Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion ( 1946 )

OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
&onorable 01~ R. Van Zandt
county Attommy
crayson coanty
s~onmn, Texas
Dear Sir; Opinion No. O-7061
RI: Doam tlu
or th 000.d tb0r00n ~8 ror no 08rt.m
tl.m. At what tirr in +lar or the abora taotcrwould
an appolnlmnt bo tanainatoa?*
HonorableOlan R. Van Zandt, Page 2
You snalosad a letter to you from J. N. Dlokson, County
Judge.whiah reads in part 6a followa:
"For your informationr
Mltrr b lf wea 4 a l.yllaotad Oonatablo of Justlor Eroolnot
No. 6, Grafson Gounty at the Ganaral Blootion oi Nwembsr
7, 19&4, and quallfi84a a la~4~Ocmat41blr on January 1, 1945.
Under Artlole 6679 a RCS, said Oonateble would be lntltlrd
to one 4rput.yupon oomplfanoa with the etatutrs in making
rsquart therotor.Vo.5, Page 124 ComrelwIo~rm' Court
mloutsr or Or&yam Countyhas r~oomlad tharaoa tha raquaat
oi Walter Self ror a daputr ooxmtabla an4 the Oaurtr approval
thenof an4 reada ar r0iimttt
u*Norombor 1, 1945
Court in 8prolal Sraeion on thin the 1 day Or Nomnhrr, AeD.
1945,
"'Whitemboro,.Toxaa
Ootobar 20, 1945
T36ata or mxar
countyor wayrim
“To the hasty kmmisslon~ra or Grapeon CounDf.
Thla la to oortify that I am in ma4 of a deputy Oonatabla
to help lnioraa.tha law in my Pnolnot an4 ~00~14mepeat-
fully a8k you to appoint J. W. lCam4rp 48 BW deputy.
Thle appointmentwill meat the approval of Jwtloa
of Fbaoe hare.
W6lt.m Sali
Condablr maot. 6
*Approved by C, $. SirPpaon,
/8/ 0. L. slapon"
Aftar 4ur oonsl4rrationby the Co&t the above appli-
oation io graute4!Q
“In tiar or tbs abovs reotsa
"(1) Dose the Oodssloners Court hare authority
to r~acin4 tha appointmentof mai4 daputp Oonatabla,
J. Vt.Kana4y?
"(2) The Constablr, \ialtsrsslr, 18 ooapansatcldby
ras8 or 0rri00 and not from tha orrioam Salary rund.
HofiOrf3ble Glen R. Van Zendt, Iags 3
If he does not petition the CommissionersCourt ee pro-
vi444 in Art. 3902 R. c.s. for a daputy Conetablaror
1946--would the ieot thet hs 414 not patltlon durlw
January 1946 void th* deputation of daputy, J. v/.Knnedy
and would ha be without authority to act as daputy oon-
atabla until1a raquaet wee,meda to tha Oommlaalonara
Court end eel4 raquast lpprorad by tha Court?
"(3) The patltlon to appoint a oonatabla wm for
no oarteln tlma ae ahown haratofon; At,whet tima, In
vlar or tha abow reots, would hla eppolntmant ba tar-
mlnatad?"
Artlola 3902, V.A.O.S., ee awn444 in 1931 ty iioueaBill
NO. 434, Ch. 214, ma48 in pert, es r0iiw8:
WArtlola 3902. Khanatar‘tho county jtrdga,ah8rlff.
oounty olerk, aounty attow, dlatrlot olark, tax ool-
laotor, tax aeaaaeor, juatloa ‘of paaoa an4 oonatabla
ehell raqulra tha sarrloaa oi daputlae or eerietentr in
tha errormanor or h$e dul$ar, ha mey apply to tha oounty
OOfJ ealonars oourt of hla oounty for authority to appoint
euoh deputlaa~or aselatante, aatti-ng out by eworn applloe-
tlon tha number na4444, the poaltlon sought to ba ri.l.144,
an4 the amount to ba pe14. Seld applloatlon ahall be
aooompenlad by e atetaaant ahowlng tha probable raoalpta
and 4laburaamantaor tha ofrl00;. . . .*
This eman4mant wee approwd lday26, 1931.
House Bill No. 850, Ch. 280 waa pad804 by the 42d La&S-
leturaon tha rollowlng day. Thla aot wea latar lnoorporetadln
Vernon'sstatutea ae Article 68m and 6879b and raada, in part,
a6 r0ii0rat
%ootlon
1. Tha duly llaota4 oonatabla in laoh
juetloa praolnot having a alty or town or laae than llght
thousand (6000) population ecoordlng to the praaadlng
Fadarel oanaua may appoint ona (1) daputy and no moms
en4 leo h uetloe praolnot having e olty or town of llght
thousand 8000) .endlaea then forty thoueend (40,000)
population eooordlng to tha praoadlng Fadare oaneue may
appoint two (2) daputlae and no non; an4 ln laoh juetioa
praolnct having a town or city oi forty thoueand (40,000)
population or mom eooordlng to the praoadlng Fadarel
oansus may appoint rive (5) daputlas end no mora, an4 eaoh
end avary lnatenoa said daputy oonatebles shall qualify
as required of deputy eherlfre.
go~rablaCJ14nR. Van iknat, Pe~a 4
"Sao. 2. Ghan the oonatbbla IIIeaoh en4 ovary lll-
atanoa name4 and 4asorlba4
_ .~---. 1 . in.the pr404alng a4otlon or this
(1 0 a 5n4 u a sa im to a u84lp8p o lntmsntor a deputy or d4putl44,
es )+a oaao . mmy ba, said oonatabla ahall flrat meka lmlttyn
applloatlonto the aoamlaalonara oourt of hla aountfamwang
that it la naoasaary for.auoh oaaatabla to h4ra~the 4aputy
or 4aputlaa nquaatd In or4rr to properly handle the hua-
lam88 or his orrlo4 orlglnatl.ae in t praolnot in whioh
aooh nonatabla haa barn llaokd, glvL l&o MM or a&oh
propoaad ljqdntarr 4114ii tb oamalaalonrn oourt ahall
rlm%that th oonatablala ln noad or tb deputy or daputlaa
requaata4 ?c hen4lo the boaln*aa originntine ln*hla prr-
claot,th4n en4 In t&t 4nnt. an4 lp that 4rant only, th4
oanmlaalonaraooart ahall a prova an4 00-m t& appolnt-
moqt.or~tbadeputy or 4apotf*a provldad by thla sot."
Eouao Bill Ho. 850 would oontrol ooar &uaa Bill No. 434
80to the appointmantaor drputy oonstablaa,ror the moron that
it is e lpaolallaw drallng aola1.fwith luoh appoIntPants,whll.g
Eau44BlU No. 434 la 6 general law 4ulw with tha 49p@.ntna~t4
of aaputloaand laalatanta to oouuty 4n4 pr*olnet otria4ra. Fbrth4r
Eous4MU No. 650 vma p4aaa4 8ubwquantl.yto Boara Bill No. 434.
In 1935,et thr 2nd 'oallad lsa a lo aor the 44th Le81614tur4
knata Bill No. 5, Ch. 465, In plaoing dirtriot, oounty, an4 pn-
alnotofiloara on e aalnry baala, and in naorlblng their oom-
~naetlon,aman4a4 Artiola 3902 4n4 than s u praaarlbad the maximum
Mlary to bs pa14 4aputlaa,.eaaiatants, an4 olarka in counti4e
Occortlingto various population braokata: Th aesm sot, aftar
providing that
"In all oountl4a in thla Stat4 lu4h praolnct orrioam
shall oontlnua to ba oo anaatad ror their aajztioaaon a
r44 haala until th4 CoSaalon4ra~ Court ahall hare dakr-
mlnad oth8rwlsa In 4ooordanoo with the provlslo~a or Saotlon
2 or ~118 Ate." Then provl4sd:
roinot offlosr~ era paid a
air ler vlo a aluoh
, orrlosra.
mom 44putlaa or a4alat4nto
shall make applloetlon to the Commisaionora*Courtfbr
authority to appoint auoh daputy or 4aputlra, In the
manner an4 fbrm prsaorlbs&,rorep lloatlona for deputy
county offlo4ra by Artlola 3902, ii 4vla4d Civil Statutaa
1925, na emended within the provlelona or thla Aotl. . .*
(Empheals4aa4a)
Honorable Glen R. Van Zandt, Z'aP,a
5
Suoh aot rurthar provldodr
dl8trlot attorneya. rhall maui.ra the
8``Ior8 of aaputi08, asslrtahti, and l mp io y Inathr
a 8
performanorof hi8 dUtIa8 h8 rhall apply to tlu COW
miO8IOnem' Ccurt ror authority to appoint 8uoh dapUtir8,
aasIstant8,and lmployaa8, stating by morn appliootion
the number Zi88daa,thr pO8itiOllto bo filiOd, the dUtIO8
to bo porronuod, and the amount tc be paid. 8aIq appll-
OatiOn 8h011 be aOOOm&UUIid by a 8t8fcmaUt 8horhlg;fha
prohabla m-1 tS frOm f.88, 00mad8810~, and OO&~M-
tim &I hi 001 P. 9Otaa by 8aia OrflOC dUriftt.3 th0 ri8Od
year ati tha probob di8bUr8WWlt8 WhiOh 8hau. ind.UudO.
all 883.8ri88 a ndlS3OXI888 Or Said OmMf ,ana 8aid CDUrt
8ha11nukr it8 ordrr auth0rlcIng the appoInti*& or 8UOh
d8pUti88, a08irrtcntsana olerks ana rix the ooqerwtion
to be paid them within the limitations h8mIn pm8Orib.d
and datanulno the ntmbar to bo appointed a8 In the dir-
omtlon or 88113ocurt may be proper;. . . .w``ph8sf8
added).
ThU8, it 18.8aOn that In OOUlltir8UhOmin the pmOf.llOt
offiosm am on a far basla the ro~IsIons of Art1018 3902 mquIr-
1~ tha applloatlon for the appointaent or a drputy oonstable to
be by ~8WoTnappllontlon and stating the amcont to be paid and
acoompanladby a atatament ahowing the probable moaipta and dis-
burssmantsor ths ofiics, 18 not applIoat&a, and that in such
COlUltiC8the conatabls woul& maroly hare to fOi1OW tha proTI8ions
or sa$a Artlolo 6w9a which prorIUa8 that the oonetable ehall make
Wdtten applioation t0 the COlnmi88IOlWr8 Court Of hf8 COUnty Show-
ing that it 18 mo488ary ,tOr 8uOh Oonstabl. t0 hat0 the deputy Or
deputiw mqu``t~a in order to propwly hanala tha bu8lnra8 or
hit30rri0c.
T~S Oaea of the Sheriff of Salt Laka C&xty v. Board
or Commlaalonersor salt Lake County (sup. Ct. or Utah, 1928) 268
Fao. 783, Involves the power Of tha County cod8aiOMr8’ COUrt
or Salt Lake kunty to suspend or ramova from ottI deputlae
of the Ownty against their will and that of the aherifl. In
that oa8e tha oourt saldr
Eorrorabls
G1en R. Van Zandt, Paga 6
"Whrn tha term or tanura of a public orrioor
18 not rixaa by law, tha gsnoral rule 18 that tha
power or removal or IUllph3lO4, ml448 oontrollea
by statute, 18 an inoiaalit to the power or appolnt-
larnti &i 8U0h 0480 the OrriM $8 hold &iris@ thr
p1a&8Ua Oi the 8UbhOrity iuabi~@the appOi&kant,
ana in tha abswoa 0r a 8t4tUt4 on the 8Ubj4Ot no
notloa or oharga8 or h8arings are raquirra ror tha
8u8prn8lOnor rai%xOtal by the authority appoIntIn@
th0 orrloer. 22 Barb. C. L. 562-576. T h e lQpoIutmont
or thr dQIUtiO8 ham wa8 not ror any rid or 8t8tad
term or mat diVia88 tha p4rtiCS 18 th@l
nle 8alonars oontand that tha appokrtiog powsr
oarioa*
*as wIti thaa and that they, In legal 8:iiaOt,appoint-
;: z tier, and hnoe that thay h8d thr arftho*
XG y nupand or mmwa thas~at plaa8ara with
0r without mire; 4hat thr rhcrlir ana tha deputiar
ai ti uta urge that thr,pow8r or appoIntm8at -a
as$ t0 8118pMid Or mmOV0 thC dOpUtiC8 m8tCd
ti
+ h th8 8h8Firf, 80 10~8 M th0 OrriM it8eif ~68
mot 8bOiiSbd or that the pqO8a or n88@88ltj for
which th e aeputie8 :mmlppoIntaa no loagsr lXI8tOd.
a matter not hem olmlmoa or Inrolrr6. That is to
Say, th0 aapUtia8 WerO Mt 8U8JWXLdOd Or MU0Ild rOr
¶w rM8Oll that thC PU 084 Or MM88ity rOr WhiOh
they wara appointoa noTpongsr rxI8tad. or haa oea8cd.
“Tha 8t4tUt4, 84OtiOIl 1461, CCmp. hlW8 Utah 191-7,
prq4das that 'ovary oounty . . . orfloor . . . may,
by an&with tha oonrant of ths board of oarnty ooa-
Qi88fOMr8, QpOillt a8 tiny 64pUti48 4pd 488i8tlUlt8
a8 My !M n8Ca8mry rOr th prOQpt and iaithiU1 dir-
Oharg@ Or tha d&a0 Of hi8 OffiOS,‘. . .
‘Th Cr lhOriri'8 OrrIO .I8an l1aOtIn Offi Or
tha 00ttaf, as I8 a80 tha 0rri04 or a oounty OOQ-
mi88iOMr, and is a oo-ordlnatr orri08 or branoh or
our oounty gof*rnaant. Xl8 pcware and dUtiS8 am
pr48Orib44 by atatute,and am similar to those gsn-
srally prseorlbod by-other wolrtsrnrrtdtoa. In par-
roming tham, he, ganarally 8peakIng aots ina0pd-
sntly or the ‘board or oounty oomml8sionars arcopt as
Othsrwi8srsstrlotad an4 lm0iri8a. by 8t4tUt4. Jsrospt
by an4 with tha oonmnt or ths board of oounty oom-
mI8eionsrs hs may not aaka a binding or
ment of a deputy or a0put.108,FUKIuntil
Honorable Glen R. Van Zandt, Fags 7
had an6 8UOh deputy has taken the oath of oftlos,
ha, in 18w, ir not a d4puty and may not not or
p4rrorm orrioial fuunotions or orrio 48 suoh.
till4 the mattar may not b4 entlr4ly ire4 frOa
doubt, yet ua an of the opinion that propw oon-
8tZUOtiOnall6 int~.rgrOtCtiOIl Of 84OtiOn 1461 18
th8t It I8 thi oounty orfloar, her4 thr sh4rirr,
who appoint8 hi8 deputy or doputiar, but that 8uOh
appointme does not b4oomr 4rr80tiv4 or blndlng
Until oonwnkd to by the board Of oounty OOd8-
8ion4rs and the parson 80 appoiatclah48 tabn th4
oath or orfloa; and thordora, whatenr rumm8ry
por4r or 8tL8pNiCUI or remawI or a deputy may be
axaroI8ad 18 to b4 lx4roI8ad by thr 8h4riff and
not by th4 bwrd Of OOUIItyOO11Mi88iOn4r8, . . .
Such VIrw i8 4180 In harmony with the provIsIon or
tha 84otIon that ‘any Offlorr appointing any deputy
Shall b4 liable ror all orrioial sot8 of 8uch deputy,*
whloh 18 In moognltlon or tha prInoIpl4 'that there
.ln ohargs of and rrsponslblafor admInl8terIugtuno-
tions of gov4rnnant,who 4414ot th4Ir 4xroutIrs sub-
OrdiNtrs, noad In m88ting their r48poMibIlity to
hat4 ths power to ramma tho44 whom they appoint'
(Myrrs 0. Unit44 States, rupra). Certain It 18
that fh8 bo8ra oi oommIa8iOaer8is not nor am any
or its mambars In any 84IIS4 OiViuy or Oth4nri88
llablo ror the official aots Of a deputy ~shrrlff
but the 8hrrifr Is a0 olrllly lIab14 . . . ."
In the on88 or Murmy v. fhrrla @nmrIllo Court of Civil
Amals, 1938) 112 S. w. 1092, fh8 oourt 84ia at page 1093;
"The 8t4tUt4 oonfarriog UpOn the 8h8riff thr
power to appoint daputirs rire4 no winit t4rm .'
of offlor, but prorid that thi tsnure rhall b4
st th4 plraoum of the shrrlff, whloh 18 tantamount
to a prorlalon that both tha appolntmrnt anC tanurr
,JrOdi8OrOtiONX.ywlth him . . .*
W8 th4r4fOre an8war your qu48tIons a4 roii0ti0:
Th4 comcoi84IonsraCourt do44 not hara th4 authority
ta r44olnd'ihaappolutmsnt of a deputy oonat4blr ma&o In ocmplIano8
eth Artlolo 687% v. A. C. s. Tha oonatablr maka8 the .appoIntm4nt
'aa is the only parson who oen dlsoh4r&¶ him,
WCJ4n4mr your eacond question to the 4ff4ot that
ther?iluL.of th4 conatabla to petition the CoamlsslonsraCourt
in January 1946 do44 not tsrmlnats the appolntmsnt of hI4 deputy
theretofor authorized by the Commls4ionero Court. A dsputy oon-
‘table is appohted'for no osrtain time, s4rvc.a at the plaasurs of
. .
Bonombls Glen R. Van Zandt, Pap,88
the oonetable,or until the expirationof thr term of ofrIce of
the ooNtabl4.
3. Pour third qu48tIon I8 an8rrr4d to the 4fr4Ot that
an appOintm¶ntEd4 by a OOn8lXble Will Odly t¶l-dNtC up00 thr
followingoontingrnolas
t
a. EbIw dI8Ohar~rdby the Con8t8bla.
b. At the 4xpIratIon or the Corutabla*4 tam or
orfioa.
08 By r48Ign8tIonor th4 Con8tablr.
4. By the death or th4 COn8t4blS.
a* By n8Ign4tIon or the dapaty.
r. By death or the dopey.
By a judgmant of ou8tcr by a ai8eiOt oourt
In a $0 warrant0 proo4adIng lnatltutd by the County
Attorney to tact t&f +alIdIty o r the lppoInlnont.
WC tru8t the above and rore&olng iu;llyamwar your
inquiry.
Tours vary tmly
David Wuntch
Assistant