Ex Parte Marek

In Ex Parte Marek, 653 S.W.2d 35 (Tex. Crim. App. 1983) a witness appeared before a grand jury to testify but failed to bring with him certain documents as required in a subpoena duces tecum that he received. The Court concluded that the trial court erroneously held the witness in contempt under Article 20.15 because the witness actually appeared and testified before the grand jury. The Court explained that Chapter 24, not Chapter 20, of the Code of Criminal Procedure treats subpoena matters and provides various fines for failure to comply. Nothing in the Code of Criminal Procedure, however, permitted confinement in jail until subpoenaed material is brought before a grand jury. The Court noted, moreover, that the trial court erroneously found a "direct contempt" of the court where the court itself had issued an order directing the witness to produce the documents. The command, we said, was "to bring materials to the grand jury, not to the court," and thus the court's general contempt power under Article 1911a was not implicated.