TITLE attorney-general

Request for Opinions

RQ-0349-GA

Requestor:

Mr. Wayne Thorburn, Administrator

Texas Real Estate Commission

Post Office Box 12188

Austin, Texas 78711-2188

Re: Whether certain committees and subcommittees of the Texas Real Estate Commission may conduct public meetings by telephone conference call under the Open Meetings Act, chapter 551, Government Code (RQ-0349-GA)

Briefs requested by July 23, 2005

RQ-0350-GA

Requestor:

The Honorable Ken Armbrister

Chair, Natural Resources Committee

Texas State Senate

Post Office Box 12068

Austin, Texas 78711

Re: Whether a school trustee whose term is expiring may vote for himself to fill a vacant position on the board of trustees (RQ-0350-GA)

Briefs requested by July 23, 2005

RQ-0351-GA

Requestor:

Ms. Sherri Sanders, Interim Executive Director

State Board of Dental Examiners

333 Guadalupe

Tower 3, Suite 800

Austin, Texas 78701-3942

Re: Construction of and constitutionality of a rider to the 2006-07 appropriation to the State Board of Dental Examiners (RQ-0351-GA)

Briefs requested by July 23, 2005

For further information, please access the website at www.oag.state.tx.us or call the Opinion Committee at (512) 463-2110.

TRD-200502666

Nancy S. Fuller

Assistant Attorney General

Office of the Attorney General

Filed: June 28, 2005


Opinion

Opinion No. GA-0336

The Honorable Mark E. Price

San Jacinto County Criminal District Attorney

1 State Highway 150, Room 21

Coldspring, Texas 77331

Re: Whether a justice of the peace may establish a standing pool of qualified volunteers to serve for jury duty (RQ-0306-GA)

S U M M A R Y

Chapter 62 of the Government Code provides broadly for summoning juries for trial in a justice court. Articles 45.027 and 45.028 of the Code of Criminal Procedure additionally provide for summoning a jury for a criminal trial in a justice court. For the trial of a criminal matter, a justice court may utilize the procedures in either chapter 62 of the Government Code or articles 45.027 and 45.028 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. While articles 45.027 and 45.028 do not prohibit utilizing a pool of volunteers for empaneling a venire, such a method must guard against a due process challenge that it systematically excludes a distinctive group in the community from the venire.

For further information, please access the website at www.oag.state.tx.us or call the Opinion Committee at (512) 463-2110.

TRD-200502678

Nancy S. Fuller

Assistant Attorney General

Office of the Attorney General

Filed: June 29, 2005