Case Information
*1 95 OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
Eonorablo Luther C. Johnrton
Qountr Attorney
AlaorBoa county
Falortlnr, Taar
Dear Sir+‘--
iroionerr* oon~uao- lo, l p- ii0 0rti00f.
e5gloy a ngular file oiricer State regrlsting or vahlolir ~LdSbldlOlt a54 Artlol*l~ '8 Annotated Civil Statutrcl, sr8 Court o? uah oountf, ction with @,rriif, aa than two (8) regular depot 88, i vto (8) rbditional drputlrm ror r to db balb regular deputies, ounty trarrio ofiioerr to on- y(;larn thl8 State rogulet- 80 or tht rub% bijPlrrafr br notor rehiol88. Sal& dsputier rhall br, ‘MWiOr@t
pnotloablo, aotorogole rfdsrr, 8ml 8hrll b8
Th6y 8hal1 give bon6 rab t&k. Oath as Other deputier, ThaY SW be of oiflb eoa arrvlor on rrgucrrt or th@ Shor- dismirmd 1st wjenrvrr approved thm C~Bdon~rg
i
Iionorablb Luther C. John&on, pag8 L
OOott, Of by said Court On it8 OUQ ititibtit8, rhumver their l enlorr am no longor wodod or ha+8 not br8a ratlrfaotory. The oomnl88lon- US hUTt rhall tix t:;8ir OOEip8liMtiOZi prior at th8 l Xp8n8, their 8.bOtiOn, and Say prorid. . Th@ WY Of Sbid dO~Uth8 8hdll irot 1nOludOd in the 8cttlOment8 0t the Sharltt
In l o o ountl4 the ferr or offlae. For the PurQW5C, of law, the Con5i8rloner8 Court8 thf8 oi oouotier whole iWId8 from the rotor reglotra- tion tear provided heroin aumaunt to Thl,rtf
Thou8and Dollara (#SC 000) or ov8r, MI ~88 Riot l ~oeOdi4 fiV0 (6f POT OWtt Of raid fWid8t Utd IlOt t0 0X080& 8OV8a one-half (9&) per fund8 in OOUBtiO8 rocrlrlng a obnt Ot aoh
h88rr amoMt from ruoh rrgiatratlon. Said 8hall at au time8 OTat8 with dOpUtir8 olioe drpartmnt oi @aoh o ty or town P
tit J a th* eountr, in the enioroonmnt of raid tTJfi0 therain &rid in all Oth@r part8 law8 and 8ha11 have thr 8am right County, of an& duty to arrmt violator8 of all law8 a8 other Deputy Sh@rlff@ hf~ve.~ (Underroorlng.
Ow8) a8 ronon:
Artlola 6699a read8 "Deputler 8hall bo peld a 8tiarr out of thr %*BOTd 8ouaty fund not to l xo~od oa* hua- dlW6 l Bd tittt (t.lf#) dollar8 POT BiOBth, the raluy to ba fixsd br the 000PLi88iOnOr8’ oourt, u14 in l ddltlon theroto oommirrionerr’
oourt ia herobf uthorlaod to,Tgrorldr at xQoa80 thr oounty 8uoh nOO888Ur \111iiO&?Ii8, eap8 and badgrr, 8uOh badgO t0 be Dot 1088 than two inoh. thro. inoh. in d%iWWion8, and other neorrrar~ qulpniont, to iBOlude a notor- it8 msint~abnor, a8 i8 arOMMW eyole iOr thm birohmgo their dutle8, ThO 8tiRrl.8 paid said doputler aotlng as 8uoh bl@W offioer rhall be pal6 d~irsot raid d*pUth8 br tha oonml~elonorm’ oourt, and 8uoh mlarie8 8htil independent any ralarr or ior paid *3 I:
. 9 ;-
Eonor6blm Luther C. Johnrtoa, pago 5
to the rhrrlf? and all O? hl8 dOpUtl@8 not 80 otlng a8 highwar orrloerr, and rherlir not be required to aooouat ior the ral-
rhall ui@S provldcd iOr herrin aa ?0@8 or of oitloo a8 SalarY to thr 8hOTii? of hi8 other demtlar. UI wovldrd &oh 46titier for herelne8haU 'be appointad by oommlrelonmrr~~oourt md 6s dovutlrrd oithu the rhari?? or any oonstabla tha oounty in whloh thou are appointrdi and no other ofriaers ohall make arrelts ln thlr bate for vlolatioa of law8 rvlatlns to high- way8 now in rffeot in thlr State. Such doputlrs a8 ~rovldrd ? h i fill t all tlma when in tho prr?o~fIatitr~?at~eIfr wear e ?ull dttlcr osp rnd badge, the bsd@ to bb unlioriwlth on the outride OS the uniiorm in a di8Fhpd Such O??lcerr 8kiall r6.zaln OOnlpiOUOU8 QhCO. th6 highrar, 6ad 6t 6l.l t&l68 pa- in Md UpoIl
I trol the 8am while in the per?onriimor of their dutlO8, oaly 1~6~1~ the hl@mmy tc) purru6 64 otisndrr who& ruch orrloer8 were unable to ap- upon prehend the highwar ltwl?. Fo arrest by any muoh oftloer rhall be binding or valid up on porron apprehended it o??loar mkiag suoh arrest waa la hiding or it h6 ret a trap to apprrhsad pU8OIi8 traveling upon thr hfkh-
100 ?eO8 OF OhU(r88 WhqteVU shell b8 ror the sorvloa 0r ruoh O??iO6r8 Frovidsd for huola, nor Mmll my ime for arrobts madr by ruoh ohrged and taxed a8 OrriO4r8 008tr or pal4 8wh 0rfi00m in any oaao in rhall nnlcr en arrort. Suoh whioh ruoh otiiorrr oftioerr Sh!bll per?om 611 their dutl.8 and make arrest8 for vlolrtloa of MI law o? thir State appertaining the ooatrol and re8ule tloa o? vrhlole8 in and up~n~~~~~l~!h- operating 6116y Of this way, rtrret, Stat.. trlot ngla6tr in wl:osO dlrtrlot the oountJ in which 8uoh offioero operats shdll advi80 with to the l a?OrO~~Bt Of the VaT- 8ueh offlour a8 state ~utalalag oontrol regu four law8 or tratflo lrtlon upon thr hl6haa~8 in 0666 8uoh OfiiOU8 rhall aot pertona thrjr but108 e&orolng muoh laW8, th@ di8tTiot eadka8* ml f F i
Aonorablr Luther C. Johnrtoa, peg4 4
ooaplaln to thr oommleeionere~ oourt, and upon the fIl%ng of euoh oomvlalnt writing duly elgned by l nglneer, the oommIee;onere’ oourt the dietrlot @hall l ummone before them for a hearing officer
or to oomplaIned of, e.na If euoh hearing derelope that euoh officer or offioere not per- forming their at required of them, then dutiee l uoh offlosr or offiorre the11 lmnodlately be dle- oharged from all of th4Ir dutlee and powrre et
heroin provided for, end other offloere l hall
forthwlth l ppolntad. Should any portion or
trotion of thle art1014 be held Invclld or unoon- etltutional, euoh holding ehall not aff4ot the
velldity or oonetItutIonellty of any other por-
tion thle ertlole, and 8.11 other portlone not held invalid unoonetltutlonal ehall remain
full foror effeot.’ (Undereoorlng ours)
drtlolee 6699 and 6699a (Aote 1925, p. 2021 Vernon’e Annotated Olvll Strtutee, oonetrued together teem to Indloate oommlttlOn@rt' oourt may act in OonJunotlon with either eherlff of the county or P oonetable in appolntlng trafflo oounty offIorre. Let us exaslnr thr 1eglelatIve hletorp of thee8 artlolee and aetermlne vhbther or not thla It a proper oonetruotlon be given them. of the Revised Civil Btatuteb of Texae,
ArtIole flret beoame the law In thle Stat0 la 1919 by an l ot of 56th LegIelatur4 (Aott 1919, oh; X2?, p. 228). Thle rot oon- ferrrd on the oommleeIoner~’ court the right ‘to employ one or more SpeoIal Deputy SherIfle* to be eateIgned work under the dIreotIon of the herlff of the County.’ Thhr purpoee vat Ineure the adequate rnforoement of the Srafflo Law8 of thle Stat., end rep4oIell~ lare re latlng the uee of motor ve- hlolee and motoroyolee on the pub lo hlghwaje, Y . . . and alto Act8 regulating uee of the publio hlghwaye br motor vrhlolee. .’ Sea. 1, Ch. 127, Aote 1919.
Srotlon 3 of the Aot provided that,
*The number of tald offIoere and the length of their enIoe ehall determined by the CommleeIonere~ Court, rotlng In OonJunotlon rlth the Bherlff of the County, ml ther ehall be required give bond and take osth offioe at other Deputlee. They may be dIemIeeed from l er rloe on requeet of the Sheriff, whensver ap-
. - Honorable Luther C. Johnston, page 6
proved by the CoewIe~lonere~ Court, or by the Com- mIeeIoneret Court upon their own lnltlatlve, when- their etrvIoce no longer net&e&, or hpve ever not been ertiefactory. . . .’ in lte entirety dealt with decrutr the act Rote end dose not mention oonetsblee or deputy oonetablee.
ehcrlff~ Sea. 4 of the Aot (and thle 3s Inportent) provided on17 for the mneetiog gaulnmr& of euoh deputq sheriffs In the following language!
‘Tht ooopeneetlon of e&Id deputlee shell be
flxtd by the CommIeeIonere~ Court prior to their
eeleotIon, nnd In edElt!on thereto raid Commleeion- ce~ Court shall authoriced to provide, et the expense c? the County, necereer~ equipment for tale enable them to dleoherge their dutIee. The per of mid deputies ehfill not be lnoludea the eettlemsnte of the Sheriff in eocountlng
the ices of offloe, but shell be Independent thereof.a
In 1925 the L+glelature oodlfIed Chapter 127 In its en- tirety at Artlole 6699. Thle ertlole ee et the time of oodlfloa- trotp tlnn eppearr on pegs8 1 ma 2 of thle oplnlon, with tlon of the portion undtreoortd, whloh u&e provided bv an anend- mtnt oi’ 1947.
Then eeet eceelon of the Le .lele.ture that codlfled Chep- Artlole ter 127 of tht Aote of 1919 ea Artlo e:~6699,-enaoted I 6699a. Thle Aot wee ohrpter 52, p. 202, of the hots cf 1925. It beoatee effeotlve days after adJourmenb (Yeroh 19, 1925) or June 16th. Until dete Chapttr 127 elone vet law. From th*t that hate untll Beptenbw let, 1925, the effeotlve date of Retlead Clrjl Btstutee, Chspter 127 and Chapter 56 (Art. 6599s) were both l&w l xoept insofar It letter reoeeled the for- thr mer. eu~ervieor
Under Chanter 104 tht Aote of 1925, the oodIfloe.tIon”wee req,uIred lneert therein note of the SQth Ltglelature (1986) whioh modlfitd my artlole, ohapttr or title of the oode, but which were not express or re- amendn4nte nnotmente thereof. Consequently, Artlole 66991 rat atrely In- after Art. 6699, lthough serted the oodlfIoatIon Act purports emend Chsnter 127 Aote of the 36th Ltglelature, J
Honorable Luther C. Johnston, oege 6 broom8
vhloh Artlole 5699.
According to lte o&ptIon hrtlclt 659Qa (Ch. 58, Act@, 1925) vat *An eot amcndlng Ch. 127 of 9entral Lava of the Regular BeeeIon of the Thirty-sixth Legleleture, r’olatlng blahvaz pff IctrQ. ’ (Smpbosle eddta) It will be remembered that the only hlgbvay offloere ret forth In Ch. 127, however, were eoeolrl d~e3uty sherlffe oppolnted by the ooomIeeIonere~ court in oonjunotlnn with herlff.
The oaptlon oeolfied the purposes of the amendment et the veering of unlforeke and
to at to require ktdiei; and req?lIrlng euoh offIoere patrol the publio highways in the performanoe of their dutlee; flxlng and providing the payment of alarlee of euoh offloors, . . .’ oaptlon of this enactment
In other words, (I%. 58, Aote 1925) gave notice simply that the purpose of the aot was to provide unlforme, preecrlbe duties end flx oompeneatlon of the deelgnated In the act amended, Ch. 127, Aote 1919. The body of the aot, bowever,, amended not Chepttr 127 in lte entirety but only eeotlon 4 thereof (vhloh we recall related Q& to oom- peneatlon of epeolol deputy eherlffe.) eddition providing for uniforms, duties oom- body of the sot added the following matter,
penration, no men- tion of ‘vtrloh It wade In the onptlon;
#Suoh deputlee at are provided for herein shall ~epppaIntea tht ooaaleeIonere’ oourt end dep- utized by either l berlff
oount In vhiob they are app
t.da4a
ft it our opinion this prrtloular prorIeIon prorid- of deputy oonetcblee at well aa deputy Ing for the eppolntment sheriffs It foreign to Chapter 127 of the rote of 1919 and notloe of this new eubJeot not having been given or expreeeed in oaptlon of Chanter 58 of the rote 1925, tht tame 13 void of no foroe and effeot under Seotlon 35 of Artlole
Constitution Texee, ororldlng In part:
IO: Honoreblo Luther C. Johnston, pago 7 . shell contain more then one ‘No bill, . . be l xp reeeed In Its title.
eubJ4ot vhioh shell shell be l mbrroetl In an aot, But if an7 eubJeot vhloh shall not be exprtet4d In the title, euoh l 4t shell void on17 et to to eiuoh thereof, at shall not be to expreeeed.D
Under this etotlon of our Constitution It her born held the oeptlon mutt give notloe of the nature of amendment (Katz 1. State, 122 Cr. R. 231, 54 8. W. (2d) lSO), In Re: Amerloen Rio Orande Land & Irrigation Co., D. C., 21 F. Sup?. 492, nodlf led, C.C.A., F, t&l 1 509, oer. den. 60 6. Ct. 88, SO8 U.S. 5731, r.nd where the oeption of en a- act l peolfIee a partloular
mendetorl field of the amendment end states that~tht sot la to make oerteln ohengee In a prior etrtute, the amendment It llmlted to the making of the epeol- and @ny l ddltlonal, flo ohenge deelgnatcd oontrar? or dlfftr- ent emendment it pr4oludea. Lendrum v. Centennlrrl Rural glgh Sohool Dletrlot #2, X54 8.Y. (2d) 55% (C.C.A.)
This oonetruotlon la In accord&no@ with previous opInIone of this department. opinion lo. O-2444 we held that et to oounty tref-
flo offIorre appointed under Artlole 6699b, Vernon’s Annotated Civil the Eherlff end not the CommIeelonere~ Court Statutes, hat the right dlreot, in drtall, their duties.
In opinion No. O-1282 we held that euoh offloere are In feot drputy herIffe, e~lng~ Wuoh offloere are In faot deputIee, working Hoverer’, uoh
under the dlreotlon eherIff. offIo4re ere a roeolel oleee of deputies, knovn at , end prior oounty trefflo to the amendment Art. 6699 by the 45th Legleleture their dutler were oonflned eolel~ enforoensnt of the highwar lava of thle state end to this field their authority Slnoe amendment by the 45th Legle- vat mm4a. CL. lature, 6699, eupra, the Legleleture hat been Art. ‘-- i fit broaden their field operation glrlng raid deputlee oounty traffic officers the right duty to errset vlolatore of 411 leve.* *8 Ronorablr Luther C. Johnrton, pags 8
Conrcqurntly, it 18 the opinion OS thla department you adrirrd that the county trlilio offioor8 provided L 6699 and 66QQa of Vornon'8 Annotated Civil tiolr 8hOUld aPpOht8d by the OOUd88iOlWr8 8t8tUt88, OOUrt of a oounty, acting in oonjunotion with the rh8rlff of and not noting In OonJunetion vith 8 oonrtable. oounty, D SAN 30, 1941 Very truly XOUCI,
FIRST
ATTORNEY GEXERAL
JDSIJS
i ;