Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion ( 1942 )

OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN Honorable Oallan Graham DietricotAttorney Junetion, Texas Dear Sir; Your letter of Fob opinion of tbie dagortmont in part am followat “I would like to whether or no h,of offios and it 'the Seoretary of e reelgned from the,' 1939, W. 0. Jaokrroh Judge Jaakeon' ondtutlon, Art. 18, Si3otidn’2T(,‘&d Art. 6, Section 20; aa comkuad by the Court of, civil Appsals in the ~RDO of Niake ~0, Curl, et al, 86 8. IV, 368, provfdeo that the oleotlon of vi. c. Jaoknon in 1940 w.m to fill the unorplred term OS Judge Montague, and a8 I understand that Honorable Callan Graham, Page 2 deoleion it will be neaeaeary at the Novspn- bsr election 1942 to sleet a Judge of the 112th Judicial Dietriot, *The above deolefon, 60 far aa I harr barn able to find, is the only one on thle question and hae never been cited in any other aa6e.* ArticY.e19, Vernon’e Annotatsd Ulvil~Statuter, pro- vidor t *All racanolee fn State or district offloes, -eereeptmembers of the Legislature, rhall b,q tilled unleee othemies provided by law by appointment of the Covsrnor, whioh appointment, if made during ite oession, shall be with ths advios and OOtWOAt of two-third@ of the Senata pr~eIdalAt. It made duriw the reocleiof the' Senate, the said appointee, or 18omoother per- BOA to fill.suoh vaoandy, shall bs nonhated to the Senate during the first ten days ,of ite rseeion. ,xr rejsoted, said 0fri0e shall immedlatslp~beoome vaoant, and the Owsrndr rhall, without delay, make further nomfnatlk&s until a oonfirmation takes pla6@. ~%ut,tahould there be no'oonfirmation during thd see&on ai the Senate, tha,Governor shall Aot'thsre- after appoint aAy person to fill suoh VaOanQp,, who hae been rejeoted by the Senatsl but may appoint some other psreon to fill the vuca~a~ until the next eeeslon of the SeAate, or until the regular election to said otfior, ahould lb aoonex ooour. AppOiAtmeAt8 t0 WIOanOisO 'in offlaes eleotlve by the $eopls shall only. oontinus until the first general alaotion there- arter.~ Artials 20, Vernon'8 Annatatqb.Civil $tatutrr.,pro- tldert "All eleatlonrrto iill vaoam;e8 in offlor e&all be to fill the WMSpiredteXlll only," Seotion 12 of,Articls XV of the State Co?#tituMon prwidea in prtr -. i Honorable Callan cirabm, Pagr 9 “..., Eipgofntmentar to mccnciell i’A oiriar, eleatlvcl by the pa6pfe ,ehallonly eon- tinus~until the firot general eleotion’there- trd%r.” Section 38, Article V of the State Constitution providest wl~auencleein the office of Judge8 of the Suprsme Court, the Court of Criminal Ap- ps~le, the Ctiurtof Civil Appeals and Die*’ triat Gourte 8hal.lbe filled by the Governor until the next mmaeedlng genard. election; ana vacancies in the offior of County fUd@j and justices of the peaoe mhall,be filled by the Comlsaionera Court until the next gon- era1 eleotion for eudh ofPlcee.* Ssotion 21, Artiola XVI of the State ConrCftu%ion previdm: “In all electiona to fill vhoanoiss 0r +offiUe in thin ,Stat.s,it ahcAl be to fill : the unexpirad term only.* Artfcla 292&t, Vernon'r hnototsd Ci,vtlSthtatam, provider: ‘From iid &fter tha sff&otive date hrre- of ,the terms '0r office 0r all elsotivs State and Dletriot ofrioare of the State of Teacar, erocpting Oovernor, Liaut want Governor, Mem- bers of the 0enste, and Uembere of th.etiuss of Representatives, ahall b&n on the laf day of J~.pqq~,rsextfollowing tke Cenaral’ ‘Eleotlonat -&blobsaid respeotive ‘Stats and District off%cerq were elected.‘” The case of fpioisv. Curl, et,al.,eupra, in ooartru- lng Artiole XVI, Section 27, ucd Artiole V, &otion ze\;aupra, holda in effect that all elee,tionrr to’fill vaoenoisr fn an offloe shall be to fill,the unexpdred term only; and that va- can&es in the offloelsof Judge8 of the DLatrSot Court@ &all be filled by the Governor until the oert euooee&I $eheral election and bhs Judge eleotod at the general eleo&ion in 1902 ia glace o? th,aJudZo regularly elected in 1900,’whase affloe bece.msvacant by death, wns eleoted for the unexpired tarni@i the dooeaeed Judge only, and not for the full, conrtltutiona~ term of four yeara. Honorable Qallan Graham, Page 4 Whra Sr, Joe Q,. Montagua ma llrotrd Dirtriat Judge in Nwembrr 19%3,~ the term 60s which hb’wal e2sotrb began on January i, 1939, em4 weuld’~re s%pired on January 1 1948. WhcmMr. Montague xe~igaed and, Mr. Jackaoti we* ~appolatcab Die- triot fudge bi the Uovatrnor, he war appointed to serve a8 Dirtriot Juclgs until the nwit rnca~edin6,genimil elsotion whfoh wa8 in Nwsmbsr of 1940 and unlemii slstlteb 0.t eaid general cllsotion hi8 tsxm e? of&e onhez” the appointmsnt Wuld hare expired January 1 1941,. but Mr. ikiekro~ wim bleated at the $ewral alaation ia I.940 ‘ml by virtur of thir elrotioa wa8 entitled to h0ia the, offim of District Judge for the unsx- p&e& tens of Mr. FKo~tagus. l’hersfsss, in. view of the fore- going authorities we rsapsotfully am*or the ‘above ltatod quortion in the aifiamatits. touA rcarf trul? ,,, A!PIQRNEf G&N~RAL OIF TIEAS