TIEXEATTORNEY GENERAL OPTEXAS
April 28, 1939
Honorable Geo. R. Sheppard Comptroller-of Public Accounts Austin, Texas Dear Sir: OplnlotiI?o. O-651 Re: Wh6theYtti6 Ci-Unlnal~Dl~trict __.-. ~__.
~'We-&r6-~in ~receipt of 'gotir'.letteti bi'April~~l8~;~ x939; i~hietibiii jrClifreqti&st our oIjixil6n&s~~to~j~hi%hM~,tii?~~hti~m'iiiaI~~&ls -. .,_ _- tP7Ict'titttjrtieg 6f-.Gr@g-.Couiitjr ls~entltl6& to--receivean iiriz-' ii~al.~cod~itFtut~onal-'s~larg oft-$500~.00 fPotithe,Sttite6f T%%as, aaaltiohiil-to'thesalary provided iv Article 3912e, Revised Civil Statutes. The-Leglslattie of T&as';'~in.1931,by Hou~6~'B'lT1'49~, Ch&pt&r~23,~Acts~~Flrst~Calle&Ses$Zon,42nd ~LeZjii%l&tur6,-created t&._.124th~~Jtidicltil DIktrFct-fbP Gregg CNnty; '&a. lfii"BEe-- scriblfig'th6t'organii&tlon "-tii%atea~~th0 ttietiebf bfflze Of'CiYm- itial~Dlst~~~tAttorney. The ktirt 'ka&.cr6&t& fbr ti'pez+lod- of-four year$,and iioialahave'e%plri%IOI--Aiigiist ~12, 1933. By House Bill 226~,/Chapt-e?? 4; Acts 44tti~L6giBlEku%, 1935;the Leglsli.itureniad~3pe~manent-'the~Dist~lot:~C~urt Pdr~th6.~12~th Juaiblal District, and in addltlon~i?tietited~tin & Dl~t~f&t~YCourtof ~Gregg CMfitg, ~kndwlii@ ,~h~~Sp~~d~l-Di~-ttriCt .., -. Cbbrt.for Giiegg'County,.Texas,'toekpire~.f-our y&irs'Vfromth%"-' effective date of th@ Act, Janutirg-25;1935: ~The~L&glX&tiire bj Hou'se-BilI.82,Chapter 34,~~Acts,Fijrty-f;l~th'Leg~:slat~re,-- 2fia'CglledSession, 1937,'.extendedthKexprr&tSbti date of-t%- SpticialCourt to-'January25, 1943:'~~Bbthof these Gregg County District Courts are in continuous session. Section 20, of Chapter 4, Acts 44th LegisL@ure, pro- vided : Hon. Geo. H. Sheppard, April 28, 1939, page 2 o-651
salary of Five Hundred Dollars per annum allowed to District Attorneys, to be paid by the State of Texas in the manner provided by law for paying the salary of District Attorneys, be pald'the same fees which are now allowed and paid to County and District Attorneys In counties where less than three thousand votes were ca'st at the preceding presidential election." Section 21 of Article 5 of the Constitution of Texas, provides as follows: "A county attorney, for counties in which there is not a residentcriminal district'attorney shall.be ijl~cted~~bjr't~e'.pual~-fied voters'of'each-'county,iiho shisll'.be'bommissibn~edby'~the Governor,'and hbl&'hTs~ offI.ce'~forthe t'erm'oftwo years;. 'In case of-.vacancy the co~lssloners'~court~of'~the'countyshall have the potjer~to'appointa county attorriey~unt'il the'hextgen- eral"eIection.. The'county attorney shall represent the-state .~~ _. ln~all cases In the District and-inferior courts in their respective counties; but If any'-county shall be incluaed~ln a-dlstrict~in'which.there'sh~ll- be B-~~strlct 'attbmey; the'res'pectliie'autles ofdis- trlct'and county attorneys.shall' .,. In such EountieKbs The-Legislatur~ may'. Fe&il.atedby~the'Legislature. provlde'for'the election of distriCct-attorneysinsuch alstrlcts as may be seemed necessary; ana make RrWi- sions for the compensation-of alstrict attorn'eys . and countyattorneys; provide&, aistrict~at'torneysshall recexve an annual--salaryof five hunarea dollars,-'to begpala by the~state, and such fees,-~commisslonsand perqulsltles as may be provided by law." On August 24, 1935, the people of Texas adopted Sectlon 61 Article 16 of the Constitution reading . as follows: _. "All district officers in the State of Texas and all county officers in counties having a pop;nla- tlon 'of20,000 or more, according to the then last prec~edingFederal'Census, shall from the first day 0.f January and thereafter and subsequentto the first Reg- ular or Special'Session of the Legislature afterthe-- a&option of'this Resolution, be compensate&on asalary basis." In all counties in the State; the Commissioners Court shall-Abeauthorii&to determine whether precTnct ioffIcers-'shall-.be compensatea ona fee basls~~orona salary basis;'and-'in~countleshaving~a populatiotiof less than 20,000 accorCTl-ng'to ~the then last preceding .~_. ~,~~ _~,.._ F-&era1 Census~,the'Cominls~slonersCourt shall~also have the authority to determine whether county officers . .
Hon. Geo. R. Sheppard, April 28, 1939, page 3 o-651
shall be compensated on a fee basis or on a salary basis . . . ." Article 3912e. Section 15, reads in