## T( !J **OFFICE OF**  **THE ATTORNEY**  **GENERAL OF**  **TEXAS AUSTIN**  **3 GROVERSELLERS** 

**ATTORNEYOENER*L**
Honorable Temple Shell County Attorney Wiohita county Wiohita Falls, 8exae

Dear Sir:



### r0ii0wa: therein is, in part, as

tatutsrr oi Texas the County Judga ortar in their .oo, nor 1eIw than prorule* ror the

"Each district and orlminal dluttlct judge akll appoint an oliiclal court reporter whoshall be a **main** officer **or the**  **oourt an4**  &all 

### b0ia him

### 0rri06 auring the plaaauss of tho court. * * *"

This **etatute** doen not authorize **oounty judgor**  **to appoint**  oourt **reportere** 

### r0r the aounty'ooPrt.i %norab'le Temple Shell, pa@ 2 

### 91



### Artlola232%Vernon*o Annotated Civil Statutes, reads, in part, as r0110w8:

*TM of+fiofal shorthand roportsr ot each judicial district in this Stata and the orfioial shorthand rOporter of any oounty oourt, elthor 01'111or orlminal, in this State, 

### wherethe oompenaatlon of au&~reporter or auoh oounty oourt or judiolal district, 

### is not Otherwise provided by apaoial law, shall reoeiva a salary of not momthan two thousand seven hundred dollars ($8700.00) par annum,nor lass **than** 

### tuo thousand rour hundred dollara ()2400.00) per anaum, l uohsalary to be fixed and datermIne& by tha diati5ot or oounty judge rqapeotively or thr oourt wherein auoh 8borthand reporter is employed, In addition 

### totha oonpanaatlon for tranooript faaa a8 

## provia8a

ror by law. Sal& salary ahall bapaid monthly by **the commiaeionua**  **Court** or the **county** out or the Qaneral Fund.or the oounty, or in the di@bretion or the Uomml88lonera 

### court,

out or the jury r-4 

### 0rsaid oounty, upon **tb** goztgioate or tha Judge of auOhDistriot or CountyCourt.

The roregoing 8tatuto authorizer the CountyJutl&eto fix the cciapanratlon 

### or a 

### shorthand reporter 

### or an;loounty aourt ln the annunt 

### authorladby 

### aridstatute whare the oompenaation of l uoh ahorthd reporter of a 

### owntf ooplrt la 

### not otherwise poildkd by awoial Law. 'Phi8 l tatuto &oar aa0 

### l ~pro~aly

lntho rlae



### thawmnty 

## Judge toappoint



## an0rri0i8l 8brtbnil reporter fitr a oount~ 

## 00mr*. It might **bo** aal& that tb, a08+ty da@ haathe impl%aa

### mthorlty undat~this statute to 

### appointan ofilolal shorthand 

### raportrr fbr a 

### oouaty oourt *I raid l tatuto **8uthoriaea** 

### t&a0opntJ Judge **to fix**  the oomponaatlon oi ouoh an oSiiola& 

### l horthatid reporter wharo

### the~~apanaation or auoh

### reporteris' nototharulao

prorldrd by 

### l

paoirl. 1~. 

### Wedonotbelieve that the 

### osmty-jah¶$a has 

### t&airp~le&

aathorltt **onaar** thl8 statute to appoint anofiioid l hotihand seporter tor l oounty oourt for reasona 

### h8ralnaftar stat*&.

'drtlole 2321, Vdmon*a 

### Annotated Cl011 Statutes, pmrldaa: ’ I When either party 

### to a olrfl ‘oaaopending in the county 

### court or county ooq.* at law applies thereror, 

### tha judge **thereor** shall cLppofnt 

### al ompeteltt atemgrapbsr, it 0x18be prose&, 

### toreportthr oral testimony given 

### la auoh oaao. Suoh etenogfapher shall take tha 

### oathrequired or orrioial 

### oourt reporters, ana shall reuiva **aot** 1888 than iit0 dollamper 4ayr to be taxad and oollaoted asmnorabla Tamp186hel1, page 3

oosta. In such oassa the provisions or this title with respect to the preparation of the statement of facts, the time to be allowed thereror, andfor the presentation to the oppoeite party, andtkmapprovIng and riling thereor by the court, ahall apply to all statements of raota in civil oaaea tried In said courts, and all provisions of law governing statement oi raota andbills oi axoaptlon to be filed in dietriot oourts ana tba use 0r sameon appeal, shall apply to oivil ease4 tried in said Oourta.w +,:

‘\ 

### 92

Article8 2327b and 2327b~1, Vernon*4 Annotated Civil Statutes, oreate and eatabllah tha offlee of court reporter or aounty courts in aountiaa aomingwithin the population braokat msntloned in said statutes. Wichita County has a population of 73,040 Inhabitants aooording to the 1940 Federal Census. It ia apparent that the population of Wiohlta County la auoh that said oounty does not oomewithin the population braoket mentioned in Artiolea 2327b and 2327a-1; therefore, said statutes are not applicable to Wiahlta County. It la to be understood that w4espress no opinion as to the aon.stItutionality of said Art10148 2327b and 2327a-1.

The passago of Artiolra 2327b snb 23274-1, by ths Legislature, lndioates that tha bgIalatura wa8of tha opinion that a oounty judge did not have the authority to appoint a court reporter foi‘ the oounty aourt unless authorleed by statute.

In the ease of Ragland 1. Cons, 118 S. **W.** (2d) 1098, th4 Court **or** Civil Appeals oi Trxae Amarillo, amongother things, **had** under oonsideration Artlole 2321. This was a ease appealed from tho Lubbock County Court andJudge Stokes, speaking for the Court in the above mentioned oa4e, said:

“The cake was triad in the oounty oourt and, under our statutea, that oourt Is not provided with a ragular, ottloial oourt reporter. Article 2327, B. C. S., 1923, makeaproper provision for such an ottioial reporter, however, In any oivil oacmwhenapplied for by either party to the suit. It is 

### proviasa that he shall b4appointed by the judge and ahall*tfwWthe oath requira6 0r 0rrioIti oourt reporters.

### ;. ” 93 Honorable Temple Lihell, page 4

W4have mad4a oarelul search of the statutes and fail to find any statute authorizing the appointment of a reglar offiaial court reporter ror the oounty court of Wichita County. Several 0r the aots creating county courts at law (Art1014 1970-329) empower andauthorize the judges of said oourte to appoint otfloial ahorthandreporters 

### ror suoh courts. TheThirty-sixth Legialature , I920, at its Third Called S08410n, areated a oourt to be held in Wiuhita County, to be called thevGounty Court of Wiohita County at I~w.~ (Article 197O-15%Art1014 1970-166) Article 1970-166 authorized th4judge of the County Court, Wiahita County, at Lawto appoint c,noriioial shorthand reporter for euoh oourt. Artiole 1970-ldda, enaoted by the 43rd Legislature , 1933, Sp4014J Laws, page 86, Chaptar 65, transferred tbs-jurisdiotion .oi the Wichita county. Court at Lawto the Wiohita **County** Court. Ssotlon 2of this Aot provided that the Aot would have nofore4 andwould not disturb the operation or the County court of Wichita County at Lawuntil atter January 1, 1935. In anewer~to **your** question, you are rsap44trullp a&via46 :f ’ that it is the opinion of this **dopartmant** that ths County Judge OS Wichita County doer not have the 14gal authority to appoint a court reporter ror the County Court or raid **county.**Yours very truly ATTORNEY

GENERAL

OBTEXAS 

# BYm@!L

Ardell Willlama A6ali4tant