to an extra ree in this kind the oorreot prooedure, and doe8 rney have the right to ordar an 0, Yernoa*a Annotated Code of Criminal “Upon an inquest held to asorrtain the oawe of death the juatios ahall, if he ,deens it neoeb- carp, oall in the oounty health orioer, or, if there be none, or it it be lnpraotioable to 860~1~ him oerv$oes, j&ysioian, to make then soma regular

oa autoopoy in omlrr to drtemlm whothor tho death wao oooaoloae6 by doloaoo~ and if 10, its aaturo The oounty la *ioh siloh laqmot on6 l hamotorr autopsy is hold ohall pay to tho phyoioiah nmk- ,moh autopsy a See o? not less than ten aoc ing aore than fifty dollars, the xoeoe mar ten dol- lan to be dotsoaiaod by oommioaionero oourt attsr aoorrtoloing the amount Md noture oi the work p~rfonmd :a lnaking ouoh autopry.”

It will bo noted the abon quoted otatoto au- thorizer ow tho Justieo ob the POaOo upoa iaquoot hold to aooortaia the oauoo of death, to oall in the eouaty health orrioor, of, ii, thoro bo aoao, or if it bo irmpraotioablo to oeouro hlo 00r~iOO0, then oomo rOgul%r phyOiOi0!h, to mak0 aa autopsy in order .to detennino whather the death was oooaoionod by violonooj and i+ 80, lto nature and oharaotor. This otat- uto doom not authorixo the Diotriot Attomty to oall in the oouaty health ontloer or mm8 reeular phyoioiaa msLe an au- tOROY. Wo have booa unable to find any otatuto authorizing the Dlotriot Attornoy to have the eouaty health orrlaor or OOPY other phyoioiah to make en autopsy. Theroforo, it ia our opinion that tho Diotriot Attornoy. does not havo tho lo&al authority or pow6x to ordor an autopsy hold. Ultbor faoto in your lnqqiry it is our fuzth8r opinion, tha that oounty health of-floor 11 not ontitled to any rxtn oompenoa- tit% for tho oor~Iooo porformod.

Art1010 4423, Vomoa@o Aauotatod Civil Statutoo reads a< rollarr

Vho oomaioolonoro oourt by a majority voto in oaah oqaniood oouaty shall bionaially appoint a proper perom for the offioa of oamty health orrloor for his oounty,, who @ml1 hold off100 for two years* Said oounty health orfloor shall toko oath, aad shall aad oubooribo to tho oitloial iilo a OORY of ouoh oath and a OORf or hio appointment with the Toxao Stat0 Board of Eoalthfi and, until ou0h OOpiOo are 00 riled said orfloor ohall not bo deunod legally quallflod. Compoaoation of said ohall bo iixod by thr oawnibr oounty health ofiiorr oionero mat) protidotl, no ooaponoatioa or that salary ohall bo allond xoopt for oor~loso aOblllll- ly rendorod.a

414 ,

Honorable Z. Yr Curminehaq Pago 3

Nhother or not a eouaty health otiioor la entitled to extra oompnsatlon~ for an autopsy road0 by him upon roqtroot oi thr fwtiom or tho Pea00 uwlrr Artlolo 970, oupra, lo not bororr UI and wo x~ooo no O&biOnS with reformno@ to tho *Sm.*

This opinion nh@rrlr holds that tho Motriot AttO- my door not havo any legal authority or porror to odor an Mtop@y hold that undor faoto in your lrttor tho eoanty health oiiloor Io.:not entiflrd to any oompanoation hl8 althou& ordorod or reqU88t- iOr 8on1008 ptimod b d prfona ouoh ,oonIooo 1; y the Diotriot Attoraq. Tnaotiq tie anmom your la- izmiqblng ray w-r, we ore

Yours vow truly ATTORIIEY MN.ERAL OF TEXAS (@wcmd.k Blr Ardolf:~willlamo Assistant APPROVECAUG 4, 1942