QUESTION: Where a county court at law judge is appointed by the commissioners court of his county with the distinct understanding and agreement that, because of the light docket of the county court at law and the fact that all of the judicial business of that court can be accomplished in approximately one-half of the working hours of the judge, the county court at law position is to be considered a part-time position and insofar as the commissioners court is concerned, the county court at law judge would be permitted to continue his law practice so long as it did not interfere with his judicial duties as judge of the county court at law, is such county court at law judge prohibited from practicing law by Canon 5F of the Code of Judicial Conduct?

ANSWER: The Committee is of the opinion that Canon 5F of the Code of Judicial Conduct clearly prohibits such county court at law judge from practicing law regardless of any agreement with his commissioners court at the time of his appointment.
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*Canon 8 was rewritten December 16, 1987. See Canons 8A and 8B.