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