Can You Go To Jail For Contempt Of Court?

Failure to comply with the court’s orders or with the judicial process can make your legal problems worse.  We have seen documentaries where antiheroes outwit the law by wiggling out of their GPS ankle monitors, and who can forget that scene in Goodfellas where Henry and Karen flush their cocaine stash down the toilet as the police pound on their door?  Disobeying the law when the law is already on your trail does not have to be anywhere near that dramatic for it to make your legal problems multiply themselves.  Consider that unpaid traffic tickets can lead to the suspension of your drivers’ license and consistently being a day late to pick up your children for your weekend parenting time can lead to the court increasing your child support obligations.  Contempt of court, which means disobeying a court order, covers some gray areas between civil and criminal law.  In some cases, it is possible to get criminal penalties, even including jail time, for contempt of court.  If you are facing criminal charges because of a sequence of events that began when you disobeyed the court, contact a Pittsburgh criminal defense lawyer.

A Few Little Procedural Violations Can Add Up to Jail Time

Contempt of court simply means that the court, usually a civil court, declares that you have disobeyed one of its orders.  It is a common occurrence in complex family law cases, where the courts issue many orders during the pendency of the case.  For example, your ex-spouse can petition the court to hold you in contempt if you do not apply for a refinance of the mortgage by the date indicated in your divorce judgment.  Usually, the penalty for contempt of court is only monetary fines, but for issues like nonpayment of child support, it can also include jail time.

Violating a restraining order can also be a matter of contempt of court, but the consequences are more serious.  The courts treat it more like a violation of the terms of one’s probation.

In the News

Terrell Lewis of Clearfield now has big legal problems, but they started out small.  The trouble began when a woman filed for a restraining order against him, and the court ordered him to stay away from her; news reports did not say what events led her to request the restraining order.  In October 2022, Lewis went to the woman’s university campus and was arrested for violating the restraining order.  He posted bail, but he did not attend his next court appearance.  This meant that he was now in trouble both for violating the restraining order and for failure to appear in court, also known as bail jumping.  He was arrested again in October 2024.

Contact Gary E. Gerson About Criminal Defense Cases

A criminal defense lawyer can help you if you are facing criminal charges for contempt of court or failure to appear at a court date.  Contact the law offices of Gary E. Gerson in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania about your case.

Source:

thelcn.com/news/pennsylvania-man-charged-with-bail-jumping-in-2022-case/article_e86d8100-8f20-11ef-90af-93a76364239a.html