Contempt of court, in simple terms, is when you disrespect the authority of the court. That sounds rather arbitrary, but certain factors must be in place before you can be found guilty of such a crime.
(And yes, you have to be found guilty of it. Judges can't just exercise this authority willy-nilly, contrary to popular belief.)
If you do any of the following, you're likely to be 'held' or 'found' in contempt:
- You fail to obey a lawful order of the court. (The most common.)
- You show disrespect for the judge. (Less common, though it makes for one heck of a viral YouTube video.)
- You disrupt the proceedings by openly defying or disrespecting the judge. (See defendant flipping judge the bird in the previous video.)
- You publish material when forbidden from doing so or fail to provide said material when ordered. (Usually, contempt of court applies here when it impedes the ability to carry out a fair trial.)
If a Texas judge holds you in contempt of court and you're found guilty, you will face one of two scenarios: a fine or jail. If you fail to pay the fine, you could be held in further contempt, thus increasing the severity of the punishment.
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