Pomponio v. United States

How later courts describe this case

• discussing elements of misapplication of bank funds pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 656, a parallel provision of § 657 applying to national banks, members of the Federal Reserve banks, or banks insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation rather than savings and loan associations
• agency ordered to discharge its statutory responsibility to cut off funds to discriminating school districts nationwide
• order refusing to quash subpoena to prothonotary of local court requiring production of contingency fee retainer agreements filed by certain attorneys; appeal by one of those attorneys allowed
• characterization as “search” is not significant; the question is whether the investigation is reasonable
• client could appeal order directing attorney to reveal client’s name
• “the precedential value of this court’s decision . was substantially diminished by the action of the Supreme Court in taking the case for review on the merits, which did not come about only by reason of the intervention of mootness”
• referring to this choice as a “Hobson’s Choice”
• merely denying cer-tiorari without vacating