Court Opinion

ID: 4143276
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2017-02-18 03:31:44.779789+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:07:07.832791
License: Public Domain

TEE       ATTORNEY            GENERAL

                           Aue~w    11. TBxAn
                                                     Thie Opinion
                                                  Ovrrruler  0 lnion
                                                #O-722--O-12&-0-1529

bnorable  I. Predecki                        Overruled   by O-6616
aounty Auditor
&lrerton,   Texas

                             Opinion No.~ 0.jQ1
                             Be:   Compenmtlon of a 8p8ai8l
                                   county judge of Galre8ton
                                   county.

          Your recent requert for an opinioir of thlr       dopart-
ment on the above etated matter has been received.
                                                          19l&,.and

                              B. iiolaan of thlr county
                           ‘home for ap roximatel     twb
                            pregid.e an s udgr of t El

                           tfon at a 8peeial called
                           t, 1940, elected Hr. hl88el
                           l a 8 Special   Judge hating
                                         tters In the

                                         ttention that
     the County may                      or the senlaes
     rendered by the
     County Court.
     ute that author

     stated    above.
     full    amount of
     in January of t
     Com~iAssi0ner.s'
     illness.
Honorable    I.   Predecki,   Page 2

     Hay 2Tth, 1939, to Mr. Fred T. Porter, County
     Attorney,  Kaufman County, you rtate:      ‘A
     Special County Judge, whether lrervlng in a
     general capacity   or a probate ca city,      only
     rhould be corn enrated on the fol r owing ba8i8:
     The annual ra Pary of the Judge of the County
     Court divided by 365 and the quotiant multl-
     plied by the number of da 8 actually     rewed
     by ruch special   Juige.  Til8 compensation
     should be paid from the Offlcerr!    Salary Fund
     of ~the County. t

            “Ou October Pth, 1940, I wrote and arked
     for an opinion with reference     to the salary or
     compensation to be paid the Special Judge who
     wa8 nominated by the Bar A8sociatlon     to act
     during the abrence,    through lllnes8   of the
     elected   County Judge E. B. Holman 01 thir Coun-
     ty.
           -“In a ietter  from you, signed by Mr. W. C.
      Caaon, Admlnistratlve.A88istant     I received
     -boples of Opinions NOS. O-722,-6-123&     and O-1529,
     concerning   the quertion submitted In my letter,
     a oopy of which I a l80    lncl@ae.
            ‘Judge iiolman was detained at his home until
     the 1st of Jan            1941.    On yesterda    hr.
     ELssell H. harxi           Special   County Juz?ge pres-
     ented to me hi8 claL        IA the total amount ‘of
                    claiming this a8 his compensation from
     it$$t*$    ? At 1940 through Uecember 31st         1940,
     Inclusive.     ‘I enclose   s copy of nis bill:
           “From the opinions      received,     I -understan d
     th:.t tne special    Judge is to be paid for each
     day that he actually      serves,     and the compensation
     to be arrived     at as stated    on Page 2 of 3pinion
     No. O-722.    AS NW. tiarktell      renders    nis bill    for
     every day, including      sundsys and holidays         from
     August 21st,    1940, ne is requesting         payment not
     for the d;:ys tnzt he ?ctuclly         served,    but for
     evCry dsy intervening      between the first        dzy of
     his appointment     until  the last     day.

             ItI understand   fro:n the ocinions   rendered
      th;t   the 3p@cial    Judge is entitled    to all of      the
    gonorable   I.   Predeckl,      Page 3

           compensation received     by the dul  elected
           Judge (in Galveston County, the Eounty Judge
           receives   &,750.00 per annum, and which he
           received during his ab8enCe) and It ir nec-
           lr lr a for
                    r y me to establi8h   the number of
           actual day8 for which he is to be pald.
                 ‘1 therefore    respectfully      88k your
      ‘.   opinion to aid me in determining          the actual
           day8 that be beWed, ~whether the tinA i8
           reprreented   a8 8hown in the Hinuter of the
           Count Court or whether it includes any minis-
           teria 1 duty that deVOlVe8 on the County Judge
           and of which there is no record in the Minute8
           of the Probate or Civil Docketr.           To rubrtan-
           tiate or verify    his claim, it would be neo-
           l88a r thy 8t the County Clerk chow the number
           bf day8 that wire actually         8erved by the
           Special Judge and that the Clerk certlf            to
           this statement.     The clain that Mr. MarEwell
-          has presented is a statement covering the
           entire perfod without any reference          to Sun-
           dape, holiday8,    and when no Probate or Civil
           matter8 came up fcir hearing.          At tlmea thr
           Speelal Judge qpeared       at the office      of the
           County Judge and whether any dutle8 were per-
           formed or not, I am unprepared to say and it
           might be that 80m8 day8 the Special Judge
           did not appear at all.        In other words, what
           constitutes   in your opinion,       a working day
           for the Special county Judge.”
                 The claim       of Honorable   iiussell     H. hsrkwell     presented
    the following      claimagainst        the County      of Galveston    for service'
    rendered   as    special  County      Judge reads      as follow-s:

                                                   January     23r&,   1?41.

           11 days    in   August   - -   - - - - - - 4143.11
                                                                                   --
                                                                                        y%

honorable        1. Predecki,   Page 4

        4 months at $395.83 per month - - - - - $ 1583.32
                 Total amount of claim a8
                 provided by Statute .- - - - - $ 1726.43

                 Section 1    Article    5 of the State     Conetitution      pro-
vides        In part a8 fo Plonr:
              "* * *.  When the judge of the County C&t
        ir di8qwlifird    in any cane pending in the~county
        Court the partier   intere8ted ma    by consent, ap-
        point a proper person to.try   ra 1’
                                           d care, or upon
        their falling  to do 80 a competent perron may be
        appointed to try the muse In the county when It
        18 ending in such mPnner a8 nay be prerorlbed
        by Paw.”

                 Articles  1930,   19313 1932, 1933 and 1934,           Vernon's
.&notated        Clril Statutes,    read a8 follows:~

              “Al%. 1930.    When a judge of the county
        oourt 18 disqualified,    the partIe   may, by
        consent, app.oint a- proper. peroon. tomtry- ruch
        oa8e.

                “Art. 1931.    Whenever a judge of the xoun-
        ti  Court 18 dirqualifled        to try a civil  oa8e
        pending In the oounty oourt,         and the parties
        shall fail at the first         term of the court to
        agree upon a epeolal        judge, the judge 8hall
        certify     his disquallfioation     to the Governor
        and the failure   to agree upon another   to try
        the same, whereupon the Governor    shall   ap-
        point some person,   learned  in the law to try
        such case.

                “krt.    1932.    When a county judge is dis-
         qualified     to act in any probate        matter,    he
         shall    forthwith    certify   his disqualification
         therein     to the Governor,      whereupon the Governor
         shall    appoint    some person     to act as special
         judge in said case,         wno  snall   act’ from term to
         term until      such disqualification        ceases   to ex-
         ist.     A special    judge so appointed        shall  re-
         ceive    the same compensation         as is now or may
gonorable     I.   Predeckl,   Page 5

     hereafter    be provided by lar for regular
     judges  in similar cases,      and the commls-
     donero'     Court shall,    at the beginning of
     each fiscal    year, Include In the budget of
     the county, a sufficient       sus for the pay-
     ment of thr special      judge or judges lp -
     pointed by the Governor to act for the
     regular county judge.

     .tryiG   a casi,   ghe parties   or tihelr counsel
     may agree upon an attorney        Sor the trial    there-
     of; and, if the shall fail to apse upon an
     attorney at or i: eforr the tins it Is called
      for trial,  .or if the trial    of the Case i8
     pending and the county judge should become
     unable to act, or is absent, and a special
      judge is selected    who IS disqualified      to pro-
     oeed with the trial,     and the parties     thrn
      fail to aeleot or agree upon a special         judge
     who Is pual%fied,     the county judge or special
      judge presiding    shall certify    the fact to the
     ~Governor Immediately     whereupon the governor
      shall appbint a specjal      judge, qualified    to

     ttXer2     or%~e2i~0,~~"m~     ~L~lrn~gF
     shall prooerd to the trial    or dispoe tion of
     such case.    Any special   udge agreed upon or
     appointed to try cases s Ll 1 receive    the same
     pay for his services    as is provided by law for
     county   judges.

           "Art. 1934. If a county judge fails  to
     appear at the time appointed for holding  the
     court,    or should he be absentduring           the term
     or unable or unwilling          to hold the court,      a
     special     county judge may be elected         in like
     manner as is provided         for the election      of a
     special     district   judge.     Tne special    county
     judge so elected       shall    have all tne autnority
     of the county judge while           in the trial    and
     disposition       of any case pending in said court
     8Y'+B    EbPn&~Sjft8~&. in3Ulif$J'       ef~cfY~&r~$~sSi
     held at any time during the term, t0 SUpi6821, supra,    provides
 oompensatlon   for s?eclal     district    judges,    who ere appointed      by
 the Governor,    or elected,     or agreed upon.        There is no such
 provision   for paying special       oounty judges      In the above article.
 Artlole   1933, supre,    provides     oompensatlon     for speolal   county
                                                                                                   .-
                                                                                                        387
.   '.
         aon.     I.   Predeokl, Page 13

         j0ages appointed or agrerd upon, but does not mention or pro-
         Tl4e oompcnsatlon for speolal   ooudy judges who are eleoted  by
         the bar as euthorlzod by Artiole   1934, supra.
                         The above mentioned statutes,    both the Code oi
                                                          In
         &idnal         Prooedure and the Civil Statutes, prwldlng   oompensa-
         tion rtx       speolsl  oounty judges, apparentlyapply in oaacs where
         tha regular oounty judge Is oompensated on a tee basis.          The
         regular oounty judge 0r Gliteston      County Is ocunpensets4 on an
         snnual salary baslr.     Seotlon 4, Artlolr    39120, provides   In
         arreot thst whom thr oounty ofilolals       are oompensated on an
         snnual salary basls It shall br the duty or all oitloera         to
         ahargo and oolleot   in the mnner ruthorlzed      by law all rers en4
         samlesIons   whloh rrr permitted by law to be assessed an4 oolleot-
         04 ror all oftidal     aerrlors  perfOrms    by them. As and when suoh
         revs are oolleoted   they shall be deposited     In the Offloors’    Salary
         run4 or runds provided in the Aot.       We hare bern unable to rlnd
         a4 Statute providing e.ompensatlon ra speolal oounty judgeseen-
         ing ln that oapaolty in oountles where the regular oounty ju4ge
         1s oompensated. on an annual salary barls.
                   It la a well settled    law that statutes   presoribing   fees
         ror pub110 ofrloeis  are strlotly   oonstrued;~snd   henoe a right to
         rees may not rest In lmplloatlon.     (Tax. Jur.    Vol. 34, p. 508;
         MoCalla v. Clty of Rookdale, 246 S. W, 654; B&or4         v. Robln-
         son, 244 S.W. 807).
                    Ad ofrloer   n~3y-not~olalin or reeoh                 any money wlthout~
         a law authorizing    him to ‘do so, and olearly                  flxlng   the amount
         to whloh he Is entItled.      (Tex. Jur., Vol.                  34, &5;;;     -34
         v. Robinson, 244 5. PI. 807; MoLennan County                     1.
         S. W. 347; Duolos 1. Harris County, 291 S.                      VI. 611, arrirmeb
         298 s. w. 417).
                    As above stated,   we hare found no stdtute   author-
         lzing the peyment of oompenaetlon to 8 special     county judge
         in a county where the regular county judge Is oompenseted        or.
         an annual salary basis.     Therefore,  in dew Of the absence     of
         such statutory  authority,   we are of the opinion that no com-
         pensation    is provided    for a speoial county  judge in counties
         where the rsgular      county judge is oompensated    on an annual
         salary   basis.

                          Our Opinion       Nos. O-722, O-1234       and O-1529 are here-
         by expressly        overruled       in so far as they       conflict  vilth this
         opinion.

                          Trusting   that      the   foregoing   fully    answers     your   in-
         qulry,        we are
                                                                  Yours    very     truly
         A:::R9 :jrb                                         A’PTORNXY
                                                                     GiWflAL OF TEXAS

                                                             By /a/   Ardell   Williams
                                         mIs    Opinion    Considered        Assistant
                                         and approve4      in limited   conferenoe