Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

OFFICE OF THE ATrORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN rtatutory f8ss and nima *as- nquostingan rtmtod thsroln %n th e muq OSflo lo l8 to o b - r ublio and to takr tr aa suoh, aa rmll moh ozfio~rr a0 a Oounty Clsrki 8aor * Coll*otor~ praatloklly all sionr aa lfoteriem hbl.io, and otlor ha8 beon indulgedin Attorney y Co unt7 who lrved J within w knrrrlodue. rru aas~r iintemam8y alnd h0m0row hovarer, the quartion wme ni8od b7 a Xenilla oltlxon the othar day nlatlvo to 8aking of au loknou~adga- ment by our Gotant Clerk •~)auoh Notary Publio ta a dead, hanoa the Importmoo. The siattsr hos tharcrrorabeoome lnportant to eeoh ruoh of- floar, ae tie11a8 lx3ryorlf, as County &torney, _. and thi City AftoraeJ, w lotiw UB Uuoh :.oCw)’ :ubllo. -The party a0 oallln(Lny atteatloa to ttris inooaputlblllty uam l deputy fma ths hunty Clork*s offi at Korrvllla, ay frland, i’r. r*rtmlln. iia sktod that a Xer+l* lawyer, VII:” nam ha asntloned but whloh J do not ro- . , rcclsedtljoquaatlon in paeeb upon a title, und that as a oonwquonoe, the County .,ttorney of Xorr c;Cuntywrote ior an opldon ,s ... from the kttorwy Ocueral, who bald tbsttho fhmty Clerk was 4isquallfltd rr00 acting 6s -. .Xotary Pub110 aa6 ohrrgiw th c r r to r l s mob. 6JtJd tbo mtter relatirm to my oontinulngto hold ths Offi Of cOUBtJ ?WJtJO rOila\riJg w sloatioo a6 Wtnty Attorney rod rvrigned a8 6uoh truntw prior ta quallfyiqg l 8 County Mtorxwy beowm of the rwulta of u then iniestltmtion .# ._ and sy oonolumlon that thm 6ttleo oi Cowi I hd own iG2. . n~rwantln6 M.00 per 0wtlzq. -I eoasldsr the tatter of bolOlng but one 0sri00 of profit a sattled 000; houomr, I M In doubt 81 to the quwtloa of wbrtbor or (rot the ear-J out Of taklw Oi JflidJVitJ JJd ~OkWJhdgJJJJtJ U7 b eOWid8nb Btlff~OiWtl~ JUbJtWltiJl to hold the oifioo Of MOkry X%bllo to be one of profit. 1 8860 l rJir JJJ?Oh Of tho 6UthOTitiJJ relative to the Offi of COUnty Truotse, noall that ltwa~ hold that might one lJrw Jo Truetoo or an Independent ;:ohoolDin- triot (whwo ao Jdury or per diu WUJ Qdd or ollorrJ6 by law')rt time ot holding of- uaotbar rloa or &milt, but 1 do not noall ly author- it1sm diJOUSJiw the qU.JtiOll or the 0wgro earn- ingr, WJ‘&tory Publlo. *MO all or auab heroln noatiozaad County end city 0rrloarJ eirquallflaa rm uotfzigaa c :lota&a Zub1la 4114 ohrrglw: the Jtatutory f0sJ thteeror? lf not, whloh of their. bra oo alrqud- iri6a, it la w “IJ thJ cOUnty AttOrfIJY 6iJQUJlified fmJ t&fly JJkJOWb~~Ol8tJ urd JfiidJtitJ 68 J Notary Pub110iu tho prootloo or 01d.l low whore ho ads08 no ohargo 8borofor’: “IJ tho City Att0rn.y dlJgUJllfl~d Irma fdCit?& WknOWlOdSOmOnt~ &ad JmdJVitJ JJ J tlotary I’ublio in tho pr8otloo Oi 01~11 law whom ha 6mk.J no ohu~. tharofor?’ It 1. stotod In TOxaS slulop?udonoo, VolUlx!31, puge old, %a4or the oorutltutloaal Inhlbltioo againat tbr holding of tro lmmqmtiblo 0ffiO.J b7 000 &wlp.on,a :ICZ~~~ 18 dlJqtIJiifiOd UpOn JOOOptb& tb JmOO Or UUUJty clerk, tithott~&It bse boon hold thJt J oounty attorney ray be 0 nOt6X-y dJO.* On 4ril 87, lPJ1, tbiJ 68pJrtsont bold, in ln opinioa by kaorrtio EVerott 0. fOhnJOn, AJJiOtAJt Attorney Gtnrrcll, that thq offioo of oouaty olork 1~ tioaapatibla with th 0 Or r iOOr nOuTYp Ub ii0 l6 th e l jWJOI& h&i&$ thJ orrloo of oounty olork ooulA not at the 8~8 tlw bole tho orrio 0s l notmy publio. ;soe tho 0~00 or x0fb0otm Y. hrkor, 27 Tax. US8.1 'Phi8 d~parkant hold la O~lnlon No. 043l4 -. . . it is thJ opinion of thlJ 68pJrtmM thJt tho otilooJ of deputy oounty alark aad notor lro p ub 1 1 0 lnoompotlblo. 7henroru, not lorv0 Js 6epoty M O o o u ld county olork on6 notary public at the lomo tima.* X0 are lnolooing a oopy Oi thiJ O~iJiOn fOr JOUr iniO~tiOJ. on Yobmmry 1~. 19N, thlr dopartmont hold in an opinion writton by iianorabl~ Jw 7. doup aJlot(Ult nttormy aanor8l, thot "It lo tho furthor opinion of tho writer that tha 0rri00 or notory gubllo arrd kr lWeJ60r tnd oollootor are aot laocmprtlblo.~ -You lo thomroro ldriuod that It 1s optlorul with thJ boputios ol tho oollootor end 08808sor to ohera* or not to JhJr68 tor notorlslng rJgiJtSJtiOJ lnot:u0ontJ providing et the ti#aJtb8y 60 JO thOy or0 JOtha a8 aOtorie8 ma not en 0011Jotor8." :n uplnlon lie. O-53 thlr 4epartmaatheld -. . . :.aquota Irma tht OULL of :?irpma, at al t. stete, 09 . *-.41Y, le follow, .. ; -*ppoY.lonto o~mploln of the action of tha .: 00-t in 06aittlng in widema th0 COPY of the 60linqueat 8011rooard. howa* the prlnterr' fir- fiamit w811 not aado before *)IaSfloor who tan a uth o r lee to lIfalniokrr omtbr La tbo cqmoity in whleh hs lttup 8md te aot, that of notary publlo, aaid otilser bring the oouoty atteznoy of mid oounty. Yho oontontiotA 16 tkot the ooun- ty at8orno &or the low could mt hold ~0 OSf10.0, t?i t of o o unty l a la no ta tLaAeyJ?lQP ry lie, at the sanm tlmo, an6 hlr lttr a p tc c lea t ll2 notary pub110 of taking the oath at t30 printer U(LSor a0 roroe or *ifsot. ::o ore ai tbr opine ion tbt thlm OOAtOAtbJA iU AOt AOUAd. -0tiOA CO, Or& 16 Or the COAStltUtiOA, prOTide~1 'x0 2eraon lholi ho14 or lrorol~a lt tbo ooco tlmo ucrm thoa one olril ortlao of ~olumant, lxo0pt that o fjur tlo a o?th ep o a o ol0Untr , ocmmiaaloaer, notary ublio on4 pootaaltor, unlooo otharwior ape0101 P J provld.4.' ml8 ?rovi~loA doma not pAilbit a oounty ltt0rn.J from holaing et th. auto tira tho oWlor ct ~obry publio, thmrofors the dridavit 2aa ~lagdly od6inl~t~red. Oool (I. -:aw~~ead,91 'hr. 464, 14 ::.;..Sbb." quote rrtm tie 00~0 of &al 1. :aww.ma, et 81, .-i* Eupra,(.-upmE Ccurt of ?bxmo) alofallor IA vim 0f tlw r00t that tb bi0- posltk*o; thm 0068 in tb @cur8 bmlow lrd in thlo umrt do80 net pr8olude tbo lgyalluit rrom brlaglag o no th mlult, r *IOdo e01 8p a p erto a x- preoa aA opi~niolrAma lBOthOr quOmtlOA dlrowred in the briar. Gather lppmllent raoated h%r of- floo or laot br leooptlnq tha offloa of uyoa yal~fo duptndo u:iontho proper ocxtrucf!m section c~Cc? urtlola 16 of the prcoent oon- 8 t::ution. at reotloa 1). SY r0iim8: 'so ;:*r- son *I:~11hold or axera?sr et the so:.stics ~lora ttranon4 Oidl OfflOe 0flR Oh Jt2O MA Ot, -pthat ;uotioe 0s the p~ooo, oounty oamnloclonar’,notary publlo. cod post 88stor. unlooo othawism rpe- ~;01ly prodded. * ih8 thb P@aA that aG in- owb411t OUY &de aithr Of thS OtfiaW WtiOd, Ub at the ram tlpioany other @Trios, or thut ha CM only hold ~WJ offloos whoa botn are snong thoor lp a o iiL lg ’ 44olymtad~ MO think tho former $s tbn proper oonstruotlon, 3x* long0 18 oo~lWl 6aidy frOR MOtiOA 36 Of -tiOlO 7 Of the 00n8tituti0n8 0r lets, 0r 1661, and or imb, nhlsh 10 the MUM f.!i lOo b Of th O80 b iSt~M tO, nnd nods as followsa ':Ioporoon shall hold or exerelue et the ouco tlma KOTOthan ona oltll 0fri0e w8oluaent, uroopt that cf justi at 0r the ~.&o&.' It is oleor tht under this ooo- tia 8ny jueioe 0r tb ~eooo mist hold another : .. 0fribo. l%well *. *i1ooA, 16 3x. !50.The oi- fiati or j\istioo c\i t.hOp0000 u08 me0 (~1~ OS- ooption to t&s 8mWNl rub, &ad the lntermoe tram the use of the sa~o longuoge in the preo- ent-.aonotitutloa,with the more ldditlon of otbsruriosr, 18 stmn(t thot It was mot s.arnt to ohmao the ammral rule, but in way ~~anaaor rwr; y tc make adeitio~ol lxooptlons. 7210other conattuot;ionwould motorlolly 60a;r; tha gmaerel lrrO0t 0r ths pr0ai0A. xt *da pnr4m •V~A l ~ustlee of tho pwoo froa holding say other off100 ex08pt 000 or tb00O 0~0i0lly n~0.3, 0ad ~010: b0 D radlool departure from t&r prori~~ons or sll prsrioua ooaotltutlono on the 8aw oub- jsot. Const. 1660, art 3, I 39. If ths lcrn(iruri;o of the provision in question hod been *except those oi juotloo oi prooo,t &to., there ra; 1~0~s beua EONI doubt about the oonotruot:oa; but t%o wor60 8rs **xo*pt that,* lto., oa4 they lndlouts that it nas lntcrndodthat 0 ponon alght law- ful:t hOId any OifiOO, Ma in lda itiO A th4IW.O dthr 0r the 0rfi0Oa lnua30nttOe. em use of ?.howord 'those' ~0~14 haYa swaatsd t1.o OOA- struotloa that on inouuibant 00ula only lawrully hold two ofiloas et tha sac:.tlno, w&on both tieraofrloes lpeoially XLUBIS~ in cho soot:on. If the u11egnt:onr0: tha potzt1on am true, we lM alcsrly OS the oplnloa thmt tha qpl- hat did not taoato ble oftlar of oaraty oom- nim8ioner by 6OQOptlAg that Of amyOr. hoh uo undorataad to hare boon the ruling of tnr oourt bshu. but, booaooe tna appellant did not mmkr all the numbers of the ooaRf~alonrr~* oourt . p utla to o him lult, the juttgaeat 18 n?flrm~I." LA rlsr OS the r0t3.60ing rutborltleryou ara rm- c aetluUy advised that it la the o l&on of this depart&ant tEmt tha afflo~ ol aounty olork and3or daI.utyoount7 olork are inacm tlblo with the offloe af aotary pub110 ml that 0 persna rolalag th orfloo of oouaty olark ml/or dmputx oowty olark cannot at tha 8mm t&o hold the offloe of nctary publlo. Yau a r e rurther ldrlaad that tin tu e8a*sooi)- oollootorand hla deputies are not pmhibitsd by lam f&~ holC:n# the offloe of A0kX-J publio rk$le holding their ofiloor or tax ammaor-oollootor or a0 deputler oi 8-h 0tr:oo. 1.t 18 our turthrr oplaioa thut tb8 0fri0a oi notut publlo 0,~ ~~~~_trrammY dl lountr ~. atr mot iaoomDetl~S. aad thet the oount7 treamrer is sot rohlblted b law iraz holding the ofiloe of notory pubE 10 rhllo ho1 ding the 0sri00 or aouat7 traawror. you l-a further lCvlooC at the count7 attorlu7 and tba olty &torn@7 aro not prohlbitod I7 1~ fraz hoI+ lng the olflor mtsry publio *bile b01diag their ofiloor Of oounty attorn* aAt?oity 4t orno Tb* ofrloo of lwtrr7 publia and oount7 lttoraay & jor oI* ty attornay uo not la- oommtlble. &l of the rboto asat?azo:ob offiold.8 nho am d&V qumlffiod aObt’&~~&dib,&iO @a7 1*(lou7 obarga the ieN pmvlded b7 lam for ?&air .eW'lla88a1 m&c!!when &OtiAK la the oapaolt7 of a fmtaz-7publlo. lkuAt1.nethmt lnqulry, wo lro