Case Information

*1 OFFICE OF THE A’lTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN

Hon. h. J. Bryan, Jr.

Dlrtriat Attorney

Eflllsboro, Texas

Attention: Kr. iYilliam 8. Eartin

War sirr

tha 66th &~dlolel l low #!TOO provided lala 3937aT question baa been

oller'a Of'tioe and OS thir Stata ooll- birtrlot J, aaa in whioh oouaty there ooiwt, and alao in saoh Ju41- sa of two (8) or more oouatl88, iaial Distriot aompos8d of one oountf ofnqor44 ala0 ~a portion al Dlatriot, the salary af the offi-

cial aourt Peportor be ~4llty-68V4ll X~1i6Eod Ihall Dollars ($e,irOO.OO) par aaaum, tn addition to thr oomponsation for tramaorlpt ?44r *a8 allawanaes for oxpenaea mw providrd by law; raid salary to be jM.4 aontbly by th4 oomfii68imera owrt of idho county or wuntlo#, out of the Oeasml Fund of th4 aounty or oouatt40, upon the wrtlt~oMm M Matriot iW&get *2 lt

Hon. A. J. Bryan, Jr., Fag4 2

provldod that In any Judlolel Dlatrlot oomposed of two (2) or mor4 countlea said salary shall be .mid by suoh counties of ths district In proportion to the nuimber of we4ks provid4d by law for holding oourt In the rssp4otlvs oountlea of the dlstriot; and provided that in a dintriot wh4roln in any oounty th4 tom ray contlnuo until the budn4SS Ia disposed of, each oountr e&ill pay In proportion to the time oourt Is actually h4ld In 6uch aounty; however, that in Ebys County, TOXIN!, th4 provldod, oourt r4porter shall bo paid out of the Jury Fund of saba oounty upon the oertIfIoat4 OS the judge ot the district oourt of maid aonnty.

Vrovldsd further that notblm ‘in thlr Aat shall b4 oonstrued as In any way rapeallng Artiole -2S of the RevIeod CIvfl Statuttts oi 1925, nor Chapter 56 of the Osnoral Lawa of the Regular Soa- slon of the 4lst L4&slaturo, 1929, nor &all this Aat In any repeal or amentl any loual or apeala lawn pased at thk Regular oxYZ3zat~and Second Callsd 54~SiOIZS OS th4 4lSt LegiS@turO Of 192&*,

Artlole 2323 db the R4vImd Civil Statutes OS 1025. to 1x1 Art1014 2327a, onpra, rsadr as folloms: refened

*In casti of~lllnoas, pr4as of offIola1 work, or unavoidable disability of the olYIoIa1 short- hand reportor to perform hla duties in rep0rtlng in oourt, the Judg4.of the oourt may, pr404edl~4 In hi8 discrmtion, authorize a’.deputy f&orthand reporter to aot during the ahsenae of clald OWl4lal shorthand mportor, and said doputrr shorthand ro- portsr Shall r4e4lve, durlag the tlas ho clot.8 for said offloIs shorthand ropost4r, the same ~ilary:and f44s am the offlolal shwthand rspo+s of asid aourt, to bs In the zmnner provldsd for tbo orrialal shorthand roportar; bat th4 said oKlola shorthand reporter shall ali10 reoelve hia salary In rull during the temporary disability to eat. Thq neasssity for a deputy offlola 4horthand re+Porter shall be left entirely wIthIn the disoretfon of ths judge of ths eo*t."

Chapter 956 of the Osneral Laws or the Regular BossiOn of 4lst Leglslatur4, 1929, Is Artfols 2%26a, Bernon*#~ Olril Statutea, and provides~ror eXpen,eea 4f all criftclal shorthand *3 Hon. A. a. Dryan, Page 2

reportsrs and deputy o2flclal shorthand raporters of the oourts or this E&ate and presoriboa the man.nor dletrlot payrment.

Attic10 6624, Vernon's Civil Statutsa, roads as r0iiow8:

eThe 6alarlea of offiCera shall not be ln- oroaaed nor dlmlnishod durlxq the term of oifloe of the otflcera sntltlsd thersto, provided, how- the 6mmbera or the Leglalaturo, by a ov6r, that Bajorlty vote, may at any tin4 set their 6alarles at any amount wlthln the oonstltutlonal 1lmit.w

W4 are lnfornmd by the Cos&trollor~s Offloe that El11 county has a populatlon of 43,036 lnh6bltanta acoordlng to the last Federal Csnsus. and that the oountr ofl'lolal6 aro ao6p4naated on a salary basis.

5ootlon 19 of Artialo Soleo, Vernon*6 Civil statut4a, roads In part as follcr?ps:

Y340. 13. ~ommia6lon4ra oourt in oountl44 ha& a population'oi twenty-thousand (20,O~) 16habltant.s or mom. and 348s than one hundred and ninety thousand (190,000) inhabitants aowrd- lsg to the last peoedlng Federal Census, Is h4mby authorized and lt shall be its duty to fix the salaries of all the rollowlng named officers, Aasessor and Colleator of Taxes sh4rirr k%; Judge C;rtmty Attomsy lnoludlng CrlpIIpILLpf Dlatrlot attk64yo and County*attornoya who porton the dutiss of Diatriat attornoya, Dlatrlat Clerk, County Clerk, Treasurer, Ride and Animal Inspeotor.

zaah of said offloers ahall bs money in oxmlal salary in twelve (12) equal ~lnatall.m4nts 0s not less than the tot61 su6 aarned a6 compensation by him in his orrioial oapaalty for the fi6Ofd year 1955, and not more than the naxlmus~ amount alla4d such offloor under laws oxlstlng on Augtlst 24, 1925. * . . .

Under Section l3 of Artiole 39lE4, supra, oom- court in counties having 4 popllatlon of aora than missioners tweuty tboummd tnhebitants and less than one hunbred and ninety thousand inhabitants, has no right or authority to fix ths salary of the official oourt reportor. The salary of the official aourt reporter whera on4 county aaupows a *4 Hon. A. J. Sryau, haego 4

Judicial Dlctrlct and Is the only Dlatriot Court in the county, is 8p4t3iri0my uat by stat&e.

You are roapectfully advlsod t&t it is the opinion or this department that the ocaaLaaiondra OC&Wt of Iilll Noun- tp does not have thu power or lcaal authority Cc reduoe the annual salary OS the ofrlolal oourt reporter es the 06th Judi- olal Dlatrlot or change such salary in my mannor.

Trusting that the foregoing fully awwwe your inquiry, PO rwmia

‘Iowa vsry trrtly LiTTam +3zwmAL OF TW An-

ATTORNEY GENERAL OP TECAS