Court Opinion

ID: 4146064
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2017-02-18 04:03:56.435532+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T14:48:52.392115
License: Public Domain

OFFICE    OF THE   ATTORNEY     GENERAL       OF TEXAS

                                            Baroh 1, 1930

Bon. rred 8rlmaa
Dirtriot Attorney
Longvlor,   Texar

              “It any ottlorr     of any OOunty..e,
      rball broom0 la any mannor poounluily
      lntrr*rtd      la any eontraotr    rub by ruoh
      oountf,r..rthrough       It8 allentm, or other- . .
      w110, tar the oonrtruotiorr       or rapair   ot
      lnr brldgr, road        rtrwt, alloy or house,
      or any othor war i unabortakrn by luo hoounty,
      .,..shall     Moore . lntorootod   i8 ant bid

                                            .   _ ,.., c _, .   -   .~   -
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                                               ,
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Roa,.Prod 3rlmaaa. Yarob 1, 1939, Pa@                           8

     or     proposal for sooh work or la the putabme
            ~10 ot sayt~lq, 72660 tor or oa rooount
     ::     suob oountf, . . .or who shall oontmet tor
     or     reorlrr      ray monq       or property,  of the
     reprssrntrtlrr           or dttrr,     or  any moluamt
     or advantage          ~hatsowo?        in oonslderatloo ot
     suoh b14, proposal, oontraot, porohase                            or
     salo, ha shall  ba fined not less than                           flit7
     nor more tran flre hundnd dcllars.*

           Thr toregoing statutes    arr 86666  apoa  som4
pub110 polioy. 'Iho objeot 1s to lnsuro to th e      loumtr
strlot fldellty upon the part     of tho86 rho mm     6 ita
tlsoal rftrlrs. The rule prohlbltlag      pobllo ot f loom
froa belag lnterrsted In publlo oontraots should be
sorupulous~~ lafor666~

             The authoritloo are praatioally uaaalmous to
the offrot    that the offloor to be 113ble, mumt bare an
interest (dlnotly     or ladlrootl 1, la the rubfeat -utter
ot tha aontraot. A r6Sote aoat 1ngrnot~rlll     aot bring
#aid oftlarr    within the statutos~

          The Toxss rule 18 roll ltate4 la Taus                                   Jurlo-
prudenae, a6 follws~

          *An oftloer 1s prcblb~ted rroa l   atlna
     ln k-is offlalrl aapaoitg as to aattorr   In
     chloh ha has so intOr#ot~ Cons louour exam-
     plrs of saoh prohlbltlons are t ! 060 whloh
     forbidr.~.~ember6 of the oomsl6slon6r6~ oourt
     from ooa6ldrrat~oa of lnr olala la vtiloh thy
     are lntwortrd.    But to oomo rlthla the   rule
     tho     Otfioer’6       lntere#t       must        b6   dlreot   and
     aertala; ho 16 not dlsqualltlrd by an allo@
     soaetary.~ntrtest rbloh 1s at most oootla-
     gent, ind may dot 16 tr o tlxlst at rll.o
     34 tax. fur. 499, 878.                  \
               Corpus     Jut16    stator     the law to BOX                  1

               *A peoualary lntrnst                     lo the aoatraot
     blreot      or lndlrogt 18 hold to oow rlthln
      tbo     prohlbitlon....Aa lntor66t to laralldato
      the     oontraot     qurt     k   o f l p a r so na l or         prltato
                               .
                                .
                               .
                              .

Ron. ?rod Jrlmaa, Yaroh 1, 1939\ P6(o 3
     .

     nature.,..It must ba an latrrrst la
     jrot mtter  ot tha ooatraot ltselt 66 als-
     tfnguiSh@d irOt6OUtS~dO 1IitOrO6t6Of the....
     offloor lnoldratally aftrated by the makfn(j
     ot the ooatraot." 44 0. Se OS, para,  81%.

           Ia thr OikSOof bity of Gdlaburg vs ~1116, 60
m (,8d)99 the Coain1661oaOt Apprals la 6 rotailer'r
6otion a&a Inut thr 6lty iOr a talanoo duo on 6n opaa
roaount, held the question of whrthrr a olty aomm~srloa-
lr rho  sold 6uppll66 to rat611 dealerr, and rho sold
suoh 0up911a6 to t:r  retailor brlnglog the lotloa, ~68
a taot qu~#tiOa, tfnally dotorelaable oaly by 611 th6
lttondrnt olroun6taa00se   It traud aad oollu6loa ooul4
b6 6hown, tho oontraot would b6 M illegal oni.
           PrCm the author1t166 quoted, supra, 10 are Of
oplaloo the aounty would not be praoludad from aoklng
puroha6e6 from the t1111ag statioa in $uest1oa, aad that
therm would be no rlolatioo ot rlthor statute  you olta,
unle66 aollusloa and traud  be provable as to the ocm-
al66lonor lftootrbr

                              Vary truly   gourr