OFFICE OF THE A-ITORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
Rmotable *. A. Johnson
Couaty Attorney
T5z1Green Cdunty
San Aaeelo, Term
Dear Stir
Tour requeet ror the herolnabors
eaaptloaed riatter h this Qspartnent.
a3 quot. rrat your
Yenrp Stwaart,
dng unable to
uaty Court ai To51 Omen
*The Couaty Judge ln psaslng upon the imum
or blrth, ec I understand lt fgo;t the bill, ioes RO
in his aapaoity ar; e Bobato Sudee.
%norabla W. A. Johnson, paga 2
N~Lle*tlon. Should them oases bs Cooke.tsd in
the Probate Dookst ‘and lf not, houshould thel bs
dockstad and thamoord kept of 8ame.w
Seatlon 18, Chapter 41, Aots of the First Called Sas-
alon of the Fortieth Lq,lrlaturc, a nt1 na l.l~
laended b,~: Sootioa
1, Chapter 83, Aotr of the &Sth Legislature, Regular Zeasioa,
reads in part as follows:
reoord of any birth or death that ooCr?rrc~ outside
the State of Taxes, not previously re&atered, aay
subAt to the Probate Court in the Couaty where he
raslclss a record of that birth or death written on
the adofted totsas OS blrt5 3nUdesth oertlrlcates.
tie ourtifloate shall ba subetpntlated by the afti-
dsrit of th6 maUlosl&tandant pasect ‘3t the tixne
oi the birth, or in ease oi dq?.tA, the erridavit or
tha pby~lolem list in attendtime upon the deceased
or. the undertekcr who burled the body. 3hen the
afild?rvlt of the mediCe attendant or undertaker
canaot be meowed, ths oertirioat6 shall be sup-
prted by the. arridnrlt of 6OiMparson who was ‘ac-
quafntwl with the fasts aurroundin& the btith or
death, at ths .tLxe the birth or death ocourrotl, with
a recmd nrrldavlt of ‘aoz~e parson Vito Is aoqaabtsd
with the Bats sutroubline tho blrfh or death, and
uho ia not related to the individual by. blood or
msrrlaga. . . It the ai:ldntlt herainbefore aen-
timid of mm person aaqtialnted with the hate at
the tlms t&a birth or death ooourred osmiot be a- '
oured, then the County Jutleeshall order 8 trial Oi
the lssua as to the applicant*8 birth and hear the
cddtioe or 5u0h uftnrsai38 ana 00n~ider auah a00u-
wonts relating thereto as lay be available inolcd-
ing tecrtimony regarding the ramlly history and
Honorable R. A. Johnson FWP 3
aftor acoh heerln&.ir the Cozrt ox~oltias that it
hrs been astabllahaU bayon& R raamnabla doubt that
the epplioant we3 bcrr, wlthir the r;nl$ad Ststea,
and at the time and plaoe stated in the aartifiuata
he sholl enter jtadgiaent tlndini suoh raots relating
to the applloaat whlok JuUeprtnt ahall be acoapted
in lieu or th elrri847it n4nti3ned 5bov4, and 5ur-
flalant, and rhell order the Stato Eet$rtrar to no-
aapt the oartlrlc:te or the l pplloant*s birth. . .-
(Underscoringonrs)
The above quoted ~ro~lrlon~ or the atatuta e&raoa
the only rules of procedure governing the Fxobata Court’s
authority to aoospt aarti~ioatad of any birth or death,
cot prevlcnrsly raglstcrocl, :or re~lstration, and the ieauence
56 04eirisd coplsa thtjreof. They are plalu and unaablguous.
36 think thhst the law is p@rteatJy elaar that KUUarn Ecnry
Stewart will havo to seoure a jud&ment rrom the hobate
Cuurt of Kilam Couaty Taxm, the county in wbiah ha was born
finding t&t ha me born w1thl.n the Ua$ted States, and at
the tlma and ‘la06 stated in the, oartlrloata, and ordering
the State Ba&lstrsr to aooopt the oertiflaate 0,’ his birth.
Iu view 0r the toregoIng, it is the op5.nl-in of thfs
depSrtpZant that the County Court or Tom Green county did not
hara furlsdlotlon to deter&no the ~is#mrc and adjudloate the
age or Mr. Stewart..
The above quoted Sactim oi Fiousa Sill Zo. 19 plsin-
ly pratidas that anp.cltlzan of the Stats of Texas wiahlng to
rile the faeord or ary birth, not prarl~msly rcgiaterad, atut
eubnSt,the name to the ProImte Court, and it naoetmarily rol-
lcim that said aaaa shdd be. cooketod in the Frobata Do&et.
BY J. C. Dar18 Jr.
Assi.tan~
JCD: db
AP’t?iZOVDAtx:i6, 1943
/a/ R. FL ?alrahIld
AOtine AttOraOy Oeneral 0r Texas.