Opinion ID: 186000
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Contempt Findings

Text: 41 The district court styled the contempt in which it held the appellants civil in nature. In this circuit an order holding a party in civil contempt in an on-going proceeding is not appealable as a final order. Byrd v. Reno, 180 F.3d 298 (D.C.Cir.1999) (per curiam). In contrast, [c]riminal contempt judgments are immediately appealable pursuant to § 1291 because they result from a separate and independent proceeding ... to vindicate the authority of the court and are not a part of the original cause. Marrese v. Am. Acad. of Orthopaedic Surgeons, 470 U.S. 373, 379, 105 S.Ct. 1327, 1331, 84 L.Ed.2d 274 (1985). As we explain below (in Part II.C.1), the district court's findings of contempt are functionally criminal rather than civil in nature. Therefore, we have jurisdiction over this appeal from the contempt aspects of the Contempt Order. 42