Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion ( 1939 )

C 0 P Y Hon. A. J. Luckett county Attorney coma1 Countp New Braunrds, Texas Dear Sir: Opinion No. o-931 Re: Whether justices or the peace-and cdunty attorneys are Wofricqrs or the courtW within the provisions or title18 1055, Code or Criminal .hoCeaure as amended by House Bill No. 205, Acts oflgjg, 46th Leg. Your request ror an opinion from this de- partment,as contained in your letter tW June 2, 1939, has received our attention. Pointing out therein the legislative expression "orricers or the court" as used in House Bill NO. 205, mending Article.1055, Code Of Criminal hocedure, 1925, you ask the following ques- tions with rererence thereto: "Are justices or the peace orricers or the court? "Are county attorneys orricers or the court?" Article 1055 as amended by House Bill No. 205, Acts or 1939, I.&h Leg. reads as r0ll0ws: "The county shall not be liable to the officer and witness having costs in a mis- demeanor case where defendant pays his tine ana costs. The county shall be liable for one-halr or the fees or the OrriC8rS or the court, when the d8r8ndWt rails to pay his tine and lays his rin8 out in the county Hon. &if. Luokett,page g jail or diSOharg8Ed mqm8 0r wmk- ths s(lmb'by ing auoh fine out ont he aounty ma& or on BlQ'6OWtJrplFOj8Ot.Awlto paymAohhalx 0r OOBt8,the COUltyClerk Oha= iESU8 i-dB - JSJltOn the Countym8aN8r in f@vOl'Of BUOh airiO8rto be paid Out Of the &ad and Bridge R$ or Other funds not otherwlsoappropriat- It appearathat by ualng the tena aoffloere or the oourv, th6 L8gislaturodi& not $.ntend to give any brQa46rIp6aning to the word "osrloor"aa rued in tJm cd&bal Art10181055, B.tJ.8.~e 1988 QZ in the Aqt of 1941'1, 48th Tsg.,w hioh lsttorA& ww he16 by thi.8d8p8rb48d a8 unoonatitution~by reqon of a tbr60tiv608ppti~.. The lm@mgs "ottioor"or %SI%- oerm of the oourV, Whloh t8?ma we befie+ at6 rtirod 8yn8nymwly, oan only refer to thorn ofgl.ealr rho ham ooata tazed in mlsd6xneanorwaw ur8whowoulA be timid ti, their ooeta or fee fn tihs ertiotthe &femtent paid hla fine an4 aostk- ~t4&we ewm$.no thoi atatuteawhioh authorizeosrtainteem atied to be~tazsdas,ooetaagulnattho de~sndept~.ig raqh awes, it will be noted that the offfaa oi4qunt at- torneyan4 the justioeof tho pea08 &!a distiag&ha able aa to mob oosta. ArtiolelOm3, 4B 8mnbsa, pmYl&au that l&lo juatioe&the pea08 ahal.& rsoairein all 8mntie8 of tw6ntythQuBand(80 000) or leea p fee at Three ($3.00~Do3J.ars ln cad triedand finallydisposedoi beforehim and NQ Dol- lars lrirty Cent6 ($2.60)in aountleewith. O~traIl in 8xoesa 0r twentythoueand(a0 DOO) S.nhAt6ntrs This i88 iS pdd by the OebptY.W&hOUtrggd CO th8 provieiona of Art1018 105&i ~a8sunfa&e&: an4 if6 not tared direotlyageiinst the defeiitlaidas pi*C'otthe 00&B. As the jUSt$O8of the p&O8 18 ndf-'dapeQd8Bt. upan the provitdn~ or aai4 miaLs lQI$Sfts hla ime, he icrnot suoh aoffioet*or;*offloer02 th8 a0yt8 wIthin the pwview oi BOU`` uq&. g&:m Artiole-2.058; code of CrlmlnaLRrooedq6; zoa4. %i la rurthcrevidentthat the Leg~0lAi-iure,ln``#.ed:te elime inate th8 peaqdary interestot%h8 jufvt&oe 6$ the ; . . Hon. A; J. Luckett, page 3 peace in fees tsxea directly against the defendant and allowed him only, it judgment of conviction is entered, thereby avoiding jUd@Q8nt previously de&as- ea unconstitutiodland void. See? Ex parte Binnay, 14 S. W. (26) 63. 'sherees of the county attorney taxed as oosts against the defendant (articles 1061-1070, Code Of Criminal PrOC8dw8, 1925) are, wh8n unpaid by the def8ndSnt, controllea by the provisions or Article 1055, as SiZ8nd8d,without which article in such 08S8S, the county attorney would receive no compensation ror his services perrormed. It'is, therefore, the opinion of this depart- ment.that in-counties where the justice of the peace or county attorney is compensated -ontitee basis, Arti- 018 1055, as am8Xia8dby House Bill No. 205, Acts of 1939, dth Leg., does not include as "OffiC8rS 0r the OOuzt" a justice Of the peace. A county attorney is included asan"ofiicer of the comtt" within the pro- visions thereof, Trusting the above answers your questions, we remin Very truly yours By $ Wm. J. R. King Assistant K:ob .m?mVm J-U?%29, i939 GERALDC.UNN ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TMhS APPROVED OPINION COhMITTZE BY R.W.F. CHAIRMAN