The article discusses general contempt provisions as well as civil and criminal contempt. The judiciary possesses the limited power of contempt, both civil and criminal, and it may use the contempt power to punish contumacious conduct. Civil contempt proceedings are coercive, while criminal contempt proceedings are punitive. Only the offended court has the power to punish for civil contempt. A party accused of civil contempt has the following defenses: inability to comply, the contempt order violates the party's fifth amendment privilege against self-incrimination, or the order is invalid. Criminal contempt is not a statutorily defined offense, but it consists of actions that impede the work of the court, lessen its dignity, or disregard or abuse court processes. The power to sanction for contempt enables courts to continue to function even if their orders are not voluntarily complied with. 152 footnotes.