Whenever an attorney for the state is considered disqualified due to absence, recusal or inability to perform his or her duties, a judge may appoint a competent attorney— or an Attorney Pro Tem — to perform the duties of the office during the absence or disqualification of the attorney for the state, according to Article 2.07 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure. The attorney takes an oath of office and the place of the disqualified district attorney, assuming all the DA’s powers and duties. An Attorney Pro Tem is technically not a “special prosecutor,” although the terms are frequently used interchangeably.