Sinclair v. Savings & Loan Commissioner of Texas

696 S.W.2d 142, 1985 Tex. App. LEXIS 12092
CourtCourt of Appeals of Texas
DecidedJune 24, 1985
Docket05-84-00974-CV
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 696 S.W.2d 142 (Sinclair v. Savings & Loan Commissioner of Texas) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Texas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Sinclair v. Savings & Loan Commissioner of Texas, 696 S.W.2d 142, 1985 Tex. App. LEXIS 12092 (Tex. Ct. App. 1985).

Opinions

ON MOTION FOR REHEARING

ALLEN, Justice.

Appellant and appellee have both filed motions for rehearing. We overrule both motions, but, for the purpose of clarification, we withdraw our former opinion in this case of April 9, 1985, and substitute the following as the opinion of this court.

Cliff Sinclair appeals from an order enforcing a subpoena that the Texas Savings and Loan Commissioner, L. L. Bowman III, had issued in connection with the Commissioner’s investigation of certain Texas savings and loan associations. Sinclair raises twenty-four points of error, contending for the most part that the subpoena should be quashed or further modified on fourth and fifth amendment grounds. The Commissioner in response has asserted twelve cross-points which basically complain of the trial court’s modification of the Commissioner’s subpoena. Although we conclude that Sinclair’s points of error warrant discussion, our disposition of this appeal is not founded on any of them. Rather, we decide this appeal on the basis of two of the commissioner’s cross-points. We agree with the Commissioner’s first cross-point that the trial court erred in partially quashing the subpoena because there was insufficient evidence that Sinclair’s fifth amendment rights would be violated. We also agree with the Commissioner’s seventh cross-point, the gist of which is that the trial court erred in not ordering Sinclair to appear before the Commissioner and submit to the Commissioner’s questioning. Accordingly, we reverse and remand with instructions.

The subpoena that is the heart of this controversy reads as follows:

[145]*145At the instance of the Savings and Loan Commissioner of the State of Texas you are hereby required to appear before the Savings and Loan Commissioner of the State of Texas, or his authorized agent, at:
Texas Savings and Loan Department North Texas Region Office 1008 American Bank Building 800 West Airport Freeway
in the City of Irving, Texas on the 30th day of November, 1983, at 9:00 a.m. then and there to answer such questions as may be propounded to you by the Savings and Loan Commissioner of Texas, or his authorized agent, as a part of an examination by the Commissioner to determine the financial condition of state savings and loan association, and that you produce to the Savings and Loan Commissioner, or his authorized agent, for examination and/or reproduction (including photostating or photocopying), at such time and place, the following:
See Exhibit A.
EXHIBIT A
1. All books, records, notes, memoran-da, or other documents, including, but not limited to, journals, ledgers, promissory notes, deeds, deeds of trust, contracts, closing statements, seller’s statements, buyer’s statements, title insurance policies, appraisals, vouchers, checks, receipts, disbursement records, wire transfer records, bank statements and records, memoranda, letters, telegrams, correspondence, or other documents which relate to any involvement by you or any person or company owned or controlled by you in the purchase, acquisition, sale, or financing of real estate in transactions involving loans made on real estate during calendar years 1982 and 1983 by one or more of the following savings and loan associations: Empire Savings and Loan Association of Mesquite; Bell Savings Association of Belton, First Savings and Loan Association of Burkburnett; Inves-tex Savings Association of Tyler; State Savings and Loan Association of Lubbock.

Sinclair did not appear in response to the subpoena. The Commissioner, through the Attorney General of Texas, filed an application for enforcement of the subpoena. Sinclair answered with a motion to quash the subpoena. Sinclair attached to the motion the following affidavit:

My name is Clifford Ray Sinclair. I have been advised that the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office are currently investigating Danny Faulkner, Jim Toler, Spencer Blaine, and several other people including myself in regards to all transactions concerning and relations to several savings and loan associations including but not limited to the following: Empire Savings and Loan Association of Mesquite; Bell Savings Association of Belton; First Savings and Loan Association of Burk-burnett; Investex Savings Association of Tyler; State Savings and Loan Association of Lubbock.
I am aware that the purpose of this investigation is to determine whether or not criminal prosecution will be initiated against those being investigated.
I am aware that the Texas Savings and Loan Department is in communication with the United States Attorney, the Dallas County District Attorney, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and any information or documents which I provide pursuant to the subpoena duces te-cum issued on November 10,1983, by the Commissioner of the Texas Savings and Loan Department could be used by the United States Attorney, the Dallas County District Attorney, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to aid them in their investigation and their building of a criminal case against me.
I therefore upon the advice of my attorneys respectfully decline to produce the documents called for by the subpoena [146]*146duces tecum at this time and assert my rights and privileges under the fourth and fifth amendments to the Constitution of the United States and Article I, Sections 9 and 10 of the Texas Constitution.

Sinclair did not personally appear at the hearing on enforcement of the subpoena, but his attorneys appeared in his stead. During the course of the proceeding, the trial judge observed:

It’s my understanding, and taking judicial notice of my pleadings before me, we have Mr. Clifford Ray Sinclair who is invoking the Fourth and Fifth Amendments to the. Constitution of the United States and is declining to produce the documents called for by the subpoena duces tecum that is in evidence, and in order to protect these constitutional rights the Court necessarily has to determine how to partially enforce the subpoena, and I’ll allow the Texas Savings and Loan Commissioner to obtain whatever documents that are not privileged. For that reason, we have to consider other things besides the affidavit, other evidence.

The court heard testimony from only one witness, Russell R. Oliver, an attorney who worked for the Texas Savings and Loan Department. Oliver testified that the Savings and Loan Department was investigating the five savings and loans named in the subpoena and Sinclair in connection with loans for real estate transactions. He confirmed the allegation in Sinclair’s affidavit that the Department had communicated with the United States Attorney, the Dallas County District Attorney, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation about the Department’s investigation. He acknowledged that these agencies were conducting a criminal investigation into the same transactions which were the subject of the Department’s investigation. Oliver also acknowledged that Sinclair’s name had come up in the Department’s communications with these various criminal investigative agencies, since Sinclair was apparently involved in the investigated transactions.

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696 S.W.2d 142, 1985 Tex. App. LEXIS 12092, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sinclair-v-savings-loan-commissioner-of-texas-texapp-1985.