Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

OFFICE OF THE AlTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN e ami se a6th6r or not it 15 t&6 11ttorRsyto tileIa suit upon in&rua- lmora oourt k, XwmV6 a tenant sff and whetimr or not a rcasonikbls r .tl¶iu 0exvll36.- 2s9 autile upon thue otflew!n, %n ruahor 6tbbRU that 8hbbdUtib8 ood #to # th@ CkwAnty Attolfa.y 88rlbd bl the Conotftut&aawere not @mtrioted rr, refer r 8ubmqgmIt oot8 0r t&e L8glslatum oOar8rdag IIbam0lu.l d@d8 up68 t+ens offiaer8, 8uah a8 ArWn20 8Vl8, Vernon*8 AfhueatoiIClvm ~tatute8, nhf#k prml&en tha$ 8he Caby Attommy 8haU; r~pr8805t the (Icrorrty ta 6srtain tit8 r0r dungnr. Alao~ Artf.018 SW, VnrRon*r &lIlatatoaOft11 Btatttt88, whloi:requires the Din8rlob OS GcnantyAttam+ De inatlttltnouch pawoeedingr8a are nwemary to oaergel oh8 p*083mku 0r eertdlin,dutm by ombt orrim ti to prwarto and proteat ths publio ln88nut as nnt r0*h in r8ld 8tatute. 0r Ulnprly, 1t lo not Bhe irAteRtloJl thn L&8&+ twa tsmka it the right oi the Oounty htornny to rn#mmmt ,tb Bounty in nil nulla or ad&we. Artlole 354, Vwnon*s,hmotated CIvIL Otatut88, prm$d88 that Di88rlot and County Attorri6ygsshall adVi8e and gitw npinionn to the varioun ocunty and preainot 0rfi0er8, but *hia do86 not me&n Chat the Comissioners* Court 18 roquhd 80 employ Iem aouuty A88orxleyin %ll cirik 8uit5, QOl'&Mb it l&SW t&St ths COUSltyAtt0~IX.y has tb Fight to npmaent the County in aLl suah suits. IB 8he 0(~8t)sr xa08e0n t, ~~ri8 romp, 58 amu, tileBupsmila’uouxt h.10 that the Cmli%i88ionez8' f3ourt0r the Umanty had the exolue4ita r&ht to aeteralne t;ltether a ruiti rh&d b0 b2TOUght ifi bhs. MU&~ clnd rot tilebOR4rit Qf t&i wunty oxaept in the 088e them B ~ononrmmt or.exoluaire rigt& in ewforrdt on some o8her oftlolal or tribunal by.tho ~~olmtun k, exepoise in some dlpeoified oatw a like dlsom- . Sonorab1.QD. Riobtml v4$48, pl&re 3 Th* v@WhJtODOl-6' &XWt ha8 the autbarity TV nmpley oounsel to the sr4~u510n 0r the ecmty ~ttrff.~sy t0 lnntibate euits in beheUr 0r the @ountg, except asltioim 8g8h8t~ offloe holdoxn, ee protide by brtioln I%%@,Vex#um*# h5nd6Sod Oft11 stalrubeo, ‘PhiS US?bld, hWdOrO~8 by tb&# bp@X@nnt iZi &Rnf8rulW o&IS&On HOi %67& ‘Chin epiaian he&& aat the UnmmlM~Qllm' mm ha8 tru adlerrfty to 6m Icy ae?w~6& toth8 exclu8ionQi thoOcuatyAttora.y tab 4 nl$ 8 rgsant the %ankbg a4mai8alon ror the rec0twy 0r d8 wlrr tb bwtp Bare FLU& 3.m 02 aoacunt or 4wanty depanitozy~ railure; aa the oowitg mi4rnay entitled to any cca&nnica on Qoll~otfons rsads an a m8u%t ot 818&dBllit,exc.oept 88 iaaybe protided by aantniot b8tvqn.ntha county Xttormy and tha Oxeaiauionars* Court. The and8 of Cloy %atlonal Be& vI Presidio County, %8 %, w. 777, hO1&8 ?dMIt it 18 n4t ‘i&V316@d dIlty Of the Qounty Atlmmy )lorsprsnsnt th6 County fn euits affsctiDg it8 intnrest. mu QaSd of Jolma i. v'r1tman*173 3. W. 20l hO148 tth& ~Oifd8OiOIl~’ COUTt& h&V. th0 .SUthOrity f0 @ilt&, Qsupty Attorneys to rqm+sant the County in pending suits; Pm Uc not utab* in four letter wh3ther or not the o&no inwhich you reDre86nted the County, arsiutiedbr t8s ndilitional counsel wt3 a dam (18mentfoncd in ArUe& 87 lbl, upra, or ~h&h&it.68 a'oaee vhloh 84~~ ather 8tawlte providea t$at the county Attorney should reprmwtt the mlllty. fntbe.abaenceof a ntateinmt to G-i+obntrary, m unume that the above mentionad oame in rihiokyou reprerented the Countj'lMB one wdch the County Rttornsy WR8 :iatrequired by law te reprecent thu County In. This beir;ii true, you are ?ospeotfullyadvise& that.it %e oux og~iol.on thnt tha COGUS- donera’ Court oontrsct with .ei'.3 0e.n logally Ccuaty :,ttoracy and pay him R rerleonobl~ co~ensatio:~ for servfaas rendered In all girl1 6aeem where #he du8y 5s n4t fmpcpee&upon ths %cmnty Attorney by statute to represent the County. It i* 6tiffurthei o~inioa that it is :zotthe duty of the County Attornny t&o represent the Oounty in any ofvil cam ualeea lqTO881Jr mada 80 by &k¶tutU. Ii the above mentioned servioes Vfue p8rtomd in tho abrwme of a oontrractbetween the County At?mrmy iandOamfs$loners' Court, but UQOll thrrrquefit of 8aliicart,the County AtQmnJ fs entitled to b reasomble wwtton on a quantum dt,bcele* with rmttbnnoe te pour SeoQndend third quoettoJl8, ywa are a4rir@d #at after a oamful soaroh of the rtatutos, vefellto r indenyletuto ia p o en@th edutyup o nth ec o ua ty Attosne~ to ill@ a maSti 011the iaetruapiOla0r the Demislun' Uourt te mmmb a tonant%n th0 fhutp POOX PRZJU. Th0rer0n, tt i* sot t&o Qu or,the uouat~ Attcmaey to rir6 suoh mait. -, fihauoelxm%onmra’Uourt may oontreot vfth tho Cctutit~ Attttorny to por&ta mwh IOSY$~OB and h&tal~y pey a rsmoneblo 6o98an*leafart& (Ieve* Trusting thmt the forgoing fully annvctrsyour iaqulry,vo are Yours YOry truly Al'TORBSTCkiWE~O~TE~