Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion ( 1946 )

OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
Honorable X. J. Townsend
county Attorney
Angellne cousitg
lAmal, Texas
Dear Sir: Opinion NO. O-7507
Be: I8 the presenoe
This acknowledges recei
date whioh rsada:
county Attorney-
-i&act to be
wher, inveetiga-
1 violations or
quallfled for
the oath of
investigating wltmo``
5. code of Crlalnal Prooedure, 8hte8 thet
and juror's oath la that *the Stete'a ooun-
owe* and your own, you shall keep eecret.m
367b, C. C. P., whioh provides for the lppolntment
of grand Jury bailiris, m&es a portion or said balliff'e oath
thet 'you will keep eooret,the prooeedlngs of the grand jury.*
iionortible ii. 3. ‘i’owneand, pa,:e 2
Art. 336, c. c. E., provides for the oath TV be takeu by
B wituese VW testifies before a grand jury. h portion of said
oath la that *you will keep eeoret all yrooeodlnge of the greud
jury.”
Art. 375, C. C. P., provides that “the attorney repressnt-
lng the State may go befom the grend jury at any time exoept
when Xhoy are dlnouoalng the propriety of finding an lndlot-
nbmntor voting upon the B(UPB.~
In view of the preoedlng statutes pertalnlng to the aeorsoy
of grand jurs prooeedlngs, and In view of the statute apeolfioallg
.authorltiing the appearanoe befor@ the grand jury or the attorney
mpreaontlng ~tha State, it would seein that a apeoiflo le&slatlve
authorlsatian would be neoemury to allow the Xetrlot and County
At~rne&Gtoot, aa auoh, to attend eeaaionr of a grand jury.
Slnoe we find no law authorizing their preaenoe et eaid weeions,
we oonolude that said attorney8 am unauthorized pelraona at thoee
aeaalona.
Although we find no !l’exaa oaaea In point, in i’eople V. Lunson,
150 M. 6. 280, the Supremo Court of Illlnole aaid:
*It ie a rundaaectal element of a grand jury lmea-
To thie end the law refuses
-A grand jury Is organlsed for the purpose or pro-
teoting oltisenr from unfounded aocuaation es well aa
lnveafigating ehugom of ori~ and returning lndlot-
-AtO thema. By mawn or the faot that the purpow
of au& pra#eotlan may be largely forfeited where the
lnverfigafiona of the grand jury beooma known, the
work of that body ia surrounded by eecreoy and Vb8Wd
with wlamnlty. Out of thaeo vtewr hae ariaen the
rule that unauthofiierd Deraono mey not be allowed to
attend upon their lnve8tlgatlona.~ Iemphdsfi added)
In View of the toregoing it i# the oplnlon of thim department
that the pra8enoe of the Dlatrlot and County Attornep8-ileot, aa
311
Louorobla ii. J . ,i'ownsond,pace 3
euch, in rrgrand jury eeesion, wherein lnvestiC;~tionsof ori~-
ill vlolatione am belnb zwde, is unauthorized and ehould not
be permitted.
lit, trust that the foregoing fully anewera your questIon.
Youre vary truly,
William ii. Stepp
Aaaietant