Opinion ID: 2745935
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Judiciary Law Article 19

Text: Article 19 of the Judiciary Law authorizes a court to punish a person for criminal or civil contempt, and permits adjudication and sentence by way of summary proceeding. The court determines which provisions of the Judiciary Law apply and which to invoke based on the contemnor's conduct and the requirements of the statute. Section 750, titled Power of courts to punish for criminal contempts, limits a court's power to punish for criminal contempt a person who commits any of the specifically enumerated actions set forth in this provision and no others. Under this section a court may hold a person in criminal contempt for [d]isorderly, contemptuous, or insolent behavior, committed during its sitting, in its immediate view and presence, and directly tending to interrupt its proceedings, or to impair the respect due to its authority (§ 750 [1]); [b]reach of the peace, noise, or other disturbance, directly tending to interrupt its proceedings (§ 750 [2]); [w]ilful disobedience to its - 8 - - 9 - No. 159 lawful mandate (§ 750 [3]); [R]esistance wilfully offered to its lawful mandate (§ 750 [4]); [c]ontumacious and unlawful refusal to be sworn as a witness; or, after being sworn, to answer any legal and proper interrogatory (§ 760 [5]); [p]ublication of a false, or grossly inaccurate report of its proceedings [except] a court cannot punish as a contempt, the publication of a true, full, and fair report of a trial, argument, decision, or other proceeding therein (§ 750 [6]); or [w]ilful failure to obey any mandate, process or notice issued pursuant to articles sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, eighteen-a or eighteen-b of the judiciary law . . . or subjection of an employee to discharge or penalty on account of his absence from employment by reason of jury or subpoenaed witness service . . .  (§ 750 [7]). By way of punishment, Section 751 authorizes a fine not exceeding $1,000, incarceration not more than 30 days, or both. Where a person is committed for contempt pursuant to Section 751, the court must issue a mandate of commitment, setting forth the particular circumstances of [the contemnor's] offense as required under Section 752. Section 753, titled Power of courts to punish for civil contempts, allows a court power to punish, by fine and imprisonment, or either, a neglect or violation of duty, or other misconduct, by which a right or remedy of a party to a civil action or special proceeding, pending in the court may be - 9 - - 10 - No. 159 defeated, impaired, impeded, or prejudiced . . .  in instances where, e.g., an individual disobeys a lawful mandate of the court (§ 753 [1]), non-payment on a sum of money adjudged by the court to be paid (§ 753 [3]), or where an individual refuses a court's lawful mandate to testify (§ 753 [5]).1 The Judiciary Law permits a court to punish for criminal or civil contempt in a summary proceeding (see Judiciary Law §§ 754, 755). Section 755 provides that [w]here the offense is committed in the immediate view and presence of the court, or of the judge or referee, upon a trial or hearing, it may be punished summarily. Under this section, the judge or referee must issue an order stating the facts which constitute the offense and which bring the case within the provisions of this section, and plainly and specifically prescribing the punishment to be inflicted therefor [sic]. The Judiciary Law provides that a person held in contempt may also be criminally prosecuted and the prior contempt may be considered for sentencing purposes. Thus, [a] person, punished as prescribed in this article, may, notwithstanding, be indicted for the same misconduct, if it is an indictable offense; 1 Further, the Judiciary Law provides a unique remedy for cases arising out of labor disputes. Section 753-a, applies specifically in cases aris[ing] out of any failure or refusal to obey any mandate of a court contained in or incidental to an injunction order granted by such court in any case involving or growing out of a labor dispute and provides that a court cannot punish for contempt except after a trial by jury to which the defendant shall be entitled as a matter of right. - 10 - - 11 - No. 159 but the court, before which he is convicted, must, in forming its sentence, take into consideration the previous punishment (Judiciary Law § 776).