Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

OFFlCEOFTHEAmORNEY GENERAL OFTEXAS AUSIIN Xonarqblo C. J. *tide a0my hator mloe** County Oorpur Ohrirtl, Toum Dur Sir: eta1 mb&Wmnd m- heata roportior r*- la Other Botlraand fiit~ pu 0-t of the time in art- iw a 88n lotnal auletmt court nportar abang* the &rtua of tbo amount o? nlary to be paid?* ‘ Honorable C. J. Wilde, h(le 8 ArtSaX 8W3 o? tha FLmlmd Civil Statutesprovides: l'xaoam of lllnus, pros8 of oiYi&al uork, qr unaroldablo dlubllltq of tha oiiioialsh~rtbspd roprtor to perform his duties in rop0rti.n~ prooud- lqs in oourt,the JuQ. o? the oourtmay,~lahis aisoretlo4,lathorltea &eputy sb~rtbaadnporter to lot duringtha lbssaeo o? uld ~f?ioialshortbsndre- ~portor, +u¶ said deputy lhorthmd reporter shallrey- odrr, duringtbo timeho lots ?or said offlolal sbortbmaQreportor, tha same ulary and raaa as to tha officialshOrtbandreporter of 8aid oourt,to bs id la,tbsmanner proribs for tba ofSioi81sbort- c nd nportu; but the said o??lolslshorthml rt porter sball alao %soslvohts salary in full 6urlng said taporary dlublllt~ to aot. Tha nmoessltyfor a aeputy offtoiml sharthn4 reporter absll ba Je?t ontniy rlthln the 4lseratlan of tba Jualgo of ths . Thusit o lur lylp r s r r m tha sta tute that ‘the jud@a of theoourt has the ae@ soretlon an4 authority to nma a aoputy she&than&npor$ar upou his flndl~ that the oiti- elal amart rsportor 18 ill; 18 prosad by o??lelal work or hem boom afmroidabll;l ruulaed tumble to par?t+rmhis &&ties. h Emma that tha pamon sorvi~~as deputy abort- lmnd reporterimOlva4 in your iaqrriry was mad to mob post- tlon by the juQ@ o? tbm omrt In uhloh bm is now senin&. Taur 0 inian totpostprunmu that the u&g* o? the oourt ha4 no lTI ienoe before Mm thst the o??lola f shortbandroportar uas ill* promeel b offloim&rork or aaavol6ablyron&W~ia- oapebleor pm?6 nx rigthe duties lmposo4 Qpon him, St tb tiw be sppointodthe doputrsborthasdreporter. Uhmtharor not the o??lola~ oourt raporteuss ill, pressedby oifloialWC+?& qr tuurol4ablynabend lnoa ble of par?omlng his &&to8 us8 a faot qu~stloa for the r Uge TV pas@ 8, and ‘IO pruuma that ha aotd 0~0~ the ?botsmado knowit % m and that ho lot.4 in6oo&?auh.. Our answr Mtw8ll ?o&wr th0nrom that the deputy 8hwthaM keporter18 at Itied to tbm arm ssluy an4 ?mes a8 18 provl48d for tb efilaialehortlmnd ro- pertor ?or tha timelrrod by blm. ?!a p,ss noi to the soeondphau of your question r.auiJagr I. HonorableC. J. 11118e, Pa&e 8 *In otbsr words,if the dutLe8of a person 80 employ06were saoh.tbstfifty garb eont of the tlms -8 ooaupSe4in other duties and fifty per oant of the time id aotla&ae an lo tua llsslstaatoou+ re- ~tc$;sa(ethe st,atus otthe amount of salary to H lr o not sure that we fully understandthe import ofyourquestion, but will prooee6 to dh9ouss the matter gen- erally. Wo ?lna no reptireoent in the statutesrhioh ukes it mqhdatory that a shorthand reporter doroteany glwtn aurber of boars to the duties of his o??loe. It is su??lolmt to the lraaution bf the dutieslmposod upon him tbst be.1s~lvdlable to the ,oqqptand liti6SIltS'fCW suoh srnlee Ss the a& re- quir**. He it**& no tlotusllyexeautean latlve duty within any oas &a~,, It su?floestht ha is svaIlsblo for saoh duties as be .I8oallulupon to perform. It natunll~ ?ollowstha'the mi&t'8xeoizt& the dutlrs of bin positionby working in hi@ o?- floe an hoar uoh &*J or WOE by not appearingat the @our% houses'taXi, We find no probibltlanIn the statutu against h islnga(llag~ln atberwork, with or withoutsompsnrtlam,dur- ing tho,w hours he is not actually reporting. i Wbwtlwr er not the deputy offloial shorthandr#poHOr inroWe in your ia@- Ls.acrtlngfrrr the o??lolslsboM$an~ repcuAer',HOE tlbu&h ho sjwxls but fifty pox'sent of his time lntbe sxooatlonof the duties irmposed upon blm, is a trot ques- tion WblOh tbe.Leglslature ha uen flt to rest in the .hulds or the jUdHdi(l* OS the 60urt in whioh he sSrVS8. Trustingthat this dlsousslonMl1 aable you to properl:p dlsposo of the issue boforo you, wo are Yours very truly APPROVXD SE?'?;8, 1,041 /‘I/ ~rorer.W.lers FIRSTA.SSISTAlUT ATTORWZZGRWEFUL LA:00 APPROPRD O~IWIOR COMXTTBR BT B.W.B. CXAIRwUH W.J.F.