Court Opinion

ID: 9650784
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-23 15:51:53.163435+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:24:58.479629
License: Public Domain

*129HANDLER, J.,
concurring.
I concur in the result reached by the Court in this case. A defense attorney whose unauthorized and unannounced absence from court in the middle of a complicated, multiple-defendant criminal trial is appropriately disciplined under the summary contempt authority of the trial court. R. 1:10-1. I write separately to emphasize the point that the contemptuous conduct which occurred here was a direct affront to judicial authority and was most properly punished as a summary contempt.
The offensive conduct occurred during the course of a criminal trial involving ten defendants who were charged with numerous conspiracy and gambling offenses. The trial also involved wiretap evidence. This admixture created especially complex and unusual trial problems. For example, the number of defendants created an obvious potential for conflicts of interest among defense counsel and raised special concerns on the part of the trial judge as to attorney conduct. Cf. State v. Bellucci, 81 N.J. 531, 544 (1980) (representation of multiple defendants by defense counsel raises ethical conflicts which impact upon an individual defendant’s constitutional right to effective assistance of counsel).
Judge Loftus, who presided over the criminal trial, stressed to defense counsel the importance of their commitment to the trial and admonished them as to the urgency of their attendance and punctuality. John W. Yengo, who represented one of the defendants, was fully aware of the judge’s instructions to counsel. Nevertheless, on March 2, 1978, he failed to appear at trial without having previously informed the trial judge of his expected absence.
After Yengo’s unannounced, unexplained, and unexcused absence from the trial, Judge Loftus made it clear when Yengo subsequently appeared before her that her main grievance concerned Yengo’s failure to notify the court of his expected absence. Yengo, however, explained that he had been absent in order to go to Bermuda “[o]n a business venture” for some clients and that until “late Wednesday night [March 1], [he] *130hadn’t made up [his] mind whether [he] would go [to Bermuda] or come [to the trial on Thursday].” Yengo, who obviously had anticipated being absent, had obtained a substitute attorney, and had advised other defense counsel and his client of his expected absence, was unable to explain his failure either to seek permission of the court for his absence or even to notify the court of his impending or anticipated absence. After giving Yengo a full opportunity to explain this absence and his failure to notify the court, the trial judge then cited him for contempt, a citation which, following the later imposition of a $500 fine, was certified by the trial judge. R. 1:10-1.
As I view it, this case involves the inherent contempt power of the judiciary to challenge and to punish affronts to its authority. It has long been recognized that there are occasions when this inherent authority must be exercised both swiftly and summarily in order to ensure obedience to court orders and respect for court procedures. See In re Oliver, 333 U.S. 257, 274, 68 S.Ct. 499, 508, 92 L.Ed. 682, 695 (1948); Cooke v. United States, 267 U.S. 517, 534, 45 S.Ct. 390, 394, 69 L.Ed. 767, 773 (1925); Ex parte Terry, 128 U.S. 289, 302-303, 9 S.Ct. 77, 79, 32 L.Ed. 405, 408 (1888). The summary contempt power is integrally related to judicial self-preservation. State v. Zarafu, 35 N.J.Super. 177, 182 (App.Div.1955). “The sole credible basis for the summary contempt process is necessity, a need that the assigned role of the judiciary not be frustrated.” In re Fair Lawn Education Ass’n, 63 N.J. 112, 114-115 (1973), cert. den. 414 U.S. 855, 94 S.Ct. 155, 38 L.Ed.2d 104 (1973); McAllister v. McAllister, 95 N.J.Super. 426, 440 (App.Div.1967). This judicial “power is as ancient as the courts to which it is attached and ‘as ancient as any other part of the common law.’ ” In re Caruba, 139 N.J.Eq. 404, 427 (Ch.1947), aff’d 140 N.J.Eq. 563 (E. & A.1947), cert. den. 335 U.S. 846, 69 S.Ct. 69, 93 L.Ed. 396 (1948) (quoting Rex v. Almon, 97 Eng.Rep. 94, 99 (K.B. 1765)).1
*131The summary contempt power operates upon contemptuous conduct occurring “in the actual presence of a judge.” R. 1:10—1. New Jersey courts have treated the question of what constitutes a contempt in the “actual presence of the court” primarily in terms of the capacity of such conduct to undermine the court’s authority and to interfere with or obstruct the orderly administration of justice. In re Caruba, supra, 139 N.J.Eq. at 411. Ordinarily, contempts of this nature occur directly to and before the judge; hence, the terms “direct contempt” and “contempts in facie curiae” are generally used interchangeably. Id. at 423. Our courts, however, have never imposed as a prerequisite for a “direct contempt” that every facet of the contemptuous conduct or each element of proof of the contempt be based upon evidential matters occurring only in the actual presence of the judge. To that extent, I disagree with the contrary suggestion of the court. Ante at 126. The court in Camba, for example, rejected the argument that false swearing before a master rather than before a judge was not a contempt in facie curiae. 139 NJ.Eq. at 425. The court stated
“In defining what is meant by ‘the presence of the Court,’ as that term is used with reference to contempts, it is said that ‘the Court’ consists not of the judge, the courtroom, the jury, or the jury room individually, but all of these combined. The Court is present wherever any of its constituent parts is engaged in the prosecution of the business of the Court according to law.” [Id. at 421-422 (citation omitted).]
Similarly, in State v. Sax, 139 N.J.Super. 157 (App.Div.1976), certif. den. 70 N.J. 525 (1976), the court recognized that an act of contempt need not occur in the actual presence of the court or judge so long as it constitutes a direct and immediate affront to judicial authority. In Sax, the Appellate Division upheld a contempt conviction of an individual who after having received a parking ticket, had sent to the municipal court clerk a letter *132which contained vulgar language and which charged the court with using “ugly” and coercive methods to get money from the individual. Id. at 159. Even though the judge did not initially receive the letter, the judge certified the contents thereof, heard arguments from the letter writer and his attorney, and adjudged the former guilty of contempt in facie curiae. Ibid. The court held that such a letter is an act of contempt in facie curiae even though the judge may never see or hear it at all. Id. at 160. See State v. Gussman, 34 N.J.Super. 408, 417 (App.Div. 1955).
When the conduct or behavior involves an attorney’s courtroom absence, tardiness, or other form of recalcitrance, that conduct may also be treated as a direct contempt in the court’s presence if it directly and with some immediacy interferes with the judge’s actual exercise of judicial power, offends the authority of the court, and obstructs orderly judicial administration. For example, In re Clawans, 69 N.J.Super. 373 (App.Div.1961), certif. den. 36 N.J. 296 (1962), cert. den. 370 U.S. 905, 82 S.Ct. 1250, 8 L.Ed.2d 401 (1962), dealt with an attorney who was convicted summarily of two contempts which involved separate occasions of both tardiness in appearing before the court and a refusal to give adequate reasons for non-appearances, contrary to the court’s specific and repeated instructions. The Appellate Division held that both acts of contempt constituted conduct which obstructed or tended to obstruct the course of justice; further, the court specifically held that “Clawans’ failure to appear . . . constituted contempt in the face of the court.” Id. at 381. To the same effect is State v. Dias, 76 N.J.Super. 337, 340 (App.Div.1962) wherein defendant was punished summarily for contempt upon arriving late for court without a justifiable excuse.
The Court in this case seems too preoccupied by the apparent conundrum that a courtroom “absence” is an ambiguous act and, thus, even though the absence itself necessarily occurs or becomes evident “before the court,” its character as a contempt assertedly cannot be ascertained without an “explanation.” Embedded in this expression of puzzlement is the unexpressed *133assumption that no direct contempts under R. 1:10-1 can ever require affirmative proofs other than those which occur directly in the actual presence of the judge. The Court on this point seems to think that unless the contempt in all aspects can be established solely by the judge qua eyewitness, it should not be regarded as a “direct contempt” to be dealt with summarily.
If this is the Court’s position, it is unrealistic and not in accordance with our case law. In one of our leading cases dealing with the summary contempt power, In re Carton, 48 N.J. 9, 21 (1966), it was recognized implicitly that a contempt in the court’s presence may in some instances involve conduct which has not occurred fully before the court or which requires some incidental, extraneous proofs. If, however, the significant or essential offensive conduct has occurred both before the court and in a manner which directly impacts upon the court’s authority and control of the judicial process, then that conduct can be considered and treated as a summary contempt. With respect to any aspects of the offensive conduct which may not have actually taken place in the trial court’s actual presence or which may be otherwise unknown to the judge, the Court in Carton stated that
[t]he defendant’s right to be heard is limited to the proof of material facts, if any, of which the court may be unaware, to the legal evaluation of the facts, and to punishment, [ibid, (emphasis added).]
With few exceptions, every contempt calls for an “explanation.” Thus, in In re Logan, 52 N.J. 475, 477 (1968), it was recognized that, even in a summary contempt proceeding against an attorney, the attorney should be informed of the charge and given an opportunity either to dispel any possible “misunderstanding” or to present any exculpatory facts which are unknown to the court.
Every contempt, including those which palpably and frontally assault the senses of the court, demands proof that it was committed by the offender with “criminal intent.” See In re Brown, 50 N.J. 435, 437 (1967); see also In re Carton, supra, 48 N.J. at 25. As stated in New Jersey Dep’t of Health v. Roselle, 34 N.J. 331, 337 (1961), “[t]he act or omission must be accompa*134nied by a mens rea, a willfulness, an indifference to the court’s command.” No judge, even one who is personally, directly, and unmistakably victimized by a contemnor, is presumed in the context of a criminal proceeding to have the perspicuity to read minds; thus, the judge cannot dispense with proofs of mens rea and deny the contemnor the opportunity to present rebuttal evidence concerning intent. It is for this fundamental reason that all persons charged with contempt before the court, no matter how seemingly obvious their guilt, must be accorded the right to present evidence bearing upon the quality of their conduct, including their state of mind. In re Carton, supra, 48 N.J. at 21. The “explanation” of an unauthorized courtroom absence, which the Court quite properly characterizes as indispensable to establish the contumacious character of the absence (ante at 124), is simply to be understood in terms of the issue of mens rea. Hence, the usual requirement of proof of intent and the opportunity for the charged party to rebut any normal inferences of a guilty state of mind by offering an “explanation” does not convert an obstructive courtroom absence, which itself has occurred in court and which directly interferes with the court’s authority, into some other kind of non-event or innocuous occurrence that mysteriously has taken place somewhere else.
Although this Court talks of a majority position that would regard a courtroom absence as an indirect contempt (ante at 124-125), that view has no dominant following. There are several courts which have concluded that this species of contempt, an unexplained and unexcused absence from court contrary to explicit judicial command, is appropriate for summary disposition. Ante at 125-126. As already indicated, our own courts have long adhered to this view. Ante at 132. Thus, I would not temper or dilute the inherent judicial authority to deal promptly and vigorously with this kind of contemptuous behavior.
The Court expresses genuine concerns prompting it to fashion a rule that would encourage a limitation on the availability of the summary contempt power in situations involving courtroom absences. I do not think a call for judicial timidity is warranted *135by what has occurred in this case. To be sure, the summary contempt powers should be used sparingly. See ante at 122. In an appropriate case such as this, however, when the summary contempt power is needed to vindicate the authority of the court and to rectify an obstruction of its orderly procedures, it would disserve the cause of justice not to invoke that power. With respect to the potential for abuse of the summary contempt power, there are unusually strong safeguards against its arbitrary exercise. In every case, there is the constant responsibility of a judge to disqualify himself or herself for hostility or bias. See Van Sweringen v. Van Sweringen, 22 N.J. 440, 447-448 (1956). Furthermore, a judge who is confronted with a direct contempt, though not subject to disqualification, nonetheless retains the discretion to deal with that contempt under the more formal procedures of R. 1:10-2 and R. 1:10-4. Swanson v. Swanson, 8 N.J. 169,184 (1951). Most important is the extraordinary scope of judicial review in contempt hearings, constituting a judicial failsafe against not only trial court abuse, but trial court mistakes as well. Our appellate courts—both intermediate and highest—are authorized to make independent determinations of the facts as well as of the law. State v. Dias, supra, 76 N.J.Super. at 339; In re Clawans, supra, 69 N.J.Super. at 378; R. 2:10-4.
Within the framework of this appeal, the due process concerns voiced by the Court, ante at 122, are overstated. The self-evident nature of the contemptuous conduct obviates formal notice and eliminates unfair surprise; the opportunity to be heard and to present proofs and argument, an opportunity available even in summary contempt proceedings, In re Carton, supra, 48 N.J. at 21, satisfies due process and fairness requirements. See, e. g., In re Oliver, supra, 333 U.S. at 274-275, 68 S.Ct. at 508-509, 92 L.Ed. at 694-695; In re Clawans, supra, 69 N.J.Super. at 381. Here, for example, no one could credibly contend that Yengo was not fully aware that he had disobeyed the court’s directives and, further, that when summoned to account, he was caught by surprise and denied a full opportunity to exculpate himself.
*136In the context of this adjudication, the appellate court should neither denigrate the seriousness of Yengo’s contumely nor minimize the obstruction that he created in orderly judicial administration. A trial need not grind to a halt before obstreperous conduct can be regarded as a contemptuous affront to judicial authority. The combination of a purposeful attempt to interfere with the court and intentional acts which have the tendency to obstruct a court is sufficient. In re Caruba, supra, 139 NJ.Eq. at 411. This unquestionably occurred in this case.
I would not, as the majority seems to do, only haltingly affirm the contempt judgment of the trial court. Judge Loftus, in my estimation, showed commendable skill in the management of a difficult trial and exhibited firmness and fairness in dealing with defense counsel in the course of this trial. The adjudication of Yengo’s contempt was in strict conformity with our rules governing summary contempts and was handled by Judge Loftus with poise, patience, and objectivity.
It is entirely appropriate that the Court in this appeal exercise its de novo jurisdiction and make an independent finding of guilt. R. 2:10-4. An examination of the record should bring the Court unqualifiedly to the same perceptions as the Appellate Division, which stated, “We concur completely with the trial judge’s assessment of Yengo’s conduct and have no doubt that it was undisputably and egregiously contumacious.”
For these reasons, I concur in the result reached by this Court and would reinstate the trial court’s judgment of contempt.
PASHMAN, SCHREIBER and HANDLER, JJ., concurring in the result.
For reversal—Chief Justice WILENTZ and Justices SULLIVAN, PASHMAN, CLIFFORD, SCHREIBER, HANDLER and POLLOCK—7.
For affirmance —None.

Our rules of court, as well as our statutory law, codify this inherent judicial power. R. 1:10-1 provides that “[cjontempt in the actual presence of a judge may be adjudged summarily by the judge without notice or order to *131show cause.” N.J.S.A. 2A:10-1 recognizes that the power of the court to punish for contempt extends to the “ [misbehavior of any person in the actual presence of the court” as well as “[disobedience ... to any lawful . . command of the courts” and confirms the “inherent jurisdiction of the . . court to punish for contempt.” Currently, the New Jersey Code of Criminal Justice preserves the judicial “power to punish for contempt. . .” N.J.S.A. 2C:1—5c.