OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
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EonorcrblePmnk B. xurmy 0 -=J-q
oounty kttmwy
careon cmnty
Panhadle, Texas
Dear Sir:
Under date or 939, you oubnlltior
the apini0~3 or this depe OWil3& QUWtiOll, UhiOh
~0 quote rrom YQOU~ lstt0
utomobile while
tru8tee iTom
tatutes, provlber,
In mmlriaks 1. State es awl. iiokferra,49 3. x.
708, tha pueatlon lnvQlve4 +as uheth#r a P0.bo01truatas +ga
e aountp orr1oer. That court W&e& the fo~UnuirtglWk#.ua&ea
510
Rozmrable lraak R. Xurray, Page 8
'Each of thsa Is an ofiiobr in and r0r tllb
pmolnot OS the oounty of uhioh his pmolnot is
a part, and oonsequsntly of the oounty itself;
and we think thsro should bs no dirrioulty in
oonstruiag ths Constltutlonmd ths statutes as
lnoladlng the oiiioers of the pmolnot and dls-
triots of a oouaty in the gotma dssignation or
00uty orriotm .-
Ths Handrloks ease was approved by ths Supreme Court of
Texas in the case 0i BoruiSr7. Bslstsrling, 104 Tot. 432,
and ths oourt us88 the iollowia(ll
lasguags: "In that MS0
(Efsadrloksv. stats) the dlstrlot we8 a SubdivislOn of a
oounty and the trustss derlvsd his authority solely from
the gsasral law which applied to the oounty. Be was thsrs-
fore an oitlosr in the oounty Lo the sass sansTTaZi6~
Jiimoo znxirp%aoe .*
see FoWlOr st al vb ThO#S st al, E!76S. w. 863,
and authorities oltsd themln, holding that a.sohool trss~
tse 18 a oounty otilosr.
ws oonelude that a sohool ttites is a ooasty
otflosr within hrtlale bQ68, Rerlssd Civil Statutes, lOi%,
Artfit 49. an41 cods, dotine a rdmy in ths
iollowlng language:
-'Aaxoffense whioh may - sot must - be ppurlsh-
able by death or by oonflmaxmt la the palten-
tlary ls 6 felOw; * l l "
weialso call yaw attention to tbs oplnfoh by
Judge Hawkins in the aaue or 3. r. Oordon v. state, 185 -i-a.
crlanlnal Reports 438, uhloh sets out the prorfslonaOCArtl-
018 808, FuntU Cod%, 88 emon&d, an6 OOMtmlng sams. The
opfnlon, in pekrt, reeds as fol$ows:
"Artlols SOZ, ?. C., as ammdod, Acts 1989,
45th Legislature, chap. 60, 0. 108, provldos:
*Any psrsm uho drive% or Opsratss an automobile
or any other Eotor rshlole upon any streot et
alley, or any'othsr plaoe within ths limits 0r
any lnoorporated city, town, er village or upon
any pub].%0road or hlgbway la tRisState while
smh psrson is latoxicated, or in any degme
under the influanos of intoriaatl~ liquor, shall
511
Honombls Fmnk E. Murray,;age 5
upon aonvfotlbnbe uonflmd In the penltsntiarp
for not mom than two (2) years or be aonflned
in ths aountgjail for not less than iire (5)
days nor more than alnsty (90)days and fined
not less than Fifty Dollars ($SO)nor mm than
Biro IiundrsdDollars ($500).* The punlshmbrrt
psralttedmay In the dlsomtlon of the court or
jury bs oonflnemnt In the psnltsntlary and the
0rra0 IS th;smroma rdollj. or by the ten38
of the statutsths jury Is at libertyto Inflict
mllder punlshmsnt than irprlsonntsnt
SOIIUB ln ths
psnltsntlarythat does not pmvent the offsnso
rrop bslrrga relony. csapbollv. State,ee ~exss
Crlm. Rep. 262, & 5%.W. 6ZS; Smithv. State,US
Texas Crlm. Rap. 88, 26;s. 1A.(ed) 350.”
We also oall your attentionto 95 A. L. R. 1116,
and authoritiescited themI&
.WI oonuludstram ths authorltlesoited In thls
opInlon,thatthe oonrlotlon.of a ash001 trusteefor drlr-
ins an automobllswhile IntoxlsatsdwIl1 dIsaualIW suoh
trikes rmfi said oftios and mnasr hia subjiottdm-
mowal themfrom.
rours very truly
ATTORXBT C4EREEAL
OF TEXAS
By -5!iri&dd
issIstant