SF 1732

as introduced - 90th Legislature (2017 - 2018) Posted on 03/03/2017 09:28am

A bill for an act
relating to public safety; expanding the contempt of court crime; amending
Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 588.20, subdivision 2.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2016, section 588.20, subdivision 2, is amended to read:

Subd. 2.

Misdemeanor contempt.

new text begin (a) new text end Every person who commits a contempt of court,
of any one of the following kinds, is guilty of a misdemeanor:

(1) disorderly, contemptuous, or insolent behavior, committed during the sitting of the
court, in its immediate view and presence, and directly tending to interrupt its proceedings,
or to impair the respect due to its authority;

(2) behavior of like character in the presence of a referee, while actually engaged in a
trial or hearing, pursuant to an order of court, or in the presence of a jury while actually
sitting for the trial of a cause, or upon an inquest or other proceeding authorized by law;

(3) breach of the peace, noise, or other disturbance directly tending to interrupt the
proceedings of a court, jury, or referee;

(4) willful disobedience to the lawful process or other mandate of a court other than the
conduct described in subdivision 1;

(5) resistance willfully offered to its lawful process or other mandate other than the
conduct described in subdivision 1;

(6) contumacious and unlawful refusal to be sworn as a witness, or, after being sworn,
to answer any legal and proper interrogatory;

(7) publication of a false or grossly inaccurate report of its proceedings; deleted text begin or
deleted text end

(8) willful failure to pay court-ordered child support when the obligor has the ability to
pay new text begin ; or
new text end

new text begin (9) willful violation of a geographic restriction issued by the court as an order or condition
of probation or pretrial release new text end .

new text begin (b) For purposes of paragraph (a), clause (9), "geographic restriction" means an order
or condition that prohibits a person from entering a designated property or geographic area.
new text end

new text begin (c) new text end No person may be punished as provided in this subdivision for publishing a true,
full, and fair report of a trial, argument, decision, or other court proceeding.

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective August 1, 2017, and applies to crimes
committed on or after that date.
new text end