Case Information

*1 OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS

AUSTIN

Dear Blr:

thoutm janftom, atom and nimllar Othar related in6 an opinion of this department upon our attention, ersin hae modred iona mbmlttedt

No. 0.2219, 4aeo the %herift have the right r 0~ aonrmi~i01~3r~* court Fe an4 to fire jail guarde an4 onnected with the operation of he gherffi or Co&esioner8' Oburt o dire&, in detail, the dutiee of ay patrol appointed un4sr the au- thority OS Axtlols 6699B, oS the Rerised Civil statute6 or 1928, as emen4e4?*

With refermoe to your Sir& question in our opln- ion No. O-2219 approved May 11, 1910, we wish to aflviee that this 4epartment did not pesa epaaLfioal.ly on the question of the right to hire end Sire oourthouss janitors, elevator operators and similar emplopeser

r

,Honorable John R. shook, Pa@ a

Artiale 3351, Rav3.554 Civil Statutes, provides that Ccxwalzuioners' Oouxttr ahall *psovi45 and kee in re- pair oourthcusee, jalle and all neoeeeary publio & ulldi~,s~" dwme 6072, riisvik154 omi sttdwbtt, pr0viatm shall have chargO ma oontrol of the oourt- that *htrifrit hmmx~ OP tholr reepeotlve counties, subjsot to euoh regu- latioae ae the Cemi.aaioners* Court my primarlbe.* 15avs it that these stotut55

It ;;iuat be e4zitt54 rather uncertain .snd var;us a5 to where net5 th5 5uthOrity to maploy janitora for the oourthbou5er Wa have roaohed the oxkclurioa, towsratr, that the authority te in the &~&a- rtonars* Court. On the whole, it Se-8 to uu thet;.tho main- tsaenas OS jenicor aorvlar is more in 11~5 with tM oharaoter or buelnese oxxlinarily &ven to the Ocxiadseion5rr~ 0’3urt rather than t3 the sh@fS. The latter 0rri05r is 1115iniy a conocrvator of thep#cs, and we balleve that Article 6872 wita i35wt large&y b0 21305 the sh5rifr in ohargo 0r the oourt?iouoe for the",+purgoee OS maintaining geaoe en4 a eoorum+ iYe hold thst‘thcl requlremOnt ror th& ‘&umiht~on5rst Court to*grovide an4 keep in repair a aourthoueg* mee~B a habitable oourthoume. For one to be habitable it muat moeive a oertaln amount or janitor uexvfoe. Duty to per- rorm the service oarrles~w%.th lt the tiplie& euthorlty to employ a janitor as a neoeaaary incident thenCei he Pl mea county 9, lzlals, Lob fs, B. (M!a)

801). County, 115 9. W. 4791 Commissionerr'

County v. Qtkllaco, 15 8. BY, (241 S& we beLleve that the ruaat;lon OS egplo ng janitors t3slmF esion5rr'

and like eqloyees has been ars our opknion Pa Courte most generally ovbr the in acoord with rulini:ta of prior a Or this athA depsrrt:%ont, viz+ Honorable See 8. ALfwp,~.~ssistant, to Charltss ,T. Leelle, Jr,, Octunty Auditor, IEdinburgh, Texee, Pebrunry 12, 19335; 9oaorabks 8, E. Gray, Assistant, to Mr. Burl Brlttain, County Au&ftor, Sen Patrfoio County, Au&ust 12, 193s. your rirst Guceetlon, thurefere, Pt 1s Anewsrf~

the oginfon or this ~crpartmmt that the bmaiasloner6t Court he& the authority to employ and diaohaxge aourthouae janitors, eLevator operators aa sislilar 5q3lopsrr~

Axtfcle 61371, Vexmnte Rev2sad Civil Etntutorr, pro- vises 88 ro11ows:

Whenever In any the

t0 -PLOY ~148 an4 the aeouxity of approvnl aE the i ornnimtici~artt Court, OS in

Xunomble John R. Eihook, Fete 3

a8see of emergemy, with the approval of the County J&&e, employ cuoh number of gufirdrds as my be b4aeoeary~ and.&3 acaount therefor, duly iteziired and sworn W, shall bo allowed by raid Court, and paid out of the County Treeeury. fiovided further, that in all oountise in this ;Jtate, hrnvfne a imp- ulatfou of Lore thea one hundrbd ma tortyi:,thou- send (140,CCO) ishabitants end lees than two hundred and nindty th:.usand (~QC,~oOj inhtsbitatxba, aQ- t;, the b28t COrdin;= &J&W,e8in,~ ~‘ede~8,. cblt6\11, no gwa, metron iaoro than a&$& hours in oaia day,

oountlas oolstnc; undsr the provisions or this Aot, at lenaat one mea shall be on guard an eaoh floor of said jail where male primnere are kagt, ail at least on4 lsatron oball be on guerd on eaoh floor uhers f~ezale riemers fsre k4pt end that not lea8 then two P 2) enqloyeoa shal i be on sun: d in the laaia oPfia4 of mid jail at one the. In case of emer~enay, those aodag under the provPsfone of t&4 Aot shell be eubjeat to the oall of the= Bheriff.”

Articla $116, Vernon*8 Revised Lltatutes, provider: ia ka5pr of the jail of *Eaah sheriff us eourIt7, Be shit11 safely keep theeroiq all prtronert3 oowdttsd these%4 by lawful authority, aubjaet to tir ordsr of the proper oourt, and Bball be xeepoad.bZe the care keeping of such prieeners. The sheriff eiay eppolat a jailer to barks charge of ths jail, a&d supply the wanta of those therein eonfined~ but in all oas44 the eherift rhall 4xwoiee a ruperviaion and control ,over the Jail..”

Artiole Bll5, Veraon*e Bevteed Glvil. StWutes, pro- vides in part as fallowsr

Mm them is 110 jell. in the aountp, the eii&ifi aray rent a euiliebL6 house a&d em$loy the or,pense to be pair2 by the proper county,* guards, The lanipq5 or tZls above Article ELWl, *upre& eu- thoriaee tire eheriff %&Vi %lus approval of ~th4 ‘k&R?&arEiazl4r4~ Court k, employ guard0 necessary for the aaf4kko4ping of th4 prisomra and Cha cacurfty of jafle.

Se think the language OS? thie etotuto ie olear on the queiltion that suoh ri;;ht of au%ht.rity to SnrplOy~ j@il ~ruards, mctrone, jailers end other authoris& #qlegee~s neaaeaerp to thsr aafetoeplnj~ of prisoners and l (Mwlty of the Jail, ia vested in the sheriii. The only authority With rc ferenco to t&eir eziqloyrusat gLaaed by etatute ix,-%34 007a- *4 Konorablo John R. Shook, Page 4

m.lselonerel Court is that suoh oourt, holding the purse strings of the county and oharged with looking after its financial affairs, la to approve euoh employibant. The sheriff, being oharged with the duty of ererolsing supervision and control over the Jail, being keeper of the jail. and the prisoners oonfined therein with his offioial bond covering the faithful performance of suoh duties required of him by law, is prl- madly the person to determine the qualifications or those whom he desirer to plaoe in suoh positions or employment. The eherifr 16 doubtless in a better position then the Oom- missioners* Oourt to detarmlne such question. The authority to employ gener6lly oarrfee with it the right to discharge.

It will be noted that oompensation allowed by statute aor servloes of guarda and matrons, prior to the enaotaent 0r the salary law, were allowed to the aooount 0r the sharlfr from whom these persons reoeive their pay. The enaotment of the salary law would not In any wlae have the effeot of ehe.&ng the status of their employment as to the employing and disoharging of such person8.

Although Artlole 3902, Vernoh* s Olrll Statutes, is not applloable to the employees named herein,, we quote from the case of Neeper v. Stewart, 6d 3. W. (Sdf @lZ?, writ re- fused, the language of whloh is applioab2e, wherein the court, oonetruing Artlole 3908, said1

“A public polioy is thereby manifested in the ease of aounty and preoinot officers generally to empower suoh offioers to seleot their deputies or assistants and to forbid the CoWasloners* Court, or any member thereof, from attempting to inrluenoe euoh officers in their seleotlon of assistants. The reason for thle polfoy is obvious. Officers sleeted to discharge pubZio trusts, and upon whom the rasponslbllity for the proper dis- oharge thereof resta, should be free to seleot persons of their own eholce to assist them In its discharge."

In answer to your second queetlonk it in the opinion or this department that the shsrirr has the authority to em- ploy and disoharge jail guards and other employee6 neoeesary for the safekeeping of prisoners an% the eoourlty of the jall.8.

I

Honorable John R. Shook, Page 6

We will now 4ibouae your third question, relating to the oounty traffic offloera or Bexar County, In thie oonneo- tion, we aaknowledge receipt of your letter of June lOth, aoooi!;panfad by a copy of 8. 8. 278 Aota 1929, 4lst Leg., Chap. 150, providing for the ornation of a oounty polio(, foroe in ell.oountles having a population of 210,000 or more iuhabl- tnnts. ThUee particular ol"floera and their duties RN speoial patrolmen for patroling the aounty highway 4utalc;e the aor- porate li?nita of the oounty aeat of euoh oountlea, can hard- ly be OonsiUer4d a separate class distinguishable from those mentioned ln Article MQQb'. It being provided In this lat- ter etatute, vizr "The rovieloge of this Aot shall apply to all 44untiee fn t,42s i tate hav%ng a population of more than one hundred and;twenty-five thousand (125,000) ~ooord- ing to the preo4ding'Bederal C~D~U$,~ and being a latsr en- aotment, euoh would supereeds 8. B. 278, Aote 1929, blurt Legislature, an&~ consequently, be$ng no longer In effeot, this law applying to oounti46 of %10,0,. 6r mor4 inhabitante will not be eoneidered in conneation w’th your third quaatlon. r

Artlole BdQQb, Seotlone 1, 2 and 3, of Vernon'e Annotated Civil Statute@, provides:

*S4otion 1. The Connaissionere Cou~?t of eaoh county, mating in oonjunotion with the, sheriff, may employ not more than eight (8) regular depu- ties nor tire than four IS) adaittonal Urputlerr ror epeoiel emergenoy to aid said regular depu- tiee, to be known a0 Gounty Trmfrio Ofrioer* to enforoe the Highway Earrr of tale Stat4 regulating the us4 of the publlo Bighweye by motor and other vehiolee. Said aeputies ahall. be, whenever wo- tioable motor oyole ridrrs and ehall be assi&eQ to work under bireotion of the aherfff. They ehall give bond and take the oath of OffUs a8 other deputies* They my be dimuiswd from 4er- vice on request of the sherifr wheneve~r approved by the Oommisslonerrs Court, or by aald Court on’ its own inltlatlve whenever thalr servfoes are no longer needed or have not been mtiefaatorg.

The Commiasionere Court ahall fix their oompenea- tion prior td their sel.eotion, and may pruvlde at the expense of the county neoesaary equ%pxWIt for said offiaere. The pay of said deputies shall *6 HanarabLe Johu B, Shook, Page 6

not be Inoluded II-I the settlerneots of the sher- the fees or 0rri00. iff in a000unting s8i4 deputI%s shall 8t all times oooperate with th% Or O8Ojl Oity Or tOWIl within POliOO dOp8hLWlt Oounty in the enroro%m%nt 0r TmrrI0 Laws therein 8nd in all other parts or the aounty, The said deputlee rh.811 h8ve mm% right and duty to arrest violators of ths law a8 other p%aa% oiYioer8 have,

“Sea. 2. The 88larlefI of euoh d%putl%r ah811 be the ssnm ^[86] that rixed by t&e Oeneral im in Article 9908 or the 19SS Wevie& Uivil Sta? tutes or Texas, as hsretofore %nd hereiriartsr~ 8aended, for other tl%pUty sh%rIrfs, ~Suoh mlarf%s shall be paid monthly by the aounty out of th% Road and Bridge Pund.

“800. 3. TOI’ the puTpOs%IiOf this A%t, thb Commissionara Oourtr m8y s%t,asld%, ankuss net (iat per oent 0r the motor vohi- to Ox000d riftdon 01% registrsltion f%%s apportioned co their ree- peotlve counties. In the svent tunds in= motor ~OhiOie rsgiatrati0n reO0 43x-0 inOuiri0hnt or not avalluble, then the CmmaIseioners Sourt may um other Road 8mI Brblge Funds&~ We 0811 your attention to the following 18nguage in the foregoinS statute wh&eh states that suah oouhty tr8ftIc officers *shall be assigned to wdrk under the dlreo- tion 0r the sherIft.=

The above etntute cauthorixee not more than eight regular dsputie8 nor more thq four addltlonal Qeputlee for speaial smergenaies, to 8I.b said regular deputies not exoeeding sight In number, to be knorrn %s county trarfio orrioera ‘to enforoe the highway laws or this State regulat- ing the use or the public highways by motor and other vehi- cles.” Whetav%r be *the special %aerg%noy* or sItu8tIons in counties intended to be t%ken oere or by the provIsIons or this aot, It is apparent the ~&Islatur% had two things In mind; that or enforoeaent or the traffic laws and the par- tioular duty to see that motor v%hIcl%s tr8veling 08x%, were not being operated witlrout proper lIcense6. There is no speoiflo statutory limit as to the tIms of service oi these deputies. It Is in the discretion or the Conads- *7 Honorable John R. Rhook, Pago 7

sioners' Court to declare whether said Qmergenoy" ha8 ceased end the Court on Its own Initietlve, may dismiss any or all or said deputies rroxn service when their ser- vioes are unsatisfactory. So long es they are not dis- missed 8s provided by statute, the Conmissloners~ Court has no 8uthOrity or right to regulate or~direot their dutioe whioh are to be perroraed solely under the direotion or the eherifr. Suoh duties directly relate to the law en- foroement ohargs of the sheriff's offlo%.

In answer to your third question, thbreforo, you that it is the o inion Of this'dspartaent that 8r6 advised the sheriff and not the C olwal ssioners' Gourt has the right to dfreot, in detail, the duties of the county tr8ffIe patrol appointed under the authority of Artiol% .6699b, ~%IlXUl'S Annotated civil St%tUtIWl 0r Texm.

Yours very truly ATTORWE!C OlWERlu, OF TIEUS BY

t APPBOVEDJUN 29, 1940:

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