Source: http://masscases.com/cases/app/6/6massappct692.html
Timestamp: 2019-04-23 10:13:22+00:00

Document:
KATHLEEN FRANCES AINSLIE vs. HARRY PHILLIP AINSLIE.
CIVIL ACTION commenced in the Probate Court for the county of Middlesex on August 24, 1976.
A contempt petition filed on April 6, 1977, was heard by Martin, J.
Anthony L. Mancini for the defendant.
the order . . . by failure to pay [various other listed items]." The complaint for contempt was filed on April 6, 1977, and was made returnable on July 11, 1977. The matter was continued to July 20, 1977, when the probate judge made the notation set out in the margin [Note 1] and continued the case to August 11, 1977. On that date the case came before another judge, who continued it to September 29, 1977, when the original judge entered a judgment set out in pertinent part in the margin. [Note 2] The defendant filed a notice of appeal and a statement of the evidence, to which the plaintiff agreed and which was approved by the judge subject to an addendum which he filed. Mass.R.A.P. 8(c), 365 Mass. 850 (1974). See King v. King, 373 Mass. 37, 39 (1977; Renda v. Gouchberg, 4 Mass. App. Ct. 786 (1976). The sentence was stayed, pending disposition of the appeal, by a Justice of this court. We reverse the judgment.
(1966). But, like the violation of the injunction in Root v. MacDonald, 260 Mass. 344, 358 (1927), the reasons stated in the judgment do not "go so far as to show acts in willful defiance of the authority and power of the court, except as failure to conform to any lawful order of a court partakes to some extent of defiance." In the Root case the court pointed out in dicta (referred to in the Sodones case, 366 Mass. at 130 n.8) that as to the enforcement by contempt of orders for separate support, alimony, and the like, "[i]t has never been supposed that these classes of contempt were criminal as commonly administered." 260 Mass. at 355. The Sodones case, 366 Mass. at 130 n.8, also refers to dicta in Blankenburg v. Commonwealth, 260 Mass. 369, 373 (1927), in which the court said, "The use of that process [attachment for contempt] . . . concerning separate support, alimony, support of children and other aspects of domestic relations, has never been regarded as partaking of criminal features. Contempt proceedings to that end are remedial and coercive . . . not of a criminal nature." The Blankenburg case involved an adjudication of criminal contempt "by wilful and intentional perjury . . . during the trial of a petition for the allowance of a will." 260 Mass. at 371. The Supreme Judicial Court pointed out that in such a case the contempt proceedings were "exclusively punitive . . . designed wholly to punish an attempt to prevent the course of justice" in contrast to contempt "in aid of distinctively probate jurisdiction." 260 Mass. at 373.
proceedings. Meranto v. Meranto, 366 Mass. 720, 724 (1975). See School Comm. of New Bedford v. Dlouhy, 360 Mass. 109, 117 (1971).
We do not imply (and we do not decide the point) that there may not be conduct which falls short of the commission of a crime--such as the perjury in the Blankenburg case--but which so colors the failure to pay by one who has the ability as to permit a finding beyond a reasonable doubt (Root v. MacDonald, 260 Mass. at 366, citing Gompers v. Bucks Stove & Range Co., 221 U.S. at 444, and Michaelson v. United States, 266 U.S. 42, 66 ) of such interference with or manipulation of the judicial process, beyond the disregard of a court order as to warrant punishment for criminal contempt. There is no indication here of such conduct either in the judgment or in the complaint. See Langford v. Langford, 253 Miss. 483, 485 (1965); 53 A.L.R.2d 591, 617-618 (1957).
The judgment is reversed, and the case is remanded to the Probate and Family Court Department for further consideration of the defendant's present circumstances. See Sodones v. Sodones, 366 Mass. at 131.
[Note 1] "D[efendant] advised that, in view of flagrant disregard of Court order, case would be considered as Criminal Contempt; case continued to Aug 11, 1977; D[efendant] advised that he is to be present in Court on 8/11/77, with Counsel, prepared to defend a charge of Criminal Contempt inasmuch as there was a likely possibility that a jail sentence would be imposed."
[Note 2] The judgment states: "After hearing, it is adjudged that defendant is guilty of contempt of this court for having willfully failed and refused to obey its order of December 22, 1976, in that . . . Defendant in arrears $1348.00 as of September 29, 1977; Defendant held to be in Criminal Contempt for refusal to obey Court order to pay the sum of $75.00 to support plaintiff and minor child, despite continuing ability to make such payments. Sentence thirty (30) days."
[Note 3] We are, of course, not bound by the failure of the parties to include these documents in the appendix, though we are not required to go beyond the appendix. Mass.R.A.P. 18(a), 365 Mass. 864 (1974). See Kiss v. Board of Appeals of Longmeadow, 371 Mass. 147, 150 (1976); Sussman v. Commonwealth, 374 Mass. 692, 693 n.2 (1978), citing Callahan v. Callahan, 345 Mass. 244, 245 (1962). Cf. Kunen v. First Agricultural Natl. Bank of Berkshire County, ante 684 (1978).
[Note 4] The parties and the trial judge have assumed that review of the judgment in this case, though characterized as for criminal contempt, is by appeal rather than by writ of error. See Root v. MacDonald, 260 Mass. at 355; Blankenburg v. Commonwealth, 260 Mass. at 373. We have treated the case on that footing, confining ourselves to the substantive issues. Commonwealth v. McHugh, 326 Mass. 249, 275 (1950). Nickerson v. Dowd, 342 Mass. 462, 465 (1961), and cases cited. People v. Elbert, 287 Ill. 458, 464 (1919). See Salvesen v. Salvesen, 370 Mass. at 611. Cf. Hansen v. Commonwealth, 344 Mass. 214, 216 (1962).

References: v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v.