Case Information
*1 T( OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
!J AUSTIN GROVERSELLERS ATTORNEYOENER*L
Honorable Temple Shell
County Attorney Wiohita county
Wiohita Falls, 8exae
Dear Sir:
therein is, as r0ii0wa:
tatutsrr oi Texas the County Judga ortar in their .oo, nor 1eIw than prorule* ror the "Each district and orlminal dluttlct judge akll appoint an oliiclal court reporter who shall be a main officer an4 &all b0ia him 0rri06 auring or oourt the plaaauss of tho court. * * *" This etatute doen not authorize judgor to appoint r0r the aounty'ooPrt. reportere
91 i %norab'le Temple Shell, pa@ 2
Artlola 232% Vernon*o Annotated Civil Statutes, reads, as r0110w8: *TM of+fiofal shorthand roportsr ot each judicial district in this Stata and the orfioial shorthand rO- porter of any oounty oourt, elthor 01'111 or orlminal, in this State, where the oompenaatlon of au&~ reporter not Other- or auoh oounty oourt or judiolal district, wise provided by apaoial law, shall reoeiva a salary of not mom than two thousand seven hundred dollars ($8700.00) par annum, nor lass than tuo thousand rour hundred dol- lara ()2400.00) per anaum, l uoh salary to be fixed and datermIne& by tha diati5ot or oounty judge rqapeotively or thr oourt wherein auoh 8borthand reporter is employed, In addition to tha oonpanaatlon for tranooript faaa a8 provia8a ror by law. Sal& salary ahall ba paid monthly the commiaeionua Court or the county out or the Qaneral Fund. or the oounty, or the di@bretion or Uomml88lon- era court, out or the jury r-4 0r said oounty, upon tb goztgioate or tha Judge of auOh Distriot or County
The roregoing 8tatuto authorizer the County Jutl&e to fix the cciapanratlon a shorthand reporter or an;l oounty aourt ln the annunt authorlad arid statute whare the oompenaation of l uoh ahorthd reporter of owntf ooplrt la otherwise poildkd by 'Phi8 l tatuto &oar aa0 l ~p r o~aly l ntho rlae tha wmnty awoial Law. Judge to appoint an 0rri0i8l 8brtbnil fitr a oount~ 00mr*. tb, a08+ty da@ haa the impl%aa mthorlty It might bo aal& that appoint an ofilolal shorthand raportrr fbr a undat~ this statute oouaty oourt *I raid l tatuto 8uthoriaea t&a 0opntJ Judge to fix oomponaatlon oi ouoh an oSiiola& l horthatid reporter wharo the ~~a- panaation or auoh reporter is' not otharulao prorldrd l paoirl. 1~.
We do not believe osmty- jah¶$a has t&a irp~le& aathorltt onaar thl8 statute an ofiioid l hotihand seporter to r l for reasona h8ralnaftar stat*&. oounty
'drtlole 2321, Vdmon*a Annotated Cl011 pmrldaa: ’ I When either party a olrfl ‘oaao pending in the county or county ooq.* at law applies thereror, tha shall cLppofnt a l ompeteltt atemgrapbsr, it 0x18 be prose&, to report thr oral testimony given la take tha oath required auoh oaao. Suoh etenogfapher shall reporters, or orrioial ana shall reuiva aot iit0 dollamper 4ayr to be taxad and oollaoted as than *3 ‘\
+,: mnorabla Tamp18 6hel1, page 3
oosta. In such oassa the provisions or this title with respect to the preparation of the statement of facts, the time to be allowed thereror, and for the presentation to the oppoeite party, and tkm approv- Ing and riling the court, ahall apply to all statements of raota in civil oaaea tried In said courts, and all provisions of law governing statement oi raota and bills oi axoaptlon be filed in dietriot oourts ana tba use 0r same on appeal, shall apply to oivil ease4 tried in said Oourta.w
Article8 2327b and 2327b~1, Vernon*4 Annotated Civil oreate and eatabllah tha off lee of court reporter or in aountiaa aoming within the population braokat aounty courts msntloned said statutes. Wichita County has a population of 73,040 Inhabitants aooording the 1940 Federal Census. It ia apparent that the population of Wiohlta County la auoh that said oounty does not oome within the population braoket mentioned in Artiolea 2327b and 2327a-1; therefore, said statutes are not ap- plicable to Wiahlta County. It la to be understood that w4 es- press no opinion as to the aon.stItutionality of said Art10148 2327b and 2327a-1.
The passago of Artiolra 2327b snb 23274-1, by ths Legis- lature, lndioates that tha bgIalatura wa8 of tha opinion that a judge did not have the authority the oounty aourt unless authorleed by statute. foi‘
In the ease of Ragland 1. Cons, 118 S. W. (2d) 1098, th4 Court Civil Appeals oi Trxae Amarillo, among other things, had under oonsideration Artlole 2321. This was a ease appealed from tho Lubbock County Court and Judge Stokes, speaking for the Court in the above mentioned oa4e, said:
“The cake was triad oounty oourt and, under in that oourt Is provided with a ragular, our statutea, ottloial oourt reporter. Article 2327, B. C. S., 1923, makea proper provision for such an ottioial reporter, however, In any oivil oacm when applied for either proviasa that he shall b4 ap- party to the suit. It pointed and ahall*tfwWthe oath requira6 0r 0rrioIti oourt reporters.
;. ” Honorable Temple Lihell, page 4
W4 have mad4 a oarelul search of statutes and fail to find any statute authorizing the appointment of a reglar offiaial ror the oounty court of Wichita County. Several 0r court reporter the aots creating county courts at law (Art1014 1970-329) empower and authorize the judges of said oourte appoint otfloial ahort- The Thirty-sixth Legi alature , I920, hand reporters ror suoh courts. at its Third Called S08410n, areated a to be held in Wiuhita County, to be called thevGounty Court of Wiohita County at I~w.~ (Article 197O-15%Art1014 1970-166) Article 1970-166 authorized th4 judge of the County Court, Wiahita County, at Law to appoint Artiole 1970-ldda, c,n oriioial shorthand reporter for euoh oourt. , 1933, Sp4014J Laws, page 86, Chap- enaoted the 43rd Legislature tar 65, transferred tbs- jurisdiotion .oi the Wichita county. Court at Law to the Wiohita County Ssotlon 2 of this Aot provided Aot would have no fore4 and would not disturb the operation or the County court of Wichita County at Law until atter January 1, 1935. :f’
In anewer~ to your question, you are rsap44trullp a&via46 that it is the opinion of this dopartmant that ths County Judge OS Wichita County doer not have the 14gal authority to appoint a court ror the County Court or raid county.
Yours very truly ATTORNEY GENERAL OB TEXAS BY m@!L
Ardell Willlama A6ali4tant