Case Information
*1 OFFICE OF THE A’lTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
rr that thr oom- oourt ot lingrlilm ogalzor tho flat a oltr of more than itantr and pro*l60: otion of ppofntmeat r Jurtioo of thr Poacr 2375 OS the Rwlseb CIrIl Statuter ot # *where there ir n oity of right bltantr or ~~01) in a jurtloe pmolaot, of the praor rball br elooted.’ the aam. otion 18, of the Constitution
eppoare In Identloal aordr. “The Cfty of Lufkln Twa8, I# looated ia Ro- @-hot number one of dngal&a County. to the AOOordi~ ladera Concur ot thit Oity oontalnr mom than Inhabitants. The oitr hnd justho prooinot no. it Is a part has only on4 ~uetior of tta on0 or rhloh P-0..
J *2 lioaprabla TOB F. Coleman, Jr., Pig. 8
-Radar the article8 olta4, la mandatory on tha oomhlaaiouora thia 0ouatJ rocog- nlza tha tact that Lu?kIa la a olty o? more than l lootlon, Inhabitanta provide or for of tba peaoa ?or pa- to appoint, another juatlor oIaot no* on09
~Ordlnarlly whara the word * ahall* la uaod I l tatuta oonatruob t? bo nadatom, .whlla the it Eowator *ahall* tatutaa word ry I. parmIaaIra. ara ooaaIdarrQ by tha court8 ontlma to ba alreotorl This atatuta ooaatruad in William8 7. onl7.
Caatlu&aa, 118 T. 193, MT 9. K. tW, thla point I. not dIaouaaad. la my opinion that, rhIla the language o? tha
*It tatuta la manndatory, 6110 to tha mat diaoretIoa Iran ning the boulda r! am tha ooaaIaaIonera court data rJ o? tha praolaota, l iaoe l otion oourt ia naoaaaary barora a juatloa a? tho paaoo oould ba alaotod ?or the aaoond plaoe, tatuta la blraotor~ only.
“1 wIl1 appreolatc an optnloa o? tha dapartmeat on thla qu.atIon.’
Seotloa l6 of A?tIolc V o? the State COnatItution read8 aa r0ii0w88 *gach organized in the Stat.8 now hara- fro8 timr to ~IEo,
ertar sIatIng, ahall ba divided for tha oonrmlanoa a? the poopla, into prOO~not8,
1888 then four and not mora then al ht. pr88Ont d li Subaequeat oouaty o ourt ahall make the ilrat vialon.
aItIaIoaa ahall mad8 ‘by tha ooruaiaslonati pro- court _ In each ooh- praof not third r0r this Conatitutlon.~ . _ thora ahall bo alected at l aoh bl-annlal leotlm, one JuatIoa of the Paaoa and ona Conatabla, eaoh o? whom ahall hold hIa of?Ioa for two yoara and until hla auooaa- aor ahall bo lootad and qtmlitlad~ proridad in any preglnot in whloh there may ba a olty o? 8,000 or mora Inhebltaata, thora ahall ba laotrd two Juatioaa o? the Peaoa. Each County ahall In llka mumor ba ditid- ad into comIaaIonara~~eoInota in aoh o? whioh four there ahall be aleoted one oounty oommleaionor, who ahall hold hla ofiioo two year8 end until hi8 auoooeaor by the qualiiied rotere thereof5
for shell be elected *3 Eonorabla TOR 3. Colanmn, Jr,, Pago S no ohcaaa wlth
qualI?Iad. Tha oountf oodaaioaara tha County Judga, am praaldIng ahall oom- o?flo#r, porn a county oommlaaIonara court, whloh ahall oxu- ovar all oounty olu aaob powara and jurladlotion buai.a8aa, am la oon?urad by thin OonatItutIoa and tha lawn OS tha Stat., am ray bo haraaftar pm- •orI~od,w
Tha Euprua Qarrt o? Tana In the 6888 OS lllllua v. Oaatlamaa, Ml 8. k. 868, amow othar thing., ald~
*Tba oorraiaaIamra court, by a tall4 or&or, haring tEara tam In JuatIoa Preolaot IW. 1 dat~nlaad OS dtophana Oountr, a oltr OS ovar 8,000 pa0010 upon tha o?fioIal l nnouaoamnt OS much Snot, and tha anta7 OS thr order, tha Puoa tha o??ior OS an additional J’oatioa OS
for tha praoiaot, oraatad t.he Conatltat~oa awaitIn& thr dat~rmlntlon oT taot bJ the Conla- loaora Court (the aganoy doslgnatod tha Conatltu- tar much purpoaa), tloa oama Into balng, and theaortor- w@ wan an adating ottion. Slnoa tha o??Ioo oama Into xIatanoa hot SIllad, it wan vacant. . . .
Tha oomdaalonara oourt, being tha ooaatltutlonal and ageaoy alaotad to fill raoanoIaa author- tatutor ity to ? I 11 thin raoaaoy. Stat0 OonatItutioa, Artlole V, 8aotIon 881 R~tIaad Btatutaa, Artiola i3880. . . .* tha above maatlonad oaaa rorirwa mad diaouaaaa ntlra hlatorJ o? tha aubjaot OS the powara and right8 OS tha ~onmiaaionara court8 to oreatr much Juatfoa praolaota, ohanga their boundar188, td. urd turthar holda tha oomdaaionua oourt ham the right and authority to dototim the popuktion a city preolaot without ralylng upon or taking into OOa8idar- ation laat praoadIog Irbdaral ceaaua. oi
~ondaalonora la requlrad by atat- UtO to lay o?? tha county ihto juatioa oourt praOiaCt8, learn than r0u.r nor morn than might In numbor and just am in the tE0 ooadaa~onara ~*a* or oommIsalonara praoinota, oogrt ham Power rr-deoldo thr boundarIa tram tlmo to tiaa am oonvaa- kor am7 dlotata. Tha oomalaaionara oourt hem diaorethmr;l In dat,ormIning whatdmr tha boundarlaa of an xlatin( PoWor alao meaning o? the tatuta, oonroalant pr*cinot +ithIa 1a not bound to aooept latrat oanaua raumratioa dOtOr- itillg whether a city withia snl JWOpOBOd praOinOt ha8 pOPU- TM. Jur. VOlUM 8,000 or aoro. 26, PadO 792. lation
221 Ibnorablo Tom 1. Colman, Jr,, Pa60 4
In aaoh poolnot OS aa or~anI%od aouaty, tho olao- tlon of a Juatloa of tha Paaoe (or two JuotIoaa In aaoh pra- ba a tty OS 8,000 or more inhabl- Inot In rhlah thorn y at bI-ennIal pario la ordaInad tba Coaatlta- tantr) tloa and atatuta a l bova rofurad to.
‘f& bollarm that the proriaIona the OonatItutlon boto tptotod ULd Art1018 IWTI, VOMOE’B Amotatad Civil Stat- atom, proo+Iding W&arm thrra a oity o? 8,000 inhabItant or mro In jaatlea praoinot Juatlora OS Paaoa aball tm mandatory and oamot a&me vAth your aonolualoa l~atrdn than0 provIalona ainatory only. Theraforo, you are that roapeot?olly dvi#ed that ir tb opinion thI8 Do~rtamnt baatad in A juatloo praolnot and ham a that wham a oitt population OS 8,000 lnhabIta.ata morn am ahorn laat preoeding Frdaral oonaua, ln the instant oaaa, la aanda- lt tory the oourlaaIonara aouct appoint another Jprtdoa OS tha Paaoa tar uoh praolaot, ualoaa tb, commlaaionara ahould daterdaa find 88 a aatter of toot that minor tlu Sirat day OS April, data am of whioh t br last Pedael Cenaua takan the population d the alty dooraaasd ham now Fopalat on OS &am than i lnhabltmta.
Truatlng tlm torogoIa6 fully anawora your inquiry, wo are
Toara vary truly A¶ToRxxr OmmL 03 TXAS AFPROVEDOCT 30, 1940
P!izu&un~
ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS