Opinion ID: 1608429
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Whether Moulds was deprived of due process of law when the chancery court convicted him of criminal contempt and sentenced him to jail for 30 days? [2]

Text: ¶ 5. Moulds argues that the Chancellor improperly ordered him incarcerated for criminal contempt without meeting the due process requirements applicable to criminal contempt proceedings. We agree. ¶ 6. The record clearly indicates that the Chancellor found Moulds to be guilty of criminal, rather than civil, contempt. Although a Chancellor has discretion to impose sanctions for both criminal and civil contempt, there is an important distinction between these two forms of contempt. This Court has explained that civil contempt is to coerce action while criminal contempt is to punish for violation of an order of court: If the purpose of the proceedings is to coerce action or non-action by a party, the order of contempt is characterized as civil. This type contempt proceeding is ordinarily instituted by one of the parties to the litigation who seeks to coerce another party to perform or cease performing an act. The order of contempt is entered by the court for the private benefit of the offended party. Such orders, although imposing a jail sentence, classically provide for termination of the contemnor's sentence upon purging himself of the contempt. The sentence is usually indefinite and not for fixed term. Consequently, it is said that the contemnor `carries the key to his cell in his own pocket.' [citations omitted] On the other hand, 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. Newell v. Hinton, 556 So.2d 1037, 1044 (Miss.1990); see also Sappington v. Sappington, 245 Miss. 260, 147 So.2d 494, 498 (1962); Miss.Code Ann. §§ 9-1-17 & 9-5-87 (1991 & Supp.2000). ¶ 7. There are two forms of criminal contempt: direct and constructive. 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. Varvaris v. State, 512 So.2d 886, 887 (Miss.1987). Punishment for direct contempt may be meted out instantly by the judge in whose presence the offensive conduct was committed, though we have stated that it is wise for a judge faced with personal attacks to wait until the end of the proceedings and have another judge take his place. Purvis v. Purvis, 657 So.2d 794, 798 (Miss.1995) (citing Mayberry v. Pennsylvania, 400 U.S. 455, 463-64, 91 S.Ct. 499, 504, 27 L.Ed.2d 532 (1971)). ¶ 8. Unlike direct contempt, constructive contempt involves actions which are committed outside the presence of the court. Coleman v. State, 482 So.2d 221, 222 (Miss.1986); Wood v. State, 227 So.2d 288 (Miss.1969). Because the alleged contempt (failure to make court-ordered child support payments) occurred outside the presence of the court and Moulds had already paid his obligations, the jail time imposed by the Chancellor was for constructive criminal contempt. 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. Purvis, 657 So.2d at 798 (citing Wood, 227 So.2d at 290). ¶ 9. The record clearly supports Moulds's assertion that he was not provided with any notice that he would be tried for criminal contempt at the May 11, 1999, hearing. The contempt sought by Bradley was for the imposition of civil, rather than criminal, sanctions. Bradley's complaint repeatedly states, for example, that the defendant is in wilful contempt of Court, and this Court should take whatever action is necessary to compel the defendant to take various actions to comply with the previous orders of the court, including releasing tax returns and providing his address and telephone number. A review of the record indicates that when questioned by the Chancellor about the possibility of Moulds being incarcerated, counsel for Bradley emphatically stated, I do not think he should go to jail.... Incarceration would be counterproductive for my client.... If he goes to jail that could affect his income.... What we asked for in the complaint, we felt sufficient to get his attention without the need of putting him in jail.... Given the language of the complaint and the above exchange, it is clear that what was sought was the use of civil contempt sanctions to compel, rather than criminal contempt sanctions to punish Moulds. ¶ 10. Without notice of criminal contempt sanctions, Moulds's due process rights were violated. Accordingly, we reverse Moulds's criminal contempt conviction and jail sentence.