Failure to comply with a court order is referred to as "contempt of court." If you fail to pay child support, the other parent may request a hearing before a judge and have you held in contempt of court. Even if you attend the court, the judge has the authority to imprison you for failing to comply with the support order. Contempt of court is one of many reasons individuals are sent to jail. In addition to not paying child support, people can also be held in contempt of court for failure to appear at a hearing, change of residence without informing the court, and more. Individuals can be sentenced to jail time for civil contempt purposes. For example, if you refuse to sell your house to someone who was ordered to by the court, you could be jailed for criminal contempt after which you would be released upon completion of your sentence. People can also be jailed for criminal contempt where they lack any kind of punishment or remedy at law. For example, if you destroy evidence that was used against you in a criminal trial, you could be imprisoned for criminal contempt even though you might already be an innocent victim of crime. Finally, individuals can be jailed for criminal contempt where their conduct falls somewhere between criminal negligence and intentional wrongdoing.