Court Opinion

ID: 9610772
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-22 03:47:02.727381+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:03:04.527253
License: Public Domain

EASLEY, Chief Justice, and SOSA, Senior Justice, dissenting. The majority reads State v. Rael, 97 N.M. 640, 642 P.2d 1099 (1982), to hold “that a contempt action for child support enforcement is civil and not criminal”. However, Rael makes it clear that the nature of the punishment is critical. Also, the language in Rael is explicit that the defendant’s ability to pay back support and thus avoid jail is also a critical factor in determining whether the contempt is civil or criminal. Rael relies very heavily on the fact that defendant “has the keys to his own prison”. Rael is not authority for a broad assertion that all contempt actions in child support enforcement cases are civil in nature. The authorities are in accord that: The major factor in determining whether a contempt is civil or criminal is the purpose for which the power is exercised. Civil contempts are those proceedings instituted to preserve and enforce the rights of private parties to suits and to compel obedience to the orders, writs, mandates and decrees of the court; whereas criminal contempt proceedings are instituted to preserve the authority and vindicate the dignity of the court. State v. Greenwood, 63 N.M. 156, 315 P.2d 223 (1957); State v. Magee Pub. Co. et al., 29 N.M. 455, 224 P. 1028 (1924). Matter of Klecan, 93 N.M. 637, 638, 603 P.2d 1094, 1095 (1979). The purpose of the court in ordering the contempt citation here must be considered in determining whether this action is civil or criminal in nature. Matter of Klecan, supra. In support of its holding, the majority states that otherwise: Any person ordered to make payments could merely ignore the court order until enforcement is sought knowing he could not be jailed for his refusal to obey the court order. We cannot follow such illogical reasoning that strips the court of the authority to enforce its orders. It could not be more clear that the majority views the contempt citation as preserving the authority of the court. This is criminal contempt. Matter of Klecan, supra. It is plain on the record that respondent was being punished for failure to abide by the court’s order. Indeed, the majority so holds. The majority relies on Murphy v. Murphy, 96 N.M. 401, 631 P.2d 307 (1981) for the proposition that in a civil contempt proceeding a trial court may “impose a punitive penalty as punishment.” The language relied on is dicta unsupported by any authority. This is an exercise of the criminal contempt power to deprive an individual of his liberty. Due process standards of the federal and state constitutions require that respondent have the type of notice, hearing, and attendant rights and safeguards that accompany a criminal contempt proceeding. Enforcing the support of children by their parents is an extremely important objective. Ensuring due process to those restrained of their liberty is likewise of great importance. These objectives do not conflict. It is a simple procedure to advise the offending party that he is charged with criminal contempt and that he may be represented by a lawyer and be heard on the matter at a given time. After notice and hearing, required by due process, a parent who refuses to support his or her child may be jailed just as surely for criminal contempt as for civil contempt. We must not abandon our constitutional precepts of due process in favor of the facility of summary justice. I respectfully dissent.