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~
Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion
Combined Opinion