Wood County’s criminal district attorney must meet age and practice requirements, perform specified courtroom and prosecutorial duties, and may appoint staff with county authorization.
Sec. 44.350. WOOD COUNTY. (a) The criminal district attorney of Wood County must be at least 25 years old and must have been a practicing attorney in this state for five years. However, if no person meeting those qualifications files as a candidate for the office on or before the 30th day before the last day on which a person may file as a candidate in an election to that office, the qualifications imposed by this subsection do not apply to that election. (b) The criminal district attorney shall attend each term and session of the district courts in Wood County and each term and session of the inferior courts of the county held for the transaction of criminal business and shall exclusively represent the state in all criminal matters before those courts. (c) The criminal district attorney shall perform the duties conferred by law on county and district attorneys in the various counties and districts. (d) The criminal district attorney shall collect the fees, commissions, and perquisites that are provided by law for similar services rendered by a district or county attorney. (e) The criminal district attorney, for the purpose of conducting the affairs of the office, may appoint a staff composed of assistant criminal district attorneys, investigators, stenographers, clerks, and other personnel as the Commissioners Court of Wood County may authorize. The commissioners court shall pay the salaries of the staff in equal monthly or bimonthly installments from the officers' salary fund of the county. (f) The legislature may provide for additional staff members to be paid from state funds if it considers supplementation of the criminal district attorney's staff to be necessary. Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 480, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1985.