OFFICE OF THE A’ITORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
Honorable Don D. Puksr
county Irdltor
brflud count0
E:nrtland,Terrr
the countyllttarpryp9r-
ountyAttorney and Dietriot
cth there
18 AaQtl
r&ova D&8-
OffaB or crw Rt#tri6t
6r6dsd, and 8hall axs.lC
franandafterthepwia@8oftW8At%t. Brwh
offlee 8hall be ksom a* CrllIllMl I#&z4et At-
torrmyof mwbcounty. '
Honorable Don D. Porker, pr&ge2
lnkubitattta. Tke Oowtty aaapri8ea tvo judiaial
Dirtricts. On tke %ats Artlele 326q VIO emoted
ud becam lffeative the Qormty bad no M8trlat
Attommy and the Count Attorney performed the
dUtllO8OS county al% 03tttriatAttorney.
'Your cpinion on the Soll~ questlom
vlll be apprealatecl.
"1. DOSO &'tL.alO3-, after COnCridering
tkc above saotr, cotltinueto apply to kutlan%
County?
'2. If not, voul% the present duly sleeted
aalllal Dirtrlet AttcrRey by olrtua of former
tm general b1#8~baaow County Attamey cr would
it b0 ROOO#8~ fCW tk0 CHlUt88iOtlO~8'tbWt tC
appoint 6xiet
“3. What rould be tke bad8 au% uolutt OS
hlr acmpen8atlonifArtlel8 326qnolongrrapplier
to Ewltlmtl coltRty?'
Your flret que~tlcm Ill8tbe sruvered ia t2leaegirtive.
'POaca8true th%r Aeta8 rebquiriagthat l.tBpravlrlcn8 santinu,
to amly to eount~ee trzlichPO hrhg~r porre88 t&a cttaraaterl8-
tier Bad@ the bad8 for &ffemntlatS.ng betl?Qatl #em awl other
fmuntiar vould, in OUF opipion, Fonder the &at umcmaatltutienal
&8 IpoOitd and &Oti lOgi8hbtiCA.tViObtiViB Of hl'thll#XXI,
IleotlcR56, Of oul-Constltutfon.
Conat~tutlon, Artiale II& Seation 56, provider
in port;
*The &J@S&tW thrlr.Z&Ot. ..plk8# Up
rpealal or laml law, autkori8ingt
7tegulat~ the afsalra or oountier . * .
/ %reatlng oSfioo@. ur prerorlibingthe pwem
and dUtlWt Of OssfOOXW, in OOUntie8 . . ."
Bonoreble Don D. Parker, page 3
i%3%enaCt legialatioa af&s3tbg Only thoae aouRtle8 pOt+aeaa~
ptWtiatiW tiWtOrt8tiO8, provldeb the bs8Ia for OlE&aaifioa-
tlon,aeleoted reeaonebly Indloater the moesalty or propriety
for app1yftIgauoh legi81etion to 8ucb cow&lea to t&s exc1uelon
of those counties which 00 not poraaaa the ohereotorlatl~a won
which the olasaiiiaatlon la predloated. Slnoe the poaseaalott
O? 8Wh &.htingui8hitt& ChUl’MtOl’i8tiO8 18 ROUO88~ to jwt;Q
dlfferentletlon in the fir@t tilt4UXO0,It I8 oboloua thet e
legirletlvr atteerptto oontlnue the dlfferentletlon eftez-those
dIatingti8hlng ahweatez4etloa ttmae to edat mwt run efoul of
the OoKU!tltutIondlinhibition egsinrt the pM8e@1 of lotal u
8p8Uiti leue.
0~ Supreme Oowt OR revoral oaoarI0~8 haa held un-
oon8titutlonel leva uh%ah applied only to aountiea hevlng a
certain population a8 of the 1920 oeam8, on the ground that
rtwh lewr, by the& tenw, excluded fw!4ntheir OpqvitIon aountiea
VhIch llli@trubaeqwnt~y ettsin thir rpeolfled
Ucaua& v. CWIm, 70 S.W. (26) 4168 Clt of Fort orth v
Bobbitt, 36 S.W. (rb) 470. The prlnalp3 b cmbodisd T-1oF
In there
deolalow haa eppllae$Ion here, for to apply the Iev under
acm8l6eratlon to a oounty whiah no lonser poaaeaser the ohar-
ecterI8tlca upon i&I& the alalr8lfiaatIonva8 mede I8 to klaert
th8t l.aW8ep.$~lying t0 Other COUUtIea pO88088* th49&6U'ac;tePIa-
tie8 POWpO88088ed by 8U&i OOUt’Lty QMttOt be applied to 8Wh
oounty. Yhel’. ObW8ifiO~tiOtV fOl’pUFpO86¶8 Of lO8I8letIOXi5.8
predloeted UPOR ahtwaaterIrtloa whlah are not Immteble, It la
aa Imperetloe, oonatltutIonallp, that the lev ahoulb not apply
to there who no.longer poaueaa the ctharaaterI8tIa8,a8 It Ia
that it should apply to those vho rubrequentlg attain them.
Apart fmn the foregoing ooaulderatIon8, (vbich, or
oourae, ere vitel in Ustermlnlng the oonatruatlon to be pleaed
upon thla IJW) YB are aonvinoed thnt the leu i8 not Intended to
apply t0 8 0OUnt.ywhlah 110 10-r pO88ea8e8 the OheWbCtOt'i8t%O8
Of ths alM8ifiWtiOtL The Aat +311e8, in temu, only to there
COUtle8 heVIn& eleOa Other f3hIU'WtOri8ti~8,8 ul6tlon of not
leas th8n 3 00 and no more than 5 000 lnbrbitw p"e8 'ea deter-
e '3art preaeding FedereI betmu and e5ah aumteeding
mined by,t;f
Federal Cearur themafter - ." Thir protiaion olw~.~Qyrequires
ths rs-exaatinatlon
of the pusatlon of the eppli0ation of the
1811 to the varlow oouatlea at ssoh Fedemil ceR8WJ end vheth-
er e pertlauler county fell8 within the prOVi8iO3lS of the hr
dependa on ita population ea determined bg the lDO8tmioent
Federel Cewua, not on it8 population ea dotemined by the
Eonarable Don D. Parke*, m 4
1930 06MW. A ~OVi8iQt3 that th. Offi WOltOd ‘8hd1 erirt
frcmtattdafterthepa88 of thlr Auf” Is or no rignifioutae --
It mxwly &ealuer, In % b ect, thet the law ir ml?-exeoutlttg
upon the aountisa rIth%n the olnaaIfIoetion.
8lwe ve have thus cleteFm!.ttoG that Arttale 326q a~
lanlfsrhsr l pplleeticm to Bw9md ccluaty, QttO8tiQW of the
eoaotitutfwaUty of ruoh AQt 8re not befw w, ad w do not
wn8Lder 0T dI8swa them.
Eltute&tIttle 326q M) longer epplIe8 to ErrrtlamlCounty,
it neoe6rarlly follew8 that pe Oiflba p
DOrlmIwl Dlrtriat Attome
QivAttg full effeot to the
pwvirlcm8 that the offloe of Q*%mItml DI8taiot Attorney udrt-
d ;.a PkstbUbd &XltitJ Uhib 8U& OOUtSt~ UW Wfthitl th0 81M8lti-
oetlon rpeslfbd, cod itusi anlybyv%rtua of the oontItuud
epplioetIonofrwhl8wtotba aountythetthe offIor,ofCouuty
Attorney did ot e%Irt durla$ the pwbd of it8 E@l08ticm.
It aeoe,rrerIly
e7 allow that then, 18 aov a vaeemy tn the of-
flee a? County Attmamy fm Ea8tland County, uhhh vaeanq it
is the duty of the CQni881OJlOt8’ Court to rtu by appbiatwat.
wo nQltoQMLder yaw thbdqueutiQal. ueot1v6l13 or
iahobitAUt8 0l'
to the’latt p~eoding F6dwa hnmu, 18 hkmby
authorlsa& aad It t&all be It* duty to IZz the
8titW16S Of til th0 fO%bllf~ Dgpyd OffiQOFU, ta-
ult: 8herISl, M8088OC utd eolluator OS tesea,
aowty jutlge,aotqty attolvbOy,ionlttdlngeMk8IWl
dI8trIat ettmeye mad oouaty EttofnsJl who F
ftmu tam dutfer of district ettamrl*, di8trhtt
olerk; sounty olerk, trerrwr, bide cad enl.mX
Enah of raid OffiWw 8hs;llbo paid Ln
rte&entts of not Zero than the total 8k8aeem44
‘Lu QQttlpeMUtiQtlb hi!8 itt hi.8 Offittial QQ.tWit~
for the flmal pear 1935, end net more thin the
YtUi8tW UUtQUZitri2lOWd 8Wh OffiWF W&OF hV8
existing ratAttgwt 24; 19351 pb~l.ldtithat
tie8 hfm9.n~a pOpulatian OS trcmty thOurand
El27
Bcnorable Don 0. ?u+er, paeo fs
and lerr than thirty-reven thouraad and tin hun-
xlred (37,500) awarding to the last preaeding
Federal Cenaur, and hiwlq an asrer~ssd valuatfon
in exce88 of Plftebn Mllllon ($15,000,000.00) Dol-
lar8, ac%ordlng to the lart approved preoed%zq
tax roll oi’ rush oounty the mex.lmm saouut alloved
rwh a8 la la r LpIsr
0rrffm8 OB be inarea8ed one
(*) p0~ 00nt ra 080h cm0 IU~~A ($1.000.000.00)
DollaM taluat1aa or fractional
eX6eBB as Bald Flfteea wllion
Dollar8 valuatina ovbr 8nd
alloved luah 0rrmm unbr lmm exlrtlag On AuguBt
21, 19351 aad provfded that in mciatle~ havlq a
opulatloa oi thirty-revka thowaad iivo hundred
P37,500) aad lerr thus lixtf thOuBukd p,000) &-
oodiagto thelsrtpooe4lngFedaral anew, an4
havlag ea ureared vabation la 8xee88 of Twaty
NIllion ($20,ooo,#00.00) Dollar*, aooordiq to
th0 i88t ~000dbg qbw0q0d tar PO= 0r 8uah
oountp,~ tL
maxUmemountallovod~uahoffiaor~
a8 ralar&o*,may be iawoued aae (l$) p8r oeat
r02 bLOh~ca0 wuobl (~1,000,000.00) obu8~8
ralwtibn or fx-aotlozml t thtmwbf, In exeea1
at Bald Tventy Xlllioa (r 20,000,000.00) Dollars
valutfea over and above the m&m a8ount al-
‘(a) The Coss~I88ioner8~ Court may author-
is0 the emplopuatofa rteaopapher brthe
oouaty jud@B a a d
pa y fo Plwh *0m;w* o uto f
the paoral had of the 8ountr to an mtowt not
to exoeed Twelve Buadred ($1,200.00) Dollar8
per m-=*
“(b) The oanpen8ation of a oH.mlMl dill-
trict attorney or oount attorney perforaklng
tha dutier Of dirtriot i ttCmW, tOg,JthW with
the oompanratZan of hfn aBrl.staqtr, rhall be
paid’out ot tb Gouat~ OfflWP1~ f+lWY f-d,
but the state rhall pay iato 8wh fuad erroh
year ~4um1~12t~u4lto a 8umvUehb8w8th6
##a0 prop0??t1onto the totsdlsalary of muah
ariarinaldirwicrt attorney OF oaunty attomw
ptt~i~raringl the dutier of (Ldlrtrlot attamw,
together tith the ralapy of hi8 asei8taat8, am
Xonorable Don D. Parker, page 6
all felong tOeD OOlleOtod bJ #U&I OffiOial dur-
hg the yuaP 0s 1935 b0B.P t0 the tOta, fimti OOi-
lsatedby BU&OftiQi~dUPingBwhyW?.
". . . ."
8inW JMUW 1, 1936, OOuOty OffiOitiB O? d.l OQUn-
a population of 20,000 inhabitant8 or mom, aad
95,000 inhrbibIt8, a~ordiag t0 the IaBt pss~edd-
Uq Bederal Cun~u8, have been oaapiuuated on an annual
barlti. Seatloa 13 0r Artlole 39l20, qwted above,
pPoVldu# that "saoh of Bald OffiOePB rhall be paid
anuti tit~laryIn tv@lv.ve (12) equal iaBt~t# of not 108~
than t&&total SW earned 81 OaqPeMatiOn w hlrmin hi8 Oiii-
aLal capaaitg ror the irroal year 1935, and not moru thea the
nurlnrra~~~ountallw~*~hofflaerunde~la~ lxistLngon
AuguBt 24, 1935; . . .* 8f.WO the pSrB4S@ Md OffOatin d&t0
of Artiale 3269, rupra, there has 8aen a0 duly eleat&, rcrt-
lag and qualified Cot&y Attoraey af Bartlsad Couatr but a
"Crimlml Dlrtrlot bttomey” hm been cleated and aetq tU.r
th u~Or iB iM B O? Bald lt8tUtO. T h e Pvu e no COuie~ AttorMJ
r0r mstlaad aounty for the year 1935, therefore, there warnuo
oompensation earaed by the Count Attorney ia Us off~olal
capacity for the Slraal year of 9939. If'Bnrtlaud Count had
a county Attorney Sor the yuar 1935 the axanualBay 03 tIMI
County Attorney to be appoiatsd by &!tce ~earPiBBiOMPB’ Court
vould be Sixud as proridud by 8eotian 13, APtlo 39l2e; that
La, hlg mUiaunn 8rlarJ should aat k 1088 than the total SW
earaedas ctcmpen8aticmb~himinhlr official Oapaoity Yiast&6
iitioal. yuar 1935, and aot mom than thu - Baouat allwud
lWh ofS'i~#runder hVB OtiBtiag On AU@#t 24, 1935. EWttand
Cololty had a PopUl~tiOa Of 34,156 Snhsbit~tB, CWOOl’6bQJ t0 the
1930 Federal Cermu.
Referring to the Cm8iraioaerB~ Court, It is stated
in TOX~~B Juritipr~d~n~e, Vol. 34, p. 525, tbetl
“The Oowt sag not deny the 0rsi00r any
6mgienBatlon vhsteoer a~3 acorder attempting
t0 be SC %B void. i&l the Sate bar been
fixed by the WBBB.tBBiOW~B! QOiWt, th@JOfii-
aer la entitled to the ~IEUUI~ rete speclflsd
in the statute. . . l*
Don 0. Parker, page 7
BiOAOl-#bblO
=Btlti county ham a population of 30,426 label-
tMt.8, McordLng to the 1940 Federal cOIt8U8. -?ol9, ru.
OOuaty O??iOidlB Of #rid OOUllt~ Wt be OC8U&MM8tOd m m
MtlUd tit&l- bt&BiB, 88 ~OVidOd bJ 800. 13 Of Arti s%b,
rqwa. Thuresae, it iB the opinlaa 0r this DepartMQat that
th e
la b b rOp?th e
COWIty
AttOr nOj
t0 b ea p p OmiOWtd b e8
Z’UB c Ul6 ltiq
b lO,6Ild r
th e nu tnnna
M a w te x o eud
th e
mmwlt.
allowed such offloor umlor lavr exi#ting on Atqust 24, 1935,
Ptw tb ~OUlltiOB OolcfagVithbl th0 SW ~tiM
IL et as BMt1uwl COuIeJ s.nthe yeas 1935. %a aount~m
e0axi2mg25,0018ndnotaore thaa 37,300 hbabltaat8, mder
&‘ti~OB 3883 aad sgl, ~UFIk~‘B Anaotatsd Civil ~UtUtO~,
the mxiuum 88laq OS the OoutW AttCWaOy la Bald OOtXAtlu
for the yew1935 aouXdmteacmed ~3500.00. ftiti OW iurth-
or oplaloa that the Bdarrjr or the couat Attorq to be Bp-
pointed w the &BBBi##iWOP#* COUl’t 00dd aot exuod the OUR
0r $3500.00, urd th0 awimtmoMnotbebaBudoaaeamouat
earaed by raid o??toe In 1935, U rcrid O??iOO VW V8OMt ud
a0 asspen8atloa vu saraed Car that year. We belS.0Ve that the
alalmm should be a rea8aaiabls t&moUat,as msy b6 de- by
#aid OOUl?t,md U 8bWO BtstOd, th0 BAuwB4-toouldaat
exceed ~3500.00 per par.
RuFtdb ’
AITROVEDAPR 7, 1941
g&.&&/#/L&. F7-lu-J
ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS: