# 2.

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OFFICE OF THE AlTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN

BOnOr8bh Charles R. Martln County Auditor Harrison county Marehdl, **Texa8**

**leer**

**vfe quotr**  **from**

adrlrlneme **a8** to anor ceasms

bsooma tin0 of tha trial ooust aonviation, beocmr earned artm rinse notion in rt? In otherwords, rherm 8 **prty** in the County Court ot a niW¶~eUIOr year 1939, and the Oauee appealed end ater by the court or criminalA~paals the par 1940, an4 tti Constable did not report 

### therare a~ hatlag been 

### earnedan4 unoolliotml 4uring th year 1939, would he now be entitle4 to retain mm when oolleoted 4urin1.3 the year 19407

, 

# 16Honorable Charler R. Martin, Page i?



### ArMale 3899,Vernon'8 Annotated Taxar Civil **utea,** read8 88 r0ii0wrt stat-

*Eaoh dlrtrlot, ootmty **and** preolnot offloar, at the olore of l

auh fircal y6ar (DeaamberSlat) &all mke to the 

### dlrtrlatoourt of the **oountl in**  wMoh he redder a 8wornstatement In trlplloate 

### form (onrormr dealgned and agprored by the 

### state Audito r) l copy 0r whioh l tatement

shall ti rorwar4ed to the stato **Auditor** by tha alerk oi the dlrtriot oourt 0r ~814county wlthln 

### thirty (30) dayrmiter tbr 

### mm **ha8** 

### been **ii186** In hi8 

### oftloo, andoneoogyto **bo** filed with the oounty auditor, II **any;** othertice said aopy rhall be filed with the Commla8loner8* **court.** sat& report hall rho* the amunt of all faaa, oomml8rlonaand **oompnma** tloar whatoror earned by said offloerduring thr fi8aal yerrl an4 8eoondly, rhall rhor the amount **0r** fee8, aommlssionr**and** oonpsnsationa oolleated by him during the fiscal par; thirdly, said

### raportahall contain an ltemlzed statement of all foe8, aommlsrlonrand oonpwatlona earned during thr flsaal year wh$oh wure not oolleoted, togetherwith the name of the party owing raid feeI, co88l8rlonr

### andaompen8atlonr. Said report 8hall ba flied not 

### laterthan Fabruary let following the olore or the rlsoal **year** an4 

### ror eaohdal efter raid date that raid report rma1r.u not riled, 8ald offlorr rhall br liablr to a penalty Of Twenty IIre ($85.00)Dollars, whloh 6ay be reoorered br the oountr in a **ruit** brou&ht for ruch p@rpO8e8,an4 in additicn 8816 offloer ahallbe rubjeotto removal fro8 0fri0h*
Artlole SSW!!,

VernonL'a

Annotate4 Texas Oirll Stat**uto8,** 

### read8a8 rolloraI

MAnyofflaer **lwntloned** la **this** Chaptar who does not oolleotthe maxImum amount **0r** hi8 **reer** 

### r0r 8ny rlwaal par and vk~oreport8 delinquent roea ror that s, rhallbe l

ntltl 4 to rotain,when 0011 t d 

### partof ruoh de&pent fser a8 18 8uf&tt to completethe maximum oompatmation authoriaed by ArtlOle8 3883, SASS-A, and 30886for the **yaar** 

### Inrhloh delinquent

---_-__--,.- - .-~-Xoaorable Charles R. Martin, page 0

ree8 ware ohnrged, ratI8180 retain the amount or 8x0888 reer authorizaa by law, and tb remainder 

### 0r the dell uaat rers ror that 

### rfroal year 

### Sh8l1 be paid as here n provided rOr when oolleoted; prcw$dod,

“p the **~Oti8iO~8 0r**  thisArtlole shall not apply tc say orrfo8r after one year rrom thedate he oeaaes to hoia~tha ofrloe, the amount **0r** raer oolleote4 rhmll br pal6 into the OMlnty treABt&ry. Prorlded, haatez, that UsthlILg

in this AOt preoluder the gaysant Or uortlolo reer la aooordauae with Title 61 oi tha Revised Civil Shtratea or Texas, loea, as part 

### 0r ths 8nxlmm 008 In this Art r a8atloa. 

### ProrlUaa,that any ohaa&o nde

aleby thl8 Aot ahalllnot aPply 

### to rear heretoron earned.* (under8oorl~ ours hrtiolm 1045 ~*snon~s AMOt8tad Tuar **C444~3otrOr&m- ’**  **-Gai.~~ooeUruo, TSSdS**  In prt as rOilOW81 **..~,**

**, ’**  *The follewing tees ahall **be** allowea the rherlrr, or other paoe orrloer Darfonning the same renioea In miadez!mMor Cases, to be taxa@ against the daiendent on oonvlotlonr

. . . m ~OpinfonHO. O-703 Or thi.8 DepWtWllt holds that the provlalonror Artlole 3897, Vernon*8 **Annotated** Texas Civil 8tetutea requlriag that fess earned but not oollaoted **by** the * 

### 0rri08r &arLng tha rir0dl year ho reported 

### .*r mandatory and / * ~J~ =St bo aom~llsdwith b&ore tha **i**uatfoq 0i t l paoe **18 en**  **-2** titled to ret*ln under the prorlr .bns 0r Arttale 38893, Vernon*8 Annotated Texas Clvll 8tatuta8, delinquent eXamln$u trlal reea. We l nolose herewitha copyof Op$nlon ?io.O-703whloh aontalna a ruii **diSOU88iOn 0r**  them8tter.

Webater'aHew International Dlotlouary, 8roond Sdltloa, 48rin88 the **nor4** *earna as rOiiOW81

*Tomo?lt **or dS80~0,**  as by labor 

### or l ~'VlO0i to do that whioh entitled onr:to a reward, whothor tha:: mt?ard 18 rOaOive& Or ItOt.' Artfole 1086, 40&e or 

### crhlzml zvooeaure, pmrlder rees r0r

aon8kue8 In ml8dema anor assesror

l ervioes

perroraaa. There tees are taxable agslnat the 4Mendant upon oontlotlon. We think the oonatable l

### una an arrest fee rhea he aaMe8 thr 

### war rant

or l rraat~ 

### tlatwbn

ho 

### 8ummon8

a witness ho earn0 the, 

# 19

Honorable. Charlse R. Martin, Page 4

fee for auoh service; that he aerna the other fees outlfnaa by tha statute when ha parfoxma the earvloaa required. Bowaver’, these fees, although earned at the time of the performanoa of the aervloa, are not taxable and oollectlbla against a defendant until the final oonvlctlon of the defendant. The final oonvlctlon of the defendant determines that the constable wlll hare a right to oollsct or attempt to collect the **fsea** that he earned. Wethink that the constable’s **fees** Should be oonaldsrsd earned as of the tlma he perfonasd the l arvloa.
Statutes protiding 

### r808ror pub110 OrriCOrS are atrlctly oonatrued. Under the provialona of Artlole 3897, supra, the OfflOar la required to make a sworn report at the aloes of eaoh flaaol year and the statute requlrsa, among other things, that the report shall contain an itemized statement of all fess, aommlaalona and companaatlona arrnsd during the fiscal year whloh wars not oollauted, together with the nema of the party owing sald reea, oommlsafona and oam~nsatlons. Article 3892, authorizes the officer to retain delinquent fees for one year oollected In a subsequent year provided ths delinquent faea bra reported for ths year said feaa were earned.

We quote from Oplnloa No. O-709 of this Department aa rollowa: “It la our view that the requirement that euoh fees be Included in the offloar~a s11~rn report, being mandatory, is a oondltloh precedent to allowing hlm to retain such fees aa allowed him by Artlola 389Z end falling to do ao, suoh orricer has not met the requlrementa or the statute.* In enswor to your queetlon you are reapactfully mlVlesd_. that it la tha opinion of this Department that e oonatabla’a roes In misdemeanor cases baooma “earned” when ha perrorma the orrlclal aerrlcas as outlined by statute, but that auoh uaarnadW fees do not beoome collectible **from** tha dafendent until ha is ritim convlotsd. K gt la ths rurther opinion 0r this Dapertment t-t w ame a defendant la convlota4 of a mla4amaanor In CoUtY aourt in 1939, tha ceuae appaalad and affltrmed by ths Court of Criminal Appeals in 1940, ~4 where the oonatable did not report his fess aa having been same4 and uncollected **In** hi8

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Honorable Charler R. Martla, Paagr5