Opinion ID: 864600
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Was it civil or criminal?

Text: 15 ¶35. Recently, we considered at length the law regarding contempt and stated: We carefully examine contempt convictions. Melvin v. State, 210 Miss. 132, 48 So.2d 856 (1950). Generally speaking, contempt matters are committed to the substantial discretion of the trial court which, by institutional circumstance and both temporal and visual proximity, is infinitely more competent to decide the matter than the Supreme Court. Cumberland v. Cumberland, 564 So.2d 839, 845 (Miss.1990). When dealing with contempt matters, we must first determine whether the alleged contempt is either civil or criminal in nature. If the contempt is civil, the proper standard utilized for review is the manifest error rule. Id. If the contempt is criminal, then we will proceed ab initio and will determine on the record whether the person in contempt is guilty of contempt beyond a reasonable doubt. Id. If the primary purpose of the contempt order is to enforce the rights of private party litigants or enforce compliance with a court order, then the contempt is civil. Purvis v. Purvis, 657 So.2d 794, 796 (Miss.1994).The contemnor may be jailed or fined for civil contempt; however, the contemnor must be relieved of the penalty when he performs the required act. Id. at 796-97. Criminal contempt penalties, on the other hand, are designed to punish the contemnor for disobedience of a court order; punishment is for past offenses and does not terminate upon compliance with the court order. Common Cause of Miss. v. Smith, 548 So.2d 412, 415-16 (Miss.1989). In re Williamson, 838 So.2d 226, 228 (Miss. 2002). We further discussed the two forms of criminal contempt, direct and constructive, and stated: Direct criminal contempt involves words spoken or actions committed in the presence of the court that are calculated to embarrass or prevent the orderly administration of justice. Punishment for direct contempt may be meted out instantly by the judge in whose presence the offensive conduct was committed.... Unlike direct contempt, constructive contempt involves actions which are committed outside the presence of the court ... In the case of constructive criminal contempt, we have held that defendants must be provided with procedural due process safeguards, including a specification of charges, notice, and a hearing. Id. at 237 (citations omitted). 16 ¶36. Applying this analysis, we find that Cooper Tire was in constructive criminal contempt. The fine imposed was to punish Cooper Tire’s failure to obey the discovery order and to vindicate the authority of the trial court. See, e.g., Newell v. Hinton, 556 So.2d 1037, 1044 (Miss. 1990) ([A] criminal contempt proceeding is maintained solely and simply to vindicate the authority of the court or to punish otherwise for conduct offensive to the public in violation of an order of the court.). The fines were to be paid to the trial court and did not involve the rights of plaintiffs or other private parties. ¶37. As noted, a person charged with constructive criminal contempt is afforded certain procedural safeguards. The citing judge must recuse himself from conducting the contempt proceedings involving the charges. “[I]t is necessary for that individual to be tried by another judge in cases of constructive contempt where the trial judge has substantial personal involvement in the prosecution.” In re Williamson, 838 So.2d at 238 (citing Terry v. State, 718 So.2d 1097 (Miss. 1998)). In Williamson, this Court reversed and remanded finding that it was improper for the citing judge to preside where he was a material witness. Based on Williamson, Cooper Tire is entitled to have proceedings before a different judge.