Chapter 5A

(a) Except as provided in subsection (b), each of the following is criminal contempt: (1) Willful behavior committed during the sitting of a court and directly tending to interrupt its proceedings. (2) Willful behavior committed during the sitting of a court in its immediate view…

(a) A person who commits criminal contempt, whether direct or indirect, is subject to censure, imprisonment up to 30 days, fine not to exceed five hundred dollars ($500.00), or any combination of the three, except that: (1) A person who commits a contempt described in G.S. 5A-11(…

(a) Criminal contempt is direct criminal contempt when the act: (1) Is committed within the sight or hearing of a presiding judicial official; and (2) Is committed in, or in immediate proximity to, the room where proceedings are being held before the court; and (3) Is likely to i…

(a) The presiding judicial official may summarily impose measures in response to direct criminal contempt when necessary to restore order or maintain the dignity and authority of the court and when the measures are imposed substantially contemporaneously with the contempt. (b) Be…

(a) When a judicial official chooses not to proceed summarily against a person charged with direct criminal contempt or when he may not proceed summarily, he may proceed by an order directing the person to appear before a judge at a reasonable time specified in the order and show…

(a) A judicial official may orally order that a person he is charging with direct criminal contempt be taken into custody and restrained to the extent necessary to assure his presence for summary proceedings or notice of plenary proceedings. (b) If a judicial official who initiat…

(a) A person found in criminal contempt may appeal in the manner provided for appeals in criminal actions, except appeal from a finding of contempt by a judicial official inferior to a superior court judge is by hearing de novo before a superior court judge. (b) Upon appeal in a …

(a) Failure to comply with an order of a court is a continuing civil contempt as long as: (1) The order remains in force; (2) The purpose of the order may still be served by compliance with the order; (2a) The noncompliance by the person to whom the order is directed is willful; …

(a) A person imprisoned for civil contempt must be released when his civil contempt no longer continues. The order of the court holding a person in civil contempt must specify how the person may purge himself of the contempt. Upon finding compliance with the specifications, the s…

(a) Proceedings for civil contempt are by motion pursuant to G.S. 5A-23(a1), by the order of a judicial official directing the alleged contemnor to appear at a specified reasonable time and show cause why he should not be held in civil contempt, or by the notice of a judicial off…

A person found in civil contempt may appeal in the manner provided for appeals in civil actions. (1977, c. 711, s. 3.)

Whenever the laws of North Carolina call for proceedings as for contempt, the proceedings are those for civil contempt set out in this Article. (1977, c. 711, s. 3.)

(a) Each of the following, when done by an unemancipated minor who (i) is at least six years of age, (ii) is not yet 18 years of age, and (iii) has not been convicted of any crime in superior court, is contempt by a juvenile: (1) Willful behavior committed during the sitting of a…

(a) A presiding judicial official may summarily impose measures in response to direct contempt by a juvenile when necessary to restore order or maintain the dignity and authority of the court and when the measures are imposed substantially contemporaneously with the contempt. Bef…

Indirect contempt by a juvenile may be adjudged and sanctioned only pursuant to the procedures in Subchapter II of Chapter 7B of the General Statutes. (2007-168, s. 1.)

(a) No act or omission by a minor younger than six years of age constitutes contempt. (b) The provisions of Article 1 and Article 2 of this Chapter apply to acts or omissions by a minor who: (1) Repealed by Session Laws 2017-57, s.16D.4(n), effective December 1, 2019. (2) Is marr…