Attaches Legal Definition

The interpretation of "attaches" in the civil service context was before us in Seidler v. Municipal Court (1993) 12 Cal. App. 4th 1229 16 Cal. Rptr. 2d 90. There, we explained: "Whether Government Code section 72002.1 applies to a particular position . . . depends on the meaning given the word 'attaches.' The word is not defined expressly in the code. However, the meaning given the word can be implied from its use in companion statutes. Article 4 of chapter 9 of title 8 of the Government Code specifies the officers and attaches which may be appointed in the municipal court districts of Los Angeles County. The statutes authorize the appointment by the judges of a court administrator 'who shall be the clerk' and authorize the court administrator to appoint additional personnel. (Gov. Code, 72750.4- 72754.) In municipal court districts of a specified size, the judges may appoint a jury commissioner who shall 'hold office at the pleasure of . . . the judges.' (Id., 72757.) "The judges may appoint the marshal (Gov. Code, 72643), who in turn may appoint specified subordinates (id., 72645, 72646); the administrative personnel to be appointed by the marshal are described as 'attaches' (id., 72646). Government Code section 72150 permits the judges to authorize the clerk and marshal of the court to 'appoint as many additional deputies as will enable them to promptly and faithfully discharge the duties of their respective offices.' After describing the powers and duties of the clerk (id., 71280) and marshal (id., 71264), the code turns to those designated 'other officers' in article 5 of chapter 8 of title 8 of the Government Code. These include commissioners (id., 72190), jury commissioners (id., 72191) and official court reporters (id., 72194). "Based on all of the foregoing provisions, the logical conclusion is that the clerk (court administrator), marshal, commissioners, jury commissioner and court reporters are officers of the court, while subordinate employees, which some of these officers are authorized to appoint, are attaches." (Seidler v. Municipal Court, supra, 12 Cal. App. 4th at pp. 1234-1235.)