OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
“)) !i‘
xr. rrank 1. Martin
Matriot Attorney 9
84th Juaioial Dlatsiot
ney pro tom.
0) wh e n the lttonwt set0 aa
o o a a tr
diatr Iot lttonov in the lbaonoe of the dull
-, -.-.. -.~. .._ -.__ ._.__~ ---_- -.-.__... -._.- _._... -.
Mr. Prank n. Martin, Age 2
lleoted dia tr io t
lttorner, la he entitled to
the l46ltlonal 008pwaatlon provided tor in
Artiole 31, Oodo of UrWnal Prooedure, for
loting ma dIrtrIot attorney pro tam.
AZtlOle 16, OOd0 Of Crlainal Prooedure, as amend-
l4 Aota lOS3, 4&d Legislature, p. 177, Chpter 85, provideal
*Thl eoutr attorney shall attend the terms
of all lo ur ta In hIa eouttt~ below the grad0 oi
dlatrlotloart, and ah811 reprosent the 8tate In
a ll lrimlnal oaaoa under lxaaiInatlon or proaeou-
tlottIn said Ooautlr li1U In the lb a eno e
of tha
diatriot attorney ha shall represent the State
alone, or whoareqtuated; shall llQ tha dlatrlot
attorney b tha proaoootioh of 0ny 088~ ln k-
hall or the 8tmto in the dlatrlot oourt, aa in
luoh laau he shall rooelte all.or one-half oi
thm tOOa lllwOd by law to diatrlot lttoneya,
leoordlng aa he aoted alone or IoIntly. fn luoh
08808 he *hall reoelvm all or one-hair or tha
Boa allow& by 1~ to the dlatrlot lttarnq
tioae duti88 ba prrtorer, or la~Iata~~La perron-
in& bat shall noeite no part et the gonatitu-
tlonal salary allowed to luah diatrlot attorney,
looordlag as ho lotod aloam or joIntly$ provided
that faea eollaoted br the ooonty lttormr tmr
z atata ror lOL lorrlooa shall ba 6daotaa b.y
troll4r oi Rbllo Aooounta from thm Ins
P ~dhonlao mul4 ham beea paid to tha nla-
whio~
ttlot A- b4 ho ropraaentodtb Otato alono;
prati4dturthat thlamtIelo shall not k*on-
atmad 88 lohibltlnga4 lowtr lttoramyfm
toluatwll~ rith the sonsent of tho Uatrlot at-
toraar, wa~afIag tho dlatrlot lttornw In ths
perfornnoo oi hIa napaatlro duties, without
eo8pnaatlon.a
Artlmlo ati,Cod0 or Crialnml Prooedwo, protl6eat
rlhwoter an7 blatrlot or aounty lttorruY
faIla to 8ttond an7 ten or the dlatriot, SowW
or jwtloo~a lourt, the judge 0r rib oourt or
luoh Jaatloe nf appoint lom lompOtont attorn
to wrforr the dutlaa of luoh dl8trlot or OocmW
i
attorney, who ahall be allowed the same coapan-
aatlon for his service8 aa in allowed the dla-
trlot attorney or oounty attorney. said appolnt-
mnt shall not extend beyond the term of the
oourt at whloh it la made, and shall be raoatsd
upon the appaaranoe of the dlatrlot-.or county
attorney .”
.Art.lole 26 and Artlole 31 muat be oonatrued to-
gather, and when so oonatrued, it la olearthat the Lagla-
lature has mde it tha duty, and It Is likewise the right,
of the oounty attorney to represent tha State In the dla-
trlot oourt in the abaenoe of tha diatrlot attornay. In
the abaanoa of the dlatrlot attorney, the duty and,,tha au-
thority to represent the State In the dlatrlot oourt la
ootierred by the statutes upon the oounty attorney, and
it is not contemplated, nor la It neoeaaary, that the
oourt should designate the oouaty attorney aa dlatrlot at-
torney pro tern.. It lo only when the dlatrlot attorney and
the county attorney are absent that the ooart la authorized
to appoint a dlatrlat lttomey pro ten. In a letter 0p15105
addressed to the Honorable Cullen D. Vanoe, county Attor-
ney, Edna, Taxaa, on-February 12, 1958, this Department
ruled that a dlatrlot judge la wlthout authority to appoint
an attorney pro tan to represent the State when althar the
district attorney or the oounty attorney la preaant. we
are of the opinion that thlo ru.U.ng oorraotlr states the
law upon thla lubjaot.
Ath reapaot to your aeoond qoeatlon it la olaar
from what has bna stated lbore In answer to fiur firat
that thm lo unty a tto melo ting In th e lbaenoe o t th e dla-
trlot attorruy mut reoolra his oompaluatlon for luoh aarv-
Ioea under the prorlalona of Artlole 26, rather than under
the provisiona or Artioh 31. The right of the 0ount.y at-
tornor in luoh lnatanoe to oompenmtlon under Article 26
dependa on whathor fees are allowed to the diatriot attor-
nay of the dlatrlot ror the sarrloaa performed, In the ab-
amoe or the dlatrlot attorney, by tha oounty attorney.
Slnoe January 1, lQW, the dlatrlot attorney8 ln all Judl-
olal dlatrloto in this state hare been oonpanaated by the
payment of an annual salary ln twelve equal monthly lnatall-
menta, rather than by the allowanoe 0r fees. (ArtdOle
36ser, Varnon~s ReVlad CiVil statutes) “l7ilacompansatlon
i
Mr. Frank W. Martin, Wga 4
does cot depend on the ntmbsr of oases tried, or the re-
cult achieved, and lxcludaa ~11 other compensation exoept
hla annual salary." Vogaa ~'8. .sheppard, (Commisnlon 0r
App?:ala of zdxay, Section A, opInl:,n adopted by the Supreme
Court) 67 S.W. (2) 856.. Slnoe dlatrlot attorneys are no
longer ooqeneated on a fee baele, but by the payment of
an annual salary, and the legislature has Lade no provl-
sion for oompsenottlng the county attorney who acts in the
nbeence of the district attorney by apportion& to him a
part of the salary to be paid to the district attorney,
it rollowa that the county attorney who aota in the abeenae
of th6 district attorney la not entitled to oompenaatlon
ror the aerrlcea thus rendered.
Yours vary truly
Riohard s; Falrohlld
Assistant
RYiF:ew
- _.._...^..
--.
fimf;?_