Texas Local Government Code 87.017 – Suspension Pending Trial; Temporary Appointee
(a) After the issuance of the order requiring citation of the officer, the district judge may temporarily suspend the officer and may appoint another person to perform the duties of the office.
(b) The judge may not suspend the officer until the person appointed to serve executes a bond, with at least two good and sufficient sureties, in an amount fixed by the judge and conditioned as required by the judge. The bond shall be used to pay damages and costs to the suspended officer if the grounds for removal are found at trial to be insufficient or untrue. In an action to recover on the bond it is necessary to allege and prove that the temporary appointee actively aided and instigated the filing and prosecution of the removal action. The suspended officer must also serve written notice on the temporary appointee and the appointee’s bondsman, within 90 days after the date the bond is executed, stating that the officer intends to hold them liable on the bond and stating the grounds for that liability.
Terms Used In Texas Local Government Code 87.017
- Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
- Person: includes corporation, organization, government or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, association, and any other legal entity. See Texas Government Code 311.005
- Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
- Written: includes any representation of words, letters, symbols, or figures. See Texas Government Code 311.005
(c) If the final judgment establishes the officer’s right to the office, the county shall pay the officer from the general fund of the county an amount equal to the compensation received by the temporary appointee.