contempt
Definitions from Case Law · United States Supreme Court
Definitions from Case Law
From 289 U.S. 1 - Clark v. United States · 1933Most cited · 1,637 citing opinions
juror on voir dire
Concealment or misstatement by a juror upon a voir dire examination is punishable as a contempt if its tendency and design are to obstruct the processes of justice.
How the Supreme Court has restated “contempt”
Each Supreme Court definition of “contempt,” sized by how often later courts cited it. “Change” is measured by wording overlap with earlier definitions — a rough signal, not a semantic judgment.
How often courts cite the cases defining “contempt”
Court decisions citing the 3 opinions that defined “contempt” — 2,461 in all, by decade. Counts are citations to the defining cases as a whole, not verified uses of the term. The dip in the most recent years is a data-coverage gap, not a real trend — our corpus holds fewer opinions from the latest years.
All 3 definitions, chronological · 1933–1962
The dual function of contempt has long been recognized—(1) vindication of the public interest by punishment of contemptuous conduct; (2) coercion to compel the contemnor to do what the law requires of him.
[P]rocedural due process requires that one charged with contempt of court be advised of the charges against him, have a reasonable opportunity to meet them by way of defense or explanation, have the right to be represented by counsel, and have a chance to testify and call other witnesses in his behalf, either by way of defense or explanation.
procedural due process