OFFICE OF THE A'ITORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
Honoreble.John R. Shook
Criminal Dletrlot Attorafq
San Antonio, Texas
Attention: Hr. T. 8. Rldgevay
e\,
Dear Sfr:
..;
or
as
IXo~orable John B. 83mok - Fag4 2
and gasoline and the County aooepted the&
eemlaee down to Julr 7, 1941, when the<#uatlen
for a rehearing mm overruled In Ohe abore
OQUse. TWO or the patrolmen were bfsp4ns4a dth,
14wilIg only r0tlr in the employ or the countr.
The rour who w&r4 retained wexe paid their
salaries aad the two who were dropped fr4m the
qimploy Of the Uoiuity were not paid their e&i-
tlSl4S. These two patrolmen, who were eliai-
nated rrcm their wmiee an July 7, 19i&ren-
&wed a bill t4 the Ctiss16ners’ Qoxirt ior
$285.00 lmhb, being the amount or their m-
spective oalaries from rtrJr14, 1943, to &ly 7,
190. The Court reemtly entered an order al-
lowing th4ir olalm, the or&e~ beins as follcmm
"We weuld like 60 &a~4 yatrr Opts UPOnthe
raLf0dng tno questian*:
"1. x4 ft 14gt2. r0r th6 &mmL8*16a~4x8*
ao?lrt *io ~TaOX the paym6nt Qi the
Honorable John R. Shook - Rqe 3
salarlcq or these two patrolmen rraa
May 14, 194l to July 7. 194X7
*2. S1n0. the Oummi&Ei1oil4r&* aouxt
ha8 entore& its order upon the ainutes
or the Court approving the payment or said
olaims of fhs two patroloen and haling ln-
stratated the Auditor to draw warrantsin
taror or 84fa patrolmen in payment or said
elaIa., 1. It the duty of the kudltor to
draw t@e ryants In pamnt thareot?
*In this 4onnoatIon,w4 wieh to direot your
attention to the 0.~4 or Buster Harp vs. +. 0. m&y,
County Auditor or Boxer County, readwed-#y the
Feurth Courtof Citil Appeal.atSi%s &6dfO, on
w0r4a4r 12, ipu. Thit3 d401~i4~ i6 not report4a,
but a oopy tikhbr is attaehea her&h Ii0 ratioa
for rehearing ua. t%led aad this deaialoa i4 final.
-4 order or the OommImioaer~* Gosrt eU&wlag
the olaim 0r .the two patr4lnmn lb ori its ra44 nliil
and pea-tabs to a, setter whhh is rested ~~~oluslrely
within the jarladietion or that Qeurt; I$ appears
to ss that this order ia a fiaal $-at and ozmld
only be 846 a*144 in a 4irest~pr~eeaing institut4U
in the dietriat~ aouxt. The County Airtlt$qr, belag
a mis1st4rial~otii44r, is not rested with judiolal
power and would not be aQthCWi&Od t4 haar and wei&
4tia4~~4 u~tl past3 jtkag8i4nt upon the r8atq.
9w1il488, the ardor 0t the Ommissionsr8~ Gourt
i..void, it rclold b44tm4 the aWe7 or the Audifor
to i..ae the werxsnts or ~owher. there an dlreeted.
It dg.8 not m&xir to u& that S&e exbe of 6he QOE-
dsaioners* Ookrt is void ror the reason that the
oopatr 8004p64d th6 bmubrtt or the 44rtlpl4u er
the patr4lS4n(, and, in raot, 4Ld not nr*r tha
that their 84mfoea wWlU.b4 &&4pea.@ with armtil
JQL??, 194n.
hour 0pIQIonopal the abme pue86Ioli8
w%l.l
be .gpr&01.t.$.*
Eonotable J&i R. Shook - Peg. C
.
lettsr B&X&F oopnty
Underthe raots statedin~yotkr
for the past several years and up to &ly 7, 194l, had in
its employ sin patrolmen under the assumption that the law
aathorlsed the appointment OS that amber of highmar patrol-
Qem. Apparsntly~the ~fX~~fs&ioners* c-t sating in eon-
j~O$iOa With the Sheriff was &oti+ br view of.ArtIcl&
6699~~ veraum'. Annotatedcivil stem%@.' 8pet&r, the
Sq-mme court or Texas in the above a&ntl&lltc:oa&& or Cha..
W. AnaOr&On.Count Judge, et al. v. will 1. Wood, am0118
other things held f hat Artiole 6699B, supa, was unoon-
atit<ional.
Therero*e, it is o&x oplnioa the% said aas4 is ao euthoritr
authari&lag the &samlaslonere~ mart to msks the above
8i4di0ruaorder.
It is oar rarthsr oplnlon ghet the oommissioners* aourt
had ao authority, 4itheaf upre8se& or~fsp~ud, to make the
abore noatl4mea .Qlder-4 thet said order i~.th4nrom void.
we here OarSrall~ 80nsid4r44 the eaa44 or Slubr
Y. Qiity or San Aatonio. 2nd 8. w. (26) ai; Edw&ls v.
Lubbook Gouatr, 33 8. W. (24) 482, and the euthorltles
ofted. t&eroin, holdlirg in siieatthat where oounti4s or
mm$alpslitie& reoeito bon&fit& andor oonSraot& Allegal
b44mme they with the Oonstltution
are not in oosfomlty
or statutes or oherter p~~i4Ion or 4 aitr, said aoantles
ox munioipalitf,ea arb U4ble on iypu8a ooqtraots rw the
reaaomble raluq ai'the.betmrit# whiah thu7~have r4aeired.
Houmer a4 me und&rstanU the abwe rentIoaed awms, th4
d&&kn~~* 06&t an&/or the proper &th6ri~~e& or the
al%~ had the'autwritf to u&a aaid aolotraat
sr aontraots
mat M,th the aatutea Or pcori8lans or
raU4a. 66 'aomp2.y
tho Mty'olmrter ~werx&iq thu 4m. Xa.oth4z wrd4, whoa
a oountrQr.nityhas ribueinathe buwfit 0r a v&raet
whkah'if hrd the pq$r to ma@, bolfwkf#a ~&%~.n#t;~.legaLky
OnterM into, th4,4ouaty ox Qitruy b*~~Wem~dLl8d to do
jut3ti04 end to,paJ the aoasi6mti6n; be..it' f4qt to pay rot
what t has reseivdl. Iisxwh e.... iti.@afd'that the
lsu will Imply a aonWaet. Eowwu, em abova'statcrd, *B do
not think that th,.~oamluiaxwrs~ omr%:ha9 ~~arrthorlt~
whstever to.~appoiat the 8bo~0 msatIaneU.o,au8t~,tralMis
orci44r6. It is txu'far6her ~opinion thet tmld ooua-6 had a0
W.&hQFit~ to oo~treet; with 44
perfo*r~the ss~aea~.w&ish WM
rore the &we ~ntIo+i oeu14a sre not op
tp4at~4ins statsd abws.