

'Thlm deflmltlocl. l m-a to be la the l xmt 

verblAg of the ow l pprotod ip Bmua v. State, 42 

Tex. cr. R. 418, 60 S. u. 548,. 96 A& St. Rep. t306i. 

bfhaterer right be said of it8 OorreCitW88 uod8r l 

dlfferont 8tate of faot8, me boliov8 it 18 oorreot 

under those exhibited la this reoord. 

"It Va8 Uid h &OVIl V. atat., 8Upa, tbt 

'the deolelone irdleato that, before one a be a 

de faoto offioer, there mut be waa offloe vhloh 

he oou1d hold de jurei* It Is plmulbl~ u: d bT 

ap&bdlU&t tht 00 S&l OfflOe a8 8p8eia1 p0 f" 100 Officer bad ever been eruted by orOiumaa of the 

city of Big Sprln& ud aoae in Saot l x lo ted under 

the Uv, l xvl themfore pro8eoutlw vltne88, Choate, 

oould not becor rurd0r any state of facta a de hot0 

officer. A mufflcleot anaver to this 18 that article 
_ 

Honorable ;~n W. Jackeon, W$c 3 

995, R. S. 1925, by it8 tc= PUthOrlZe8 the eppointPant of, and by swh, laplledl~ at lea8t, 

create8 the4 office of, rpeJlo1 pollee officer. It 

b8 been held that a polloenen la a peace offloer. 

Hull v. %8te, 50 Tu. Cr. R. 607, 106 3. W. 403. 

There being l xpre88 8tatUtwj authority under l ald 

ertlole $495 for th a lppClntwnt of prooroutl~ vltPC88 to th8 OfflOe b,a &8YuY4 t0 hold, we are Of 

the oplnlon th8t lye cotid under 8 proper 8tate of 

fact8 be a de hot0 offlc8r. Are 8Uoh fact8 prouac la thl8 reocud? It 18 urged that the vrltten 

l ppolntmeat oat out abow l xpre88ly limited hlo 

l ppoFotm8nt to offioe to th8 next m8tiag Of the 

City OOUtWil, M6, thl8 OORt~rrO~ hW= htlpm06 long before the m8t in QtS88tiOn, he Ua8 therefore neither es ofiloer de jure nor a de f8OtO. By 

the tdZU8 Of Uld WtlOlO 995, 8uch Ui appOintwat 

ray be orelly wde. The reoord l fflrutlwly a h o w 

that VitM88 ooatlnMa to *at vlth exprea8 con8ent 

awl aoqule8oewe of the oftr eouncll end ayor of 

Ba Spring, If 1lde~I It 4OV8 not 6hOU that he did 

80 by their 8rpF888 direot1oa, until l ftsr the allem oaami88lao of tin offew by appellant. It 

fUPtbsr 8hOV8 b Vh8 rgtt.d t0 b - Va8 PeCOgtiud by th0 pttb~io a8 8Wh OffiOer. UO rO@rd 

the8e faot8 a8 -1~ l ufiloieat to 8hov affirmtire17 that br va8 8 DDE faoto officer. Fnrthermorq, 

ve l ee a0 ru8oa to doubt that 8eld vitae88, if h8 

continued to rot uader u l xpi.red ooml88loa vlthout iaterruptisn ud vlthoet qwatlon br tbv pub110 arbf#n offloere afBi# 8pring, but vlth 

their aaqulv8oomee, tht 8wh mot8 vould ooavtltute 

hir l de f-to Offlom. It u8 born uldr 

l ëYOtalthou@ , l n 84dl’Vd CorriO81olr 18 Wt 

color of tit10 to offloe, still, if an l lvoted or 

appoFated p&l;* offloer ooatlmn8, vitheut break, 

and vlthout queatlw by the p&110, to aural88 

th8 fUMtlaa8 of theoffloe after the explwtion of 

hlr OOUf.UiOIt, thi8 18 l 6Wth U.d eXewl8e Of the 

autle8 Of the offfoe by tioqule8oeaOe, l a Q, under 

the Bodero rule, eosutltuto~ the p~rron thm sotink an offloer de faoto.' Rx ?arte Traoey (Tax. Cr.) 

APP.) 93 a. w. 542. 
Honorable Den W. Jaokaon, pege 9 

“Quoting from thl8 authority further; 

"'In 011 Of these Ca888 the doctrina i8 8Uaoumed chat, vhlle a de facto offlaer my be one 

uho hold8 under oolor of 8leotlon or appointPunt, 

vhich my not be altogether r8gular, there 18 rtlll 

8nOthsP Oh88 vho my be d8 fOOt0 OffiG8r8 VithOUt 

regard t0 eny eleCtiOU or OppOiUtIiI8at; that i8, one 

vho eXerOl888 the dUti88 Of Ul Off%08 for a 18Ilgth 

of clme, 8Qd acquleroence on the part of the authorities and of the publlo. fn 8uCh 088e8 the inourbent, regardle8a of hi8 lnductloa,mg be ooiuldered 

8 de root0 officer. l l l k de facto offloer ry 

be 8uch l * l vlthout a knovn l ppo~tuat or 8leotlon, but under 8UCh clrowJtaaa88 of reputation or 

acqul88aence 88 vere caloulated to lad1108 people, 

vlthout Inquiry, to 8ubmlt to or invoke hi8 l otlon, 

rupporlag his to be the offloer h8 088umd to be.’ 

*wthout eXpF888ly approvlag all th8 langurge 

use&h the Traoey Ca8e, 8upr0, vc regard it and the 

ca8e of Erovn v. State, rupra, a8 ample authority 

to uupport our vlov that th8 faotr or8 8Uffloleat 

to ObOti ~OSSOUt~ VitM88 a & racto off loer on 

the date fn quartion." 

In viev of the for8going authoritlell, you are adrilled 

it Is our oplnlon that an aurlliary pol$.ae officer 18 a mpeace 

officer" a8 that term 18 defined by &FtlCle 36, Code of Crlmlu81 

Ppocgdure, and 18 an "offloer" vlthill the purvlev of Artlole 

ll!J'[. Swtfolp 1, of the Penal Code, vhen engaged la the ilavful 

xllabarge of the dUtie8 of hi8 ofrioe. 

Very truly your8 

ATTORiTEXGEB8RALOF TEXAS r 

JO:db 

Je88o DVenS 

A8818tallt