Case Name: Brian J. GILLER, Petitioner, v. Susan SHANE, Respondent
Court: Florida District Court of Appeal
Jurisdiction: Florida
Decision Date: 1995-02-01
Citations: 648 So. 2d 1262
Docket Number: No. 94-2340
Parties: Brian J. GILLER, Petitioner, v. Susan SHANE, Respondent.
Judges: Before SCHWARTZ, C.J., and BARKDULL and GODERICH, JJ.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 648
Pages: 1262–1262

Head Matter:
Brian J. GILLER, Petitioner, v. Susan SHANE, Respondent.
No. 94-2340.
District Court of Appeal of Florida, Third District.
Feb. 1, 1995.
Allan M. Glaser, Miami, for petitioner.
Entin, Schwartz & Margules and Bonnie S. Sockel, Fort Lauderdale, for respondent.
Before SCHWARTZ, C.J., and BARKDULL and GODERICH, JJ.

Opinion:
PER CURIAM.
By writ of certiorari petitioner seeks to quash a trial court order holding him in contempt of court. Petitioner urges that the trial court departed from the essential requirements of the law by holding him in contempt for violating an order which had not been reduced to writing, and for making a privileged communication to the Florida Bar. In the first instance we hold that a finding of contempt may be based upon the eontemptor's violation of an oral order. See Jamason v. State, 447 So.2d 892 (Fla. 4th DCA 1983), approved, 455 So.2d 380 (Fla. 1984) appeal dismissed, certiorari denied 469 U.S. 1100, 105 S.Ct. 768, 83 L.Ed.2d 766 (1985); Wells v. State, 471 So.2d 620 (Fla. 5th DCA), cause dismissed, 478 So.2d 54 (Fla. 1985), reversed on other grounds, 487 So.2d 1101 (Fla. 5th DCA 1986). Notwithstanding this and assuming for argument's sake that petitioner's communication with the Florida Bar was not privileged, we hold that the oral order was ambiguous and that petitioner's actions were not in violation of that ambiguous order. Therefore we quash the August 30, 1994, adjudication of contempt.
Order quashed.