Your source for the Pro Se Self-Help Guidebook Series of books

How To Defend Yourself In
Contempt Of Court Hearings

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New Reference Links

• 03/23/08 - Family Law Section of the Florida Bar - useful links for your research.

Contempt Defined

Case cites provided courtesy of Loislaw:

• Ex Parte Earman, 85 Fla. 297, 95 So. 755 (1923)

• Parisi v. Broward County, 769 So.2d 359 (Fla. 2000)

• Rubin v. State, 490 So.2d 1001 (Fla. 3d DCA)

• Power Line Components, Inc. v. Mil-Spec Components, Inc., 720 So.2d 546 (Fla. 4th DCA 1998)

• Montanez v. Montanez, 697 So.2d 184 (Fla. 2d DCA 1997)

• Aaron v. State, 284 So.2d 673 (Fla. 1973)

• In Interest of S.L.T., 180 So.2d 374 (Fla. 2d DCA 1965)

• Hayman v. Hayman, 522 So.2d 531 (Fla. 2d DCA 1988)

• Gregory v. Rice, 727 So.2d 251 (Fla. 1999)

• Siegel v. Felcher, 636 So.2d 872 (Fla. 3d DCA 1994)

• Pasin v. Pasin, 480 So.2d 699 (Fla. 4th DCA 1985)

• Pugliese v. Pugliese, 347 So.2d 422 (Fla. 1977)

• Mallardi v. Jenne, 721 So.2d 380 (Fla. 4th DCA 1998)

• Bowen v. Bowen, 454 So.2d 565 (Fla. 2d DCA 1984)

• Bowen v. Bowen, 471 So.2d 1274 (Fla. 1985)

• Featherstone v. Montana, 684 So.2d 233 (Fla. 3rd DCA 1996).

Contempt as defined by The Honorable Carolyn K. Fulmer, Florida District Court of Appeal, Second District, March 1999, Revised and Updated by Judge John C. Lenderman February 2002

Judges Checklist for Contempt

Fulfilling "Purge"  Requirements

• Freilich v. Freilich, 897 So.2d 537 (Fla.App. 5 Dist. 2005)
• Vega v. Swait, 4D07-932 (Fla.App. 4 Dist. 8-1-2007)
• Killian v. Lawson, 387 So.2d 960 (Fla. 1980)
• Partridge v. Partridge, 912 So.2d 649 (Fla.App. 4 Dist. 2005)
• Hisquierdo v. Hisquierdo, 439 U.S. 572 (1979)

42 U.S.C. 659

 5 C.F.R. Part 581

Statutory Exemptions, Garnishments and Legal Process

Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS)

Dirty Dog Law

 

Preparation for research
 

Research Books

Florida Rules of Civil Procedure & Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure

Local court rules

Research Outline

Unbundled Legal Services: The Florida Bar Assn. and possibly ones in other states have what is called Limited Representation

• Pimm v. Pimm, 601 So.2d 534 (Fla. 1992)
• Pompey v. Cochran, 685 So.2d 1007 (Fla.App. 4 Dist. 1997)
• Rosen v. Rosen, 696 So.2d 697 (Fla. 1997)

Typical Documents Involved In Contempt Hearings

 Family law forms

• Yakavonis V. Dolphin Petroleum, Inc., 4D05-3653 (Fla. App. 4 Dist. 2006)
• White v. Bloom, 621 F.2d 276
• Bonner v. Circuit Court of St. Louis, 526 F.2d 1331,
   

Notice of Hearing
 

• Woolf v. Woolf, 901 So.2d 905 (Fla.App. 4 Dist. 2005
  

Arrest Order Enforcement In Other States

• Sanders v. Laird, 865 So.2d 649 (Fla.App. 2 Dist. 2004

Appendix

Referenced Links:

• Abolish Alimony.org - excellent source of court-filed documents that can be used to help you prepare your documents.

• Abolish "Lifetime" Alimony Blog -  Subscribe in a reader to this blog.

• Alimony Reform Association Forum

• Alliance For Freedom From Alimony, Inc. - another good source of court-filed documents that can be used to help you prepare your documents.

• Alliance For Freedom From Alimony, Inc. Yahoo Forum group

• Citizens For Liberty And Privacy

• Consumer Credit Protection Act, 15 U.S.C. s. 1673

• Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS)

• Florida Bar Association

• Florida Courts Self-help, state forms

• Florida State Courts

• LectLaw.com

• LexisONE – free legal caselaw searches

• Local court rules (if there are any)
• Panama Publishing, Inc.
• Westlaw

Resources:

Florida Legal Services: Non-profit group offering information on legal services for low and moderate income Floridians.

Divorce Laws (Statutes) of all 50 states
 

Forum Resources

• Alliance for Freedom From Alimony, Inc.

• Alimony Reform 2ND Wives Club

• Alimony Reform Association

• Alimony Central Org. – List of forums

Sample Forms

• Proposed Court Order

• Notice of Hearing

• Motion to Appear by Phone

• Notice of Hearing and Appearance by Phone

• Motion to Compel

• Motion to Deny

• Motion to Object

• Motion to Strike

• Writ of Habeas Corpus

Caselaw:

Big Six:

• Bowen v. Bowen, 471 So.2d 1274 (Fla. 1985)
  Excellent explanation of proper procedure to use civil contempt and in support enforcement.
• Gregory v. Rice, 727 So.2d 251 (Fla. 1999)
  Procedure for civil contempt proceeding involving Department of Revenue and Child Support Enforcement Hearing Officer. (Recommended orders must contain detailed findings of fact to support the hearing officer's recommendation.)
• Johnson v. Bednar, 573 So.2d 822 (Fla. 1991)
  Excellent overview of civil contempt including explanation of different types of civil contempt fines but you must also read International Union, United Mine Workers v. BagweIl, 512 U.S. 821, 114 S. Ct. 2552, 129 L.Ed.2d 642 (1994), which effectively overruled the purge provision holding in Johnson v. Bednar and which the supreme court acknowledges in Gregory v. Rice, 727 So.2d 251 (Fla. 1999).
• Kelley v. Rice, 800 So.2d 247 (Fla. 2nd DCA 2001)
  Requirement of due process of law in indirect criminal contempt.
• Parisi v. Broward County, 769 So.2d 359 (Fla. 2000)
  Civil contempt sanctions; review of contempt power.
• Pugliese v. Pugliese. 347 So.2d 422 (Fla. 1977)
  Excellent overview of the four types of contempt and the basic rules.
   
• Muir v. Muir, 232 So.2d 225 (Fla.App. 1 Dist. 1970)
• Olsen v. Olsen, 98 Idaho 10 (1976)
• Pompey v. Cochrane , 685 So.2d 1007 (Fla.App. 4 Dist. 1997)
• Yakavonis V. Dolphin Petroleum, Inc., 4D05-3653 (Fla. App. 4 Dist. 2006)

Florida Statutes (F.S.):

• F.S. 61.08 Alimonyyy
• F. S. 61.12  Attachment or garnishment of amounts due for alimony or child support.
• F.S. 61.14 Enforcement and modification of support, maintenance, or alimony agreements or orders
• F.S. 79 Habeas Corpus
• F.S. 88 Uniform Interstate Family Support Act
• F.S. 222: Method of Setting Apart Homestead and Exemptions

 Misc:

• Child support, alimony and equitable distribution, and garnishment.
• Cases regarding contempt.
   

Law Dictionaries

Duhaime's Law Dictionary

Formfolks Free Legal Glossary

Free Legal Dictionaries website - multiple selections

Harvard Law Dictionary

Jurist Legal Dictionary

Law.com Dictionary

Nolo Legal Dictionary