Opinion ID: 2426741
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Holding on contempt

Text: The master recognized that the advice Osborne's attorney gave his client in five areas appeared to have been designed to reduce the number of visitors as compared to 1993: (1) The size and density of the display was reduced by 95 percent; (2) The public and media were given no advance notice of when the display would be illuminated; (3) Visitors were not permitted to enter the residence compound as they had in the past; (4) Osborne and his wife did not make any appearance during the display; and (5) The display was illuminated for only three nights rather than seven nights as in previous years. As the master and Osborne correctly note, we have recognized that, although acting on advice of counsel is not a complete defense to contempt, it is a strong mitigating factor. Folsom v. State, 216 Ark. 31, 224 S.W.2d 44 (1949) However, as this court said in the Folsom case: The fact that petitioner acted on advice of counsel is of course not a defense to the charge, but it does lessen the seriousness of the offense. The penalty in a case of this kind, however, serves a dual function. Not only is the contemnor to be punished for his conduct, but, as we said in Poindexter v. State, 109 Ark. 179, 159 S.W. 197, 46 L.R.A., N.S. 517, the dignity and authority of the court must be vindicated. Reliance upon the advice of counsel affects the first consideration, but it is nevertheless true that in the eyes of the general public the court's order has been flouted. Id. at 35, 224 S.W.2d 44. We have no hesitation in concluding that our December 5 and 16 orders have been flouted. Osborne maintained massive Christmas lights displays in 1994 after we expressly forbade him to do so. Undisputed evidence at the hearing indicated that the displays on the east and west lots were indeed of massive stature. The 1994 display contained some 174,000 lights. The west wall of lights was 30 feet high. The east wall of lights was 55 feet high. The strings of lights on these walls were separated by one inch in 1993, and four inches in 1994. The overall dimensions or framework of the displays on the east and west lots were unchanged. The only difference was fewer lights were illuminated. From a review of all the evidence, we hold that the 1994 display was calculated to and did attract an unusually large number of visitors to the neighborhood. With regard to calculation, two factors stand out. The placing of 174,000 lights illuminated over three adjacent lots in itself is a call for attention. It remained in 1994 a massive display, albeit on a smaller scale than previous years. It constituted a massive commercial lighting display which we deemed not to be appropriate in a quiet residential neighborhood with restrictive covenants. Osborne v. Power, 319 Ark. 52, 53, 890 S.W.2d 574, 575 (1994). In the recent motion picture Field of Dreams, it was said, If you build it, they will come. Mr. Osborne built it, and they did come. He recognized that would occur as evidenced by the fact that he hired eight off-duty deputy sheriffs to control the traffic before the lights were turned on. This action demonstrates willful and intentional calculation to attract an unusually large number of visitors to the neighborhood. These eight off-duty officers were joined by sixteen Little Rock Police Department Officers to control the traffic. In light of the evidence, we conclude that Jennings Osborne is in contempt of court for willfully and intentionally illuminating massive displays on December 17, 18, and 19, 1994, in violation of the orders of this court.