OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
lionorable J. B. Bank8
county Judge
Pavker County
Weatherford, Teum
mar sir1
Your requert ta an 8 dqartment reada
ln part;
r OS the State OS Teru have
County Attorney or Criminal
Ill out 81’. Borden’s unex-
Colatulonero Oourt le now in
niting tU8 letter at the re-
quest of the Cowt La the abrenoe of a Oeunty At-
torney through vhom ve oan meet tlrFa quution.
I right state hers that Parker County bar alvap
dealgnated its Attorney a8 the County Attorney,
but he hea alvsga handled the duties of’ a Matriot
Attorney, ae we are not In any Distriot Attomey’r
Dl8triot. n
Hcixwrrble J. B. Banka, pa@ 2
‘lie held in our Cplnlm Pp. O-3636, a copy of vhloh
la enoloaed herevlth, thet a ohcnge ln th43 title oi county at-
torney to that of cr*imlml dlatriot attorney under Senate Bill
312, Acts of the 47th Legislature, does not ahAng the ~Overa,
duties &rid fumtlona of the offloer.
Senate Bill 3l2, 47th Legislature of texaa, provides
that the oounty attorney of any oounty Fn thla State not ,em-
braoed ln or oom#tltutSng either a or-1 dlatriot attorney's
dlatrlot or a district attorne (8 dlatrlot and u&e&eln the duty
of representing the State in aL Oriml.n01 uattera arising ln
such oouuty devolves upon the oountr attorney of such oounty,
EQht pet1tiOn the cOlwi*alone&a * court to deal(pute the oifloe
of oounty attorney 8L the offloe of orlmlnel dlatrlet ltto&ney
o f lueh oounty. It apeoUloO11y provides that”0 ayltg g,e
PO 0r th0 0fri00 8haii not ogard20 80 u t0
affeot either the rights, dutiesI Or emoluvmnta’o~ ;wh ofiioe
or the lncllmbeIlt thereor. . . .*
Seotlon 2 of the Aot reada:
‘INTENTOF ACT. It ie not the intention of
this Act to oreate any efiiicpe gr.zai8trlcti Attorney
or any ottup Conatltutlonel offloej. but It is the
lntent10n of thl.8 Act mere4 to LuthoPUe 8 ohange
lnthenameofanda uatbm of th0 0iri00 0f
County Attorney and r e inouabent thereof in tier-
taln @ountiea, without otheruLae ~ha@.ng or at-
footing the rights, dutlea 0# emolummta either of
luoh OfilOe Or the inoumbent ~thO&ctOf .”
Artlole 2355, Vernon*a Anuotated Civil Statutes, reedas
“Tha Court shall have paver to fill vaoanoiea
In the ofiloe of8 County Judge, County Clerk, Shw-
lff, Couuty Attorpep, County Treasurer, County Su&-
veyor, CouutJrBid0 Iuapeotor, Aa8eaaw of faxes,
Colleotor of Taxes, Juatloea oi the Peace, Con-
stables, and County Superlnteudent of Pub110 In-
ltrriction. su0h vaoaaoiea ahall b0 illlad by a
majority vote of the wmbera of aaid Court p&e-
sent and voting, and the person uhoaen ah011 hold
offloe until th0 next; general eleotion.”
I
Bonor8bls d. ~B. Banke, pege 3
It la Our oplnlim that the vmuioy IJI the oiflea OS
ariestnaldlat&lct attorney should be tilled by lo tla nof the
commlaalonerat aourt, acting pursuant to Artlale 2355, sup&a.
Very truly yours
ATTOAIIEY WIBRAL OP TEL83
Bj
Aaalatant
En0108ure