contempt of court

contempt of court
contempt of court: contempt (1)

Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of Law. . 1996.

contempt of court
n.
Disobedience to a court and its officers; any act intended to interfere with the operation or dignity of the court.

The Essential Law Dictionary. — Sphinx Publishing, An imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. . 2008.


contempt of court
the offence of showing disrespect for a court. Contempt may be criminal or civil. Criminal contempt is conduct (whether words or actions) that obstructs or tends to obstruct the administration of justice; civil contempt is deliberate disobedience of an order of the court or breach of an undertaking given to the court; either is punishable by committal or a fine.
In Scots criminal law, an offence against the dignity of the court (not the judge) that can be committed inside or outside the court. Drunkenness can be sufficient but strange dress is not.

Collins dictionary of law. . 2001.


contempt of court
Behavior in or out of court that violates a court order, or otherwise disrupts or shows disregard for the court. Refusing to answer a proper question, to file court papers on time, to pay court-ordered child support, or to follow local court rules can expose witnesses, lawyers, and litigants to contempt findings. Contempt of court is punishable by fine or imprisonment.
Category: Representing Yourself in Court
Category: Small Claims Court & Lawsuits

Nolo’s Plain-English Law Dictionary. . 2009.


contempt of court
Willful disobedience of a judge's command or of an official court order.

Short Dictionary of (mostly American) Legal Terms and Abbreviations.

contempt of court
n.
   there are essentially two types of contempt: a) being rude, disrespectful to the judge or other attorneys or causing a disturbance in the courtroom, particularly after being warned by the judge; b) willful failure to obey an order of the court. This latter can include failure to pay child support or alimony. The court's power to punish for contempt (called "citing" one for contempt) includes fines and/or jail time (called "imposing sanctions"). Incarceration is generally just a threat and if imposed, usually brief. Since the judge has discretion to control the courtroom, contempt citations are generally not appealable unless the amount of fine or jail time is excessive. "Criminal contempt" involves contempt with the aim of obstruction of justice, such as threatening a judge or witness or disobeying an order to produce evidence.
   See also: sanction

Law dictionary. . 2013.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Contempt of court — is a court order which, in the context of a court trial or hearing, declares a person or organization to have disobeyed or been disrespectful of the court s authority. Often referred to simply as contempt, such as a person held in contempt, it is …   Wikipedia

  • contempt of court — Any act which is calculated to embarrass, hinder, or obstruct court in administration of justice, or which is calculated to lessen its authority or its dignity. Committed by a person who does any act in willful contravention of its authority or… …   Black's law dictionary

  • contempt of court — Any act which is calculated to embarrass, hinder, or obstruct court in administration of justice, or which is calculated to lessen its authority or its dignity. Committed by a person who does any act in willful contravention of its authority or… …   Black's law dictionary

  • CONTEMPT OF COURT — According to the Talmud, cursing a judge is a scriptural prohibition. The verse You shall not revile God (Ex. 22:27) is interpreted as referring to human judges (Mekh. ibid.; Sanh. 66a; Maim. Yad, Sanhedrin 26:1) as is a preceding verse … the… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • contempt of court — N UNCOUNT Contempt of court is the criminal offence of disobeying an instruction from a judge or a court of law. [LEGAL] He faced imprisonment for contempt of court. Syn: contempt …   English dictionary

  • contempt of court — An act that hinders the course of justice or that constitutes disrespect to the lawful authority of the court. Contempt may be divided into acts committed in court (for instance, unseemly behaviour or refusing to answer a question as a witness)… …   Big dictionary of business and management

  • contempt of court — con,tempt of court noun uncount LEGAL the crime of not doing what a judge in a court of law has ordered you to do: The reporter was found to be in contempt of court for refusing to reveal his sources …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • contempt of court — UK / US noun [uncountable] legal the crime of not doing what a judge in a court of law has ordered you to do The journalist was found to be in contempt of court for refusing to reveal his sources …   English dictionary

  • contempt of court — noun A court order which, in the context of a court trial or hearing, declares a person or organization to have disobeyed or been disrespectful of the courts authority. See Also: contempt of Congress, contempt of Parliament, hold in contempt …   Wiktionary

  • contempt of court — noun disrespect for the rules of a court of law • Topics: ↑law, ↑jurisprudence • Hypernyms: ↑contempt • Hyponyms: ↑civil contempt, ↑criminal contempt …   Useful english dictionary

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