You have requested our cpinion comcerhihg the liability of a sheriff and his bonding curpany for shortages of fines and cash bonds paid to jailemwxking underthe sheriff's supervision. Youalso ask whetherthe answertoyourfirstquesti~~d~~fferentiftbe prisoner was arrested by aroma agency other than the sheriff's office.

Article 6870, V.T.C.S., provides:

Sheriffs shall be responsible for the official acts of their deputies, and they shall have ~rtore&refrantheirdeputiesbohdand security; and they shall have the sama rsmdies against their deputies and sureties as any person canhave against a sheriff andhis sureties.

See also V.T.C.S. art. 5116. under these statutes a sheriff andhis -- suretyhaveheenheld liable forthemalfeasameof deputies perfomu.ug official acts. Bracken v. Cato, 54 F.2d 457 (5th Cir. 1931); Rxh v. -- Graybar Electxic~4%~ 708 (T=x. Sup. 1935); see also Aetna --- Casualty h Surety Co. v. Clark, 150 S.W.Zd 78 U'ex. Sup. 1941).

The collection of bail bonds and fines is clearly an official act. Code Crim. Proc. arts. 17.20, 17.21; Attorney General Cpinions U-183 (1973), WX-1326 (1962), V-1548 (1952). Accordingly, in our opinion the sheriff would be liable under article 6870 for the misappropriation of these funds by his deputies. See Attorney General Opinion H-360 (1974). -

The Rnncrable Oscar 8. &X.nnis - page 2 (H-751)

Article 6866, V.T.C.S., prwides: Rvezy person elected to the office of sheriff shall, baforeenterbqqxm the duties of hisoffice, give abond. ..amditicmedthathewillaaxnmtforand paymertc thepexscms authorizedbylawto receive the same, all fines, forfeitures and penalties that he my collect for the use of the State or any county, . * . al-d thathewill faithmlyp?rfoIm allsuchdutiesasmybereguiredofh3mby law. . . .

Ccncerning the liability of thsbrding canpany, thegeneralrule 1s that"[ilnordertoholdsuchasurety,there~tbeaviolationofthe amditicnof thebnd." Aetna Casuai f ,ty & SuretyCo. v._Clark, =a.&, 80. Sincetheatxcun~~~isanexpre~~~l~n~f and since the acccunting-for bail bands is a-duty required of sheriffs bylawandthusalsoa wrditionof thebnd, inouropinion the surety wmldbs liable for the failureof the sherifftcacanmtforthese fundswhetherornotthe failure tm aconmtisduetoade@y.

Yoursecazdquesti~iswhether~~wouldreachthesameresultas toba.ilkondsi.ftheprisone.r~arrestedbyanagencyotherthanthe sheriff's office. Since thenatureof t3eccllectionofbailbnds as au official duty of t&e sheriff is not dqeudent upm.his havixg arrested the primmer, in our opinion the result ramins the s&e where ix has not.

SUMMARY w;thnrt regsrd to the psrson arfesting the prismer,asheriff andhis surety are iiable for themisappropriationof fines andbaiibcuds collected by a deputy sheriff.

'IYe Honorable Oscar B. llcInnis - page 3 (H-7511

APPIOED:

Opinion CannitGe

j*