Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion

OFFICE OF THE All’ORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN Hon. Thana A. Wheat, Pa&3 Z "1. When 00dttOa upon M offioar in the lawful disoherge of the duties of his aiiioe, ii It 16 known or deolared to the ofrmhw that the person assaulted ~186 en offloer disoherging en oftlolel duty." Moat of the coeea that have been filed un- der this statute hr:oeinvolved e peace offioor dis- oharglng hia offfoiel dut l!har(l'ie, however no rs2gnrentrenoon for limitf x' the ai)pli.oatlo~ ai this statute to penoe officers. The lenyap of th0 6t&ute *an orfloer in the lawful Aiaohhrge of the dutie6 of his offioe* :6 very &enaral. In SAX&X vu. STAri 2 trim. Re 4513 the tollowing langua&e winsueed h interpretf ngthf6 ’ statute: 99x3 ten3 offioer, include6 all persons legally authorized to parform publio duties.* It is neoensnry then to derins the tern ~offioer" and me if a Codnty Commissioner w.0~16 ooms nlthln thle da~inltlon. In the oose of the CO~&ZSS~ONF.XSCO-m OF LIXESTONE CVm, et al V6. OARRLTT, aS6 S. W. 910, a Comlssion of Appeal8 case adopted by the Supreme Court of Texee, the meaning oi the word noffioerw waa discucsed In,the follow- iax manner: *The most lm;;ortantoharaoteriatlo w!iioh dl8tlngulaha6 an oftios.from an umploymmt or oontmot is that th8 oroation and oon- ierring of an offloc1involve6 a delmatlon to the individual at come oi the 6oVereeign funotlone of government to be exeroised by him for the bansfit ai &e publlqs thet portion or the 6overelgnty of the ooun- ,slther leljislatim, e%eOUtfWJ or jtii- ror the time being to be LOX ihe public bmetl* * * * **Publie ofrioe i6 tM right, authority, an& duty orated and oonferred by law bp Bon. ThcamasA. Pntaat,page 3 whloh, for a given period either fix& by law or sndurlng at the plej:sure& the oraating~pcn6ir an individual is lnwated with home aortlon of the sovereign funo- tlon6 of the SoYermuont to ba exaroised bp him for the beneftt or the Publid.' The oorreotnem of this daflnition La nowhere questioned, so far a.5:';akn9w, ~2ndit is uoaleos to bda supportdq3 aMWn3.tfes. lpllbr~ughv. Born6tt, 93 Tex. 310, 55 84. . U. "A man is not the less a publio o?fi- oer wbera Ns autkorit is confined to namOW limita; for it f8 the duty df hi6 offloa and tha natura of that duty w:iloh mike him an offioer, and not the extent of y~ut"~orlty. E%ohemron Fublia Officers, !l?ha pertinent part of Artlolb 8, Seotion lS cd'tha Coaetltutlon of Taxas read8 aa foll6war 7iaoh county shall in like manner b% airiaad into four aomm.is6loner6* preoinots in eaoh of nlilohthare shatl be alacted by tha qualifisd voter6 thereof one oountg ocmnnis~&oner, who shall hold his office for two years and until his mooeesor shall be alsotad and qllaliflsd. The aounty OclmniS- sionsrs 80 ohosen, with tha oountp judge, a.8pE66iding offloer, ahallOompOs6 the County CommleslcaIersCourt, whioh shall 6x- eraiau attachpowers and jurlediatlon over all county bUSin886, 06 i6 OonfeITed by th.i.8 can6ltiutionand the law6 of the State, or a6 may be hereaftar praaoribed.* mrbher, in Title 44 of the ReYiRed Olvll Statutar 6f Texas, ws find speoifio powers delegated to th6 Oacm.i66icmersaburb. An oath and 8 bon6 am alao raqulred of them. E(on.Thme A. Wheat, Pnpnge4 ft wcluldmm clear then thet a County Ccn- missloner would be oomidered m officer I)Rdefined by the Supreti Court in CocnniaslonereCourt or Lime- stone County VS. Osrrett, t3upl%ir You are therefore re8geotfiUp advised that a County Conmissioner doea a&e within the meaning of the word *officer* ci8used in subdiolstor?1, Arti- cle 1147, Vernon’s Annotxtcd CrUinal St&&as. BP Fmderik 8. fsely Assistant /a/ @mild C. Mmn ATTOmGmEML GI1"l'EXAS