Court Opinion

ID: 9773560
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 17:49:37.817642+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:31:55.070983
License: Public Domain

AKIN, Justice,
dissenting.
I cannot agree with the majority’s holding that the jury’s answer to special issue number seven, the conspiracy issue, is supported by the evidence. One of the requirements of a civil conspiracy is “a combination by two or more persons to accomplish an unlawful purpose or to accomplish a lawful purpose by unlawful means.” Schlumberger Well Surveying Corp. v. Nortex Oil and Gas Corp., 435 S.W.2d 854, 856 (Tex.1968). As the majority concedes, the finding that two persons participated in the conspiracy can only be supported if we treat Christopher in his individual capacity as one person and Surety acting solely through its officer Christopher as the second person. There is no evidence that any other officer or agent of Surety participated in or had knowledge of the alleged conspiracy. “[0]ne of the essential elements required to establish a civil conspiracy is a ‘meeting of the minds on the object or course of action.’ ” Id. at 857. Although a corporation may be a “person” for the purpose of conspiracy law, it does not have a “mind” separate and distinct from the minds of its officers and agents. Clearly, there cannot be a meeting of the minds where there be but one mind. Thus, the courts have refused to find a conspiracy where only one natural person was acting in the scheme or plan which was the basis of the alleged conspiracy, even though he was an officer or agent of two corporations and both corporations were utilized in the scheme or plan. Lockwood Grader Corp. v. Bockhaus, 129 Colo. 339, 270 P.2d 193, 196-97 (1954); Windsor Theatre Co. v. Walbrook Amusement Co., 94 F.Supp. 388, 396 (D.Md.1950), aff’d 189 F.2d 797 (4th Cir. 1951); Knutson v. Daily Review, Inc., 383 F.Supp. 1346, 1359 (N.D.Cal.1974), modified, 548 F.2d 795 (9th Cir. 1976) (the Ninth Circuit did not pass on this question, but did note the stated rule in footnote 4 at 802). This does not mean that a natural person cannot enter a conspiracy in multiple capacities; it merely means that two natural persons are required to constitute a conspiracy.
Since the exemplary damages can be predicated only on the jury’s finding of a conspiracy and since there is no evidence of a conspiracy here as a matter of law, I would reverse and render the judgment of the trial court with respect to exemplary damages.