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**OFFICE OF**  **THE AlTORNEY**  **GENERAL OF**  **TEXAS AUSTIN** 

.. Honorable E. Y. Ounnlnghes county Auditor Havarro County cor3ioana, Texas Dear Stir

Your letter of r of this department on the follms: ,~’ pointed HeaSh cm3a monthly

o ’more oomoenaation or dutiee as*Health Okloer?
to an extra ree in this kind the oorreot prooedure, and doe8 rney have the right to ordar an
0, Yernoa*a Annotated Code of Criminal

“Upon an inquest held to asorrtain the oawe of death the juatios ahall, if he,deens it neoebcarp, oall in the oounty health orioer, or, if there be none, or it it **be** lnpraotioable to 860~1~ himoerv$oes, then soma regular j&ysioian, to make

### oaautoopoyinomlrr todrtemlm whothor thodeath wao oooaoloae6 by doloaoo~ and if 10, its aaturo on6l hamotorr The oounty la *ioh siloh laqmot and 

### autopsy

is hold ohall pay to tho phyoioiah **nmk** ing ,moh autopsy a See o? 

### notless than ten aoc 

### aore**than** 

### fifty **dollars,** 

### thel

### xoeoe

mar ten dollan to be dotsoaiaod by thr oommioaionero oourt attsr aoorrtoloing the amount Md noture oi the work p~rfonmd :a lnaking ouoh autopry.” It will bo noted 

### that the abon quoted otatoto authorizer **ow** 

### tho**Justieo ob**  the POaOo upoa **iaquoot** hold to aooortaia the oauoo of death, to oall in the eouaty health orrioor, of, ii, thoro bo aoao, or if it bo irmpraotioablo to oeouro hlo 00r~iOO0, 

### thenoomorOgul%r phyOiOi0!h, to mak0 aa autopsy in order .to **detennino** whather the death was oooaoionod **by** 

### violonooj andi+ 80, lto nature and 

### oharaotor. This otatuto doomnot authorixo the Diotriot Attomty to oall in the oouaty health ontloer or **mm8** reeular phyoioiaa to msLe an **au tOROY.**  Wohave booa unable to find any otatuto authorizing the Dlotriot **Attornoy** to have the eouaty health orrlaor or OOPY 

### other phyoioiah to make en autopsy. Theroforo, it ia our opinion that tho Diotriot **Attornoy.** does not havo tho lo&al authority 

### orpow6x to 

### ordor an autopsy hold. Ultbor the faoto stated in your lnqqiry it is our fuzth8r opinion, that tha 

### oounty health of-floor

11 not ontitled to any rxtn oompenoatit% for tho oor~Iooo 

### porformod.

Art1010 4423, Vomoa@o

### Aauotatod Civil Statutoo reads a< rollarr

Vho **oomaioolonoro** oourt by a majority voto in oaah oqaniood oouaty shall bionaially appoint 

### a proper perom for the offioa of 

### oamty health 

### orrloor for his oounty,,who @ml1 hold off100 for 

### twoyears* **Said** oounty health **orfloor** shall **toko** aad oubooribo to tho oitloial 

### oath,aad shall iilo a **OORY** of ouoh oath and a OORf or hio appointment with the Toxao 

### Stat0 BoardofEoalthfi and, until ou0h OOpiOoare 00 riled said orfloor ohall not bo deunod legally quallflod. Compoaoation of said oounty health ofiiorr ohall bo iixod by throawnibr oionero mat) protidotl, that no ooaponoatioa or salary ohall bo allond l xoopt for oor~loso aOblllllly rendorod.a

### 414

, . 

### Honorable Z. Yr Curminehaq Pago 3



### Nhother

ornota eouaty health otiioor la entitled 

### to extra oompnsatlon~ for an autopsy road0by him 

### upon roqtroot 

### oithrfwtiomortho Pea00 uwlrr 

### Artlolo970,oupra, lo 

### not bororr UI andwo l



### x~ooo no O&biOnS 

### with reformno@to tho *Sm.* 

### This opinion nh@rrlr 

### holds that tho Motriot AttOmy door not 

### havo any legal authority or porror to odor an 

### Mtop@yhold 

### and that undor 

### thr faoto 

### stated in your lrttor tho eoanty

health oiiloor Io.:not entiflrd to any oompanoation 

### iOr the 8on1008 ptimod **b** l d 

### toprfona ouoh,oonIooo 

### 1; hl8 althou& 

### ordorod or reqU88t

### y theDiotriot

Attoraq. Tnaotiq 

### thattie w-r, we ore izmiqblng ray anmom your la

### Yoursvow truly ATTORIIEY 

### MN.ERALOFTEXAS (@wcmd.k Blr Ardolf:~willlamo



### Assistant

APPROVECAUG 4, 1942