OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS 

AUSTIN 

;- 

sane. 
Honorable Fred Erltman, P-8 I? 

*The Rusk lnrtltutlon refured to rooept 

Covln, notwlthatanding the Juw tlndln 

j' 

end he 

has heen oonilned to the Qregg County ,.ail alnoe 

that Urn.. 

"Reaently Covln euffersd a 

fror a kidney ailment and for a 

that he would not 1lY8. In the 

County dootors ltwas neoruary 

in the County hospital, so that 

nave hla life might be made. 

nevere illneu 

tire it ~appoared 

oplnton of the that he be placed 

every errort to 

*The Sheriff bid not hare a ruffloient number 

of deputies to gwrd CoYln while h8 wa8 In the horpitti and thought,lt n404888ry t0 rwploy OUt8id4 

guard8 to l tt8nd thlq man in the horpltrl. The84 

gimrdr were pn duty both aSy and night and ior a 

lprge 8rt ot the tlae Corln was rhaokled to the ho8- 

pltal g rd. 

l Th4rs ha8 been lW8eZlt.d to thi8 Offl~4 a reqU88t fOl’ 0!l 0ph%Otl & the a0my Auditor, h. u. 

Wyohe, as to whethw or not he may legally pay Alton 

Lee $110.00 Sor guardllyl Donald Covln l?i? day8 in the 

~re~~~l(e~or~.l~~NO8p1fa1~Lfkewl4r;~~~8~-+131 of Willie 

Thoma8' for #255.00 for 47 days, guerdlng 8uOh.prlrOaend Jodie Norrio, $125.00 for guarding thir prleoniE'i?S day8 at the horpltal. 

'Tha County p4slolan;~~ho was ln 8ttOndMQe on 

Corln during hlr i11n488, t48tifi4d that in his OplniOn the84 gurr(L8 W4r4 Zl4aO88aX'y. The Bharlff h8e al8o 

o6rtlfiSd that 8uoh guard8 were neoeerary and that 

the OharK for 8uoh 8417ia88 @IV F8UOllab10, hmlnq 

been performqd ?moughout 24 hours of the d8.y. 

*The Uouaty budget prOYide8 that the Dl8trlot AttOrn4y'8 Offi 8ful1 hay4 $745.00 for tr ifd l XP 4 nne. 

Pit 18 the lnt4ntlon 0i this OffiOe t0 again t48t 

the siciity of Donald Covin aa roan (LB he 18 physlOti1y 

able to 8talId trial, and we expeot to uee the teetimony 

of these guards, who have been in aonstant attsndanoe 

on hln for nsarly two Eonth8 to t88~tify aa to hi8 prerent ssnlty, together with Qootors and nurse8 aad 

others who have yd amp14 opportunity to observe him. 
Honorable Free Erlaman, Page 3 

'The uounty hUbitOr h8 rcque8tod OUl' off104 

for an oplnlon a8 to iðer or not he may 1cgallJ 

pay the bills of thus8 lndlvldualr and oharge the 

came agalnet the budget appropriation for thi'8 office under the clraumstanoes. 

*It 18 our opinion that under the provlrlone 0r 

titlelo 104l, Code a? Criminal Prooedure, Gregg 

county hmvl 

3 

in cxoe8c of 40,000 popula~tlon, aooordLng to the 1 40 flgure8, that the gherlff oould cmploy k8 many guards as were neoctasary for the 8afc 

kocplng of thle prlroner, but bcoause of the partloular olrcumstancar involved ln thlr matter, that he 

would not be lImIted to 84.50 perday, 8.1 rtated in 

the otatutes, slnoe the prlroncr waa held in the horpitd wdtt the ogre of a doutor, rather than in the 

county Jail. 

*We hcvc oarefully briefed the problems presented 

here and find no oa8e cxaatly on point. 

“It 18 our opinion that the ~ommis8lonerr Court 

mcy authoPI$s the Countr hudltar to pay the above 

bills end order the 8amo withdrawn from either the 

.gon*ysal ;;:ma,*,:~.ef~ .t& :.&unty or .ahug*:~*h**,'.againet 

th4 bUd&8t item Of th:i8 OfflOc UIIdCr the ?mOts ctrted. 

'Will you please advice m8 whether or not our 

off104 18 oorrcot on our posltlon In thl8 matter?* 

When a defendant bcoorcc lneanc aftsr oon*lctlon, 

Artloleq 925 snd 026, Code of Orlmlnal Prooedurc, provide in 

cffeat that *if the defendant lr found to be lnune, al.1 furthcr prooe+dlnga in the oane sgalnat him shall be 8uspendcd 

until he becomes pm*; th&t *the court shall make and have 

entered upon-the ~&n&es an order aommltting the defendant .to 

the cuetody of the ehtrlff, to be kept l ubJeot to the Further 

order of the county Judge of the oounty"; and that when he ha8 

been so committed, the aproc8cdlng8 shell forthwith be oertlfled to the oounty Judge, who &all at onoe ta&e the neoc88mry 

steps to have fho dcicndant confined in the lunatic asylum until he beoomer eene. . . .* 

It Is apparent from the forcgolng feats that the defezbent WWF lncllcted for thr off'cnee of murder in @-egg County, 
,--- 

~,F,... ., 

Honorable Fred Erl8mM, Page 4 

wa8 tried in said oountr, fauna guilty end given a death 8entenoe. The oa8e wa8 appcrlrd to the Court of Crlulnal Appeal8 

and afflrmcd bye erid Court. A, fCW d4$8 i8tCC, M cf?ldaYlt 

alleging that the defendant had beo~ac ln8am 8lnoc hi8 oonviction wa8 filed 8nd upon trial of thir 188~4, the defendant 

was found to be insane and wa8 aommltted to a Strtc lnstltutlon 

at Rusk, TIxa8. About two year8 later, tb defendant asoaped 

from the above mentioned Inetltutlon and In a few months wa8 

captured again. Soon thereafter an arridarlt alleging that defendant had regalned hlr 8anlty we8 fllcd ac provldcd by~Artiolc 

928, Code of Crimlnrl Proocdure. A Jury found that the defcndant wa8 insane. ~The lnotitutlon at Ruck, Tcxa8, rcfuused to aoccpt the, defendant, notwithstanding the Jury flndlnp;c, and he 

was confined to,the Orrgg Countr Jail. WC ascupH) that the oourt 

entered the 8amc order on the tinutee Of the oourt bm ua8 previously entered when the defendant wa8 first tried to determine 

whether he wee Ine~ne, oonmlttinf: the defendant to the ouctom of the sheriff, to be kept oubjeat to further order sf 

the county judge; therefore, the defendant '1116 a prl8oncr leg811y coamIttcd to the OU8tO6$ of th8 rhoriff. 

Article 6871, Vernon'8 Annotated DltFl Statutea, reads 

RI fOllOW8; 

~,,,: ,.':,,, :..::. #Mary*:* ny;,,q~mty., .I*, ~00~~ .n**~*~:,:,~: :.:_...,, .:, _,: 

to cmploy a guard for the rcfe keeping of prI8oaerr 

and the 8cOWity Of~Jti18, the rherlff mcy, with the 

appro+cl of the eomnlr8iancr88 oourt, or in the 088a 

of emorgcn~y, with thqapprcval of the oounty Judge, 

employ suoh nwnber of guard8 a8 may be aeo88aczrp; end 

tic aooount therefor, duly ltem.Ued and sworn to, 

rhall bc allored b laid court ana paid out of the 

oounty tresourg. f rovldedfurthcrthatrlloountIe8 

In thlo State hiving 6 population of more than one 

hundred and forty thou86nd (140,000) lnhabIt8nt8 and 

le~88 than +&o hundred 8nd ninety theu8Md (290,000) 

Inb8bi~tanta, acoordlng to the last prcoealng Federal 

ocnsus, no guard, mtron. Jailer, or turnkey rh~ll 

qork more thsn clght (8) hour8 In one dcy. And all 

OOWltiC8 ooming under the prorlrlons of this &t,8t 

1cPst one man shall be on guard on eaoh floor of 8dd 

Jsll where male prisoners crc kept, .and ot lecrt one 

matron &all be on guard on etch floor where female 

prlconcrr arc kept; and that aot lcsa thmn two (2) 

4111p1O~cc8 ohs11 be on guard in the m8ln office of said 

jail at any one time. In CWBC of uacrgcnoy, t&ore oom- 
Honorable Fred Eriaaan. Page 6 

ing *under me provlrlont of thie Aot shall be aubJeat to the oall oi the 8heriif.’ 

Articles 1037 and 1041, Code of Criminal Frooedure, 

read 88 tolloue: 

Artiole 1037. *Eaoh oounty &all be liablr ror 

all l xpeaaer Inourred o n l ooount of tne atie keeping 

of prisoaero oontined in Jail or kept under $wrd exoept prlroners brought from enother aounty tor rare 

kteplng, or on hebeata oorpue. or ohnnge of venue; in 

whloh oaaem the oounty from which the ptiiaoncr 3s 

brought l F&n be liable for the cxpeneca of -Ma safe 

kceping.a 

Arti41e 1041. ‘The eherlff ehall be allow’ed for 

eeah guerd 3~ etatron ncotaearilJr employed in the rar6 

keeping of prisoners two dollare and firty Benta (#q5Of 

for eaah day. .Ro allowanos &all be asde ror the board 

bf suoh guard or matron, nor shall tony ~allawsnoe be 

ma&e ror Jailer or t*umkey, exoept In oounFi48 having a 

Populatlan in exoese or rorty thousand (40,000) inhabitants aoaordlhg to the laot pnoedlng or any Suture Federal 08n8ua. Bu4h 4ountler 4r rorty thoueand (40,000) 

'or r6r~~~%&iib%.tantr %he aornrlesionsrl:* .-.oo~rt ‘nay allow 

eaeh Jail guard, Patron, and turnkey~four boilar8 a& 

rifty cents ($4.50) par byi provided that In oountier 

having a population in excess of tbme hun&ed pnd fiftyrlre thouoand (355,000) lnhabitantr, asoordlng to the 

last preoetiing or any future Federal oenmis, e-h&%1 

guard, matron, Jailer and turnkey shall be paid not 

less ,than one hundred and mventy-five (C176.03) dollar8 

per month. l 

The a‘qovq mentioned etatuter are the only atatuten 

that we hays been able to fin4 pertslning to the employing of 

guards and providing oompenaation’for their servieea. The oaae 

of Stat4 v. Carnar, 100 8. iT. (Z&l) 587, among other thingr, hold* 

In errect that oole~ie6ionera* aourts are not preoluded from 

approving and allowing guarda in oouritiee 0r leoa than rorty 

thournnd population. 

Artialc 1026, Vernon'r Annotated Clvll Btftutes, remIs 

in pnrt aa followe; 
Honorable Fred Erlsrmn, Page 6 

Wlriaa against a oounty shall be reglsterad 

ln three olaasee, a8 follows: . . . (S). All the 

getieral indebtedness of the oounty, lnoludlng feeding and guardlng prlaonera, and pauper's olaina.a 

Oounty offlolala in Oregg County sre oompenaatad on 

an annual salary bade. The Offloara~ Salary Law, among other 

things, provldaa lo etreot that in all oases where the county 

ofiioera or preoUa4t orrioerr or a oounty are oompnaatad r0r 

tha aertloea by the psyment of sn annual. aals.ry, neither the 

State of Texas nor sny county ahsll be ohsr&ed with or pay to 

sny ot the ofiloera so oompensated, sny fee or aoamlsalon ror 

the perrormanoe of any or all of the duties or their offloes ror 

such offioer &a&l1 reoelvs auoh aalrry iti 114~ or a13 othar reea, 

oommlcslona or compensation whioh they would gtharwlao be authorized to retain. 

A sherlrr who is oompensated on a ralary basis oannot 

be allowed the sum of $2.60 per day for aaoh gusrd neoeasarllp 

employed ior the SRre keeping of prlronerr. Howevers we are 0r 

the oplnlon that this statute fixer the Ramant of odmpenoatlon 

to be sllowrd a guard employed in the asfe keeping of prisoners 

in those oountler hsv1ng.a population of leai than fortJ thousand lnhsbltsnts aooordihg to the last reoedlng FeQer+l oen8ua. 

~~ Art1410 lO4l'ptitiWi'~'that ln~oounti4i" Llng a piqutation' in 

4xoess or rorty thooasmd inhsbltsnts rooordiqg to ths last prroedlng or any future F4d4ral 41318~8, the 00mml8814a41u~ 40~~ 

m8.y allow aaoh Jail guard, eto. the sum of 44.60 per 4. In 

view of the lasts atatod ln your lnqulry and the authoritler 

above mentioned, you are raapeotiully sdvlsed that It ia-th8 

opinion of WY.8 Department that the expenses lnourrrd In employing guarde aa above stated would ba general Indebtedness of 

the oounty and could be pald only out or the general f'und. 

It is our further opinion that after the 1940 Federal oensua was Offi4iRiiy stated and the oensua showed that 

Gregg County had R population in exoess of rorty thousand inA 

habltanta, the gusrda employed oould be prid the maximum of 64.M) 

par day ind would not be entitled to the sum of 6;5.00 per dsy 

RS shown in thair olaiaa. Aocordlng to the lQJ0 oanaua, Gregg 

County had a population of 108s than 40,000 inhabltsnta* tharerose, the ~provlalona of Artlole 1041, aupra, providing 44.80 

per d&y as the maximum ooolpsnaation for guards, eta., would not 

apply to Gregg County until the 1940 oanaua beoame o~fflolsl 

ehowlng the populatlon of said county to b4 ln~axoeaa of forty 
, . 

Homrable Fred. EriSlrlR, P8ge 7 

~hOU8alid lahabltant8. xr a part or all 0r tbr~8ervloe8 

l bovs aentloned pwrormea by the gum-da WM perrormed or renden6 berore the 1940 Federal oenrus b~oa~4 errSOtiVe, then 

:, it IS our Opinion that #!.80 per dw iOr eaoh guard 18 th8 

nut$&#Um #imoUnt that the ooUnty could 14gally pay for SU8h serrl4aa. 

Trusting that the roregolng ruriy t4nswera your lnquiry, W8 ar8 

Iours very truly 

ATTOSWEX GENERAL OF TEXAS 

AWrBBB 

APPROVED SP 43, 1940 

?-