civil contempt
Defined in 3 dictionaries — Case Law, Ballentine's (1916), Bouvier (1914)
Definitions from Case Law
From 384 U.S. 364 - Shillitani v. United States · 1966Most cited · 2,479 citing opinions
The act of disobedience consisted solely 'in refusing to do what had been ordered,' not 'in doing what had been prohibited.' When the petitioners carry 'the keys of their prison in their own pockets,' the action 'is essentially a civil remedy designed for the benefit of other parties and has quite properly been exercised for centuries to secure compliance with judicial decrees.
Ballentine's Law Dictionary
James A. Ballentine · 1916
Those which are prosecuted to enforce the rights of private parties. See 21 Ann. Cas. (U. S.) 897.
Bouvier's Law Dictionary and Concise Encyclopedia
John Bouvier; revised by Francis Rawle · 1914
See Contempt.