R-330 April 15, 1947 Hon. Ra Iackey opia~oa No. v-146 county Kudltor Yoakum County Re: Iavful right of a person Plains, Texas to hold the oiflces of city’ councl1man and ju8- tice of the peace at the Bear Sli: same time. Yarrr inquiry under date OS April 3, 1947, solicits an opinion of this departmeat on the question: .. . "Cau a city couaclbaaa. the vas slec-, ted by tha people of an incorporatad city serve as jwtlce of the peace vhsn ha i,” appo2att;aa by the commlsslont’rs ’ ootart? Olty councilmen and justlces~ of the peace are sot authorized to perform the samC ,klnd ~of ssrvi448; ~nelther OS them have any right to direct or review (Ior- vlaes performed by th4 other; so there is nothing iEc4m- pat lble in the perf’ormance of the duties of’ said offloes. The pertlneat part OS Section 40 OS Article KVI. of the CoPstltut Ion of Texas is as SoLlo~s : “Ho person shall hold or exercise, at the same tine, more than one civil off100 of emoluwat , except Just Ice of the ?4ac4& County Commieslouer,: Notary Publib . . . _~. That section of the Constltut Ion, aa It per- tains to the osslce of Just ice of the Peace is ia the In 1856 the Supremb 60-t mid, 16"Jb: 59: : .. : aIt 18 clear, therefore, ~that tVo civil oiflaes of emolument canuot be unltifi In the .; ,.. : In 1890 the Supreme Court cited th4 Pow411 OIs6 with approval .in paal va. Tovumll(a, 77 %x. 464, - .. Hon. F&J Iackey, Page 2, V-146 14 s. w. 365, in which the Court _agaia decided that one person may hoid more than one office of emolumnt at the same tlms IS one of such offices be that of justice of the peace. In that aase, Gaal vas one of the elected couatg commlssloners af El Paso County and accepted the ofilce of mayor OS the incorporate% town of TaUta. 9!he Suprem CorPt decided tYrat, under the Ooaatltutioa, Gaal could 1avfuUy hold the oiflces OS cwnty coswnlasioMr OS i!l Paso Oountf and mayor OS fslata at the sama time; ths court said: n . . . the wade . . . iW&oata that It vaa intended that a pep ~Opinion Boa. O-382, 0-2Ofj~, o-2284 an& O-6524 OS this department conetausd the 1afiguage of go&Ion 40 OS Article XVI OS the cbfwtftutlofl. We smlos4 a copy OS ikaahOS tboso oplaloar for y0ur i&mnat ten. Ys are OS the opiuion thult a psrsoa may hold. the offloes OS city aeurraflmia an% jnutlaa d the maas at the afme t’im. A person may ho113 the oSSi~a of blk~ a0uacllmaa and justice OS the pea08 at the aam ttas under sprclSi0 pmolslona of +A. XV& Sea. 40, OS t&B Texar Qrrartitutfon. Pour8 very truly, :&TTeaimz - 6P l!ssAa WTWral:%r:ra*j