The courts
contempt of court
The sanction for disobeying a court order or disrupting proceedings. Civil contempt coerces compliance; criminal contempt punishes past defiance.
In full
Civil contempt is remedial: fines or jail continue until the party complies, so the contemnor is said to hold the keys to their own cell. Criminal contempt punishes the violation itself and carries the protections of a criminal case. The distinction determines what process is due and whether the sanction ends when compliance begins.
Where to go next
Keep going
Browse every term in the glossary, or see the vocabulary in motion in the How government works walkthroughs.
A plain-language explanation for civic education, not legal advice. When in doubt, the official source named above controls.