Juue 12, 1951
Hon.RvansJ.Adk&s ODitiOrr Bo. V-1185.
Comity Attorney
McOnlloch County Lsgality of a county
.Bracly,
Teaks attorne@s accepting
employmentbyanruni-
clpality to proeecute
corporationcourt ca0es.
YOM request for an oplnlon of this offIce pre-
aents the followmg questionr
'cana Couutydttorneybe employedby
a munlelpal corporatlo~~toproeeonte oases
ln corporation court either on a fee or
salary basis?" ..
Section 21 of Article V, Constitutionof Texas,
provides ia parts
I) . . The couaty attorneys shall re-
preseni the State irrall cases In -'Ma-
trlct snd inferior cemta.In tbelr mmpectlve
cotliltlee;
.butif %.n~-wimt~~%hallbe 1ncluaed
In e district ln~rhiebthsre @till be a dls-
trlct attorney, the respective autiet3 of ala-
trlct attorney8 and county attorneys shall
gtnh cotmtl;s be~regulatepby the LegIs-
. . . .
By the express terms of the above con8tltatlou-
al provision and under the decisions of the courts of this
state, l t& county attorney,has the right, and 1s char ed
to represent the state in all prosecn
e
the vlolatlon of the criminal laws of the
state in the corporationcourt, nottithstandlngsnch-pros-
ecutio+i may appear to be for violation of orflinances of
the city covering the same groMd.' (Emphasisadded.)
See Att'g Gen. Op. V-1147 (1951);
211 (TI~x.C~V.APP. 1905 error ref
Stewart, 91 Tex. 133, 41 S.W. 650
-Ann elo, 94 S.W. 436 (Tex.Cl.v.App.1906).
--
Hon. Evans J. Adklns, page 2 (v-1185)
Article 869, V.C.C,P., provldesr
*All prosecutionsIn a corporation
court shall be aonUuc.tedby the city attor-
my of such city, town or village, or by
hi6 deputy. The county attorney of the
county in which said city, town or village
is aituateamay, If he so desires, also
represent the State,ln such prosecutions.
In such cases, the said couuty attorney
shall not be entitled to receive any fees
or other camessatlon whatever for said
services. The county attorney shall ha
no power to dismiss any prosecutionspeZ
ing In said court unless for r8a~~~ll.d
and ap oved by the recorder.’ 8
added.F
The statute expressly prohibits the county at-
torney from receiving or compsnsatian~ w+tever
~arrJr’fees
~m~~nioes~rendered f~~osectxtians in.a corporation
. Therefore, in answer to your questl.oZi, it 18 our
oplulon that a county attorney may not be employed on a
fee or salary basis for proseoutlonsln a C~pOratlOIi
court.
z .'SUMMARY
A county attorney may not be employed
on a fee m aalaw lm.elsto prosecute eases
In the corpor&tlc&court. Attly @en. Op.
V-1147 (1951);Art. 869, V.C.C.P.
APPROVED: Yours very truly,
J. C. Davis, Jr. PRICE IMIRL
County Affairs Mvlslon Attorney General
Sease P. Inton, Jr.
Reviewing Assistant
Charles D. Msthews
First Assistant