What is a contempt of court?

Contempt of court is when someone shows disrespect to a court and its authority or does not comply with a court order. This can happen in a variety of ways, such as disrespecting the judge, not following court rules, or not paying court fines. In California, contempt of court is a serious offense that may result in a jail sentence. A person found in contempt of court may be sentenced to jail for up to five days or fined up to $1,000. Additionally, he or she may be held in civil or criminal contempt. Civil contempt is typically used to ensure that a person complies with a court order, such as following an order to pay a debt, while criminal contempt is used to punish a person who has already been found guilty of breaking a court order. In either case, the individual may be found in contempt and face sanctions.

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What is a contempt of court?

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