HonoiablaDonaldAllurns COuntyAuditor Rardin~.Coun+$ Kountze,Terns
Dear Sir: Opinion Nc. O-6307 Re: Under the facts given,may the co@missioners* court authorizethe employmentof a stenographerPorthe county judge,llhois a ssoond cousin to the said judge.
This irillacknowledgereceiptof your letter of racentdate requestingour opinion on the above statedquestion.
,Article432 of the Penal Cods providesa8 follows:
% offi%? df this State ix any office of any di.%t+iat;ipiiG&y~Cii$,precinct,school district,or &Sier munici@al'sLbdiVrsiOn _ of'thia%ets, or any offi- cer or member of'lrsy'St&te; _ _~_ .~ distiiot,county,city, 'i&otil'd%btriotor oth& nitiicl@.l board, or judge of &y'~tiiu;t;biatbd by or -tider'authority of any general Oi S+oidl lG6f~thisiState;'or any'm&nberof the Leg- Glbtiirb, .~_. - hhalY'+poiat, or vote for, or confirmthe appointment-to'lly'offiob;.pdsition, clerkship,employ- iabirti~tir~d*,'%f anjip&cCrelatbd within the second degr&bp~affini~~& withinthe third degree Ly consan- guinityto the person so appointingor so voting,o? to any other'memberof aqy such board,the Legislature,or court of which such person 80 appointingor votingmay be a member,when the salary,fees, or compensationoe suoh appointeeis to be paid fdr, directlyof indirect- ly, out of or from public funds or feea of affice of of any kind or characternhataower."
Article 433 of the Penal Code sets forth those to wham the inhibitims of this law apply and includedthereinare members of the commissioners oourt. A county judge is a member of the ccmmissionerel court. - .
Bon. DonaldAllums, Page 2 (o-6307)
By the provisions-of the nepotimulaw,members of the conmissioners' court are prohibitedfrom-appointingto any smployd ment any personwho is relatedto any member of such court within the degreesspecifiedtherein,when the compensationfor -suchem- ploymentisto be paid out of publicfkds.
Seoond oousinsare relatedwithinthe third degree, eitherby oonsanguinity, or blood,or by affinityor marriage. If the stenographeris relatedto the county judge byoonsanquinityor blood,she may not be legallyemployed,for such employmentis pro- hibitedby the plain provisionsof Article432. Bowwer, if she is relatedto the counti judge by affinity,or marriageonly, her em- ploymentis not prohibitedby said statute.
We trust that the fo'regoing answersyour inquiry.
very truly yours
ATTORNEYGENERALOF TEX&S
w s/Fred C. Chandler
Fred C;'Chaiidlsr Assistant FCCIdbcegr
AETRovED FEB za, 1946 s/ CarlosAshley FIRSTASSISTANT ATTOREEY GENEiAL ApprovedOpinion Corm&ted By BWB Chairman